Kumejima
Kumejima is a small island of Okinawa Prefecture, in the Okinawa region, about a hundred kilometres west of Naha and some thirty-five minutes from it by air, known for a white sandbar that runs seven kilometres out to sea.
- Region
- Okinawa
- Journeys
- The Custom Tour of Japan
overview
An island of sugar cane and silk, with a ribbon of white sand lying out on the reef.
Kumejima is the westernmost of the islands around Okinawa Island, green and gently hilly, its fields of sugar cane ringed by reef. It lay on the sea road to China, and the kingdom's ships took on water here before the crossing. The island prospered, and its old families built castles on the hills and houses of stone and timber that still stand.
It is also where Japanese tsumugi is said to have begun. Kumejima tsumugi, a silk pongee dyed with island plants and mud and woven by hand, was sent as tribute to the court, and it is recognised today as an Important Intangible Cultural Property. Off the east coast, the sea has made two marvels: Hate no Hama, a sandbar seven kilometres long with nothing on it but light, and Tatami-ishi, a shore of hexagonal stone. A pipeline draws cold water from the deep ocean offshore for prawn farms and a spa.
Kumejima is a place to slow down for two or three nights, close to Naha and far quieter than the islands to the south.
see and do
What to see on Kumejima
Hate no Hama
A crescent of white sandbars some seven kilometres long, lying out on the reef off the east coast, reached by boat. There is nothing on it but sand and the sea around it.
Tatami-ishi
A shore on the small island of Ou, joined to Kumejima by a bridge, paved with around a thousand pentagonal and hexagonal columns of basalt, worn flat by the sea like tatami mats. It is a natural monument.
The Uezu family residence
The house of a family descended from the island's lords, built in the mid-eighteenth century within walls of coral stone, its red-tiled roofs and timber rooms an Important Cultural Property.
Kumejima Tsumugi no Sato
The weaving centre of the island, where the craft of Kumejima tsumugi is shown from the dyeing of the thread to the loom.
Eef Beach
Two kilometres of white sand on the east coast, facing a lagoon sheltered by the reef, with the island's hotels set along it.
Hiyajo Banta
A sheer cliff on the north coast, its name meaning roughly the cliff of the high cape, with a lookout over the open sea and, on a clear day, the islands of Tonaki and Aguni.
Goeda no Matsu
A Ryukyu pine whose low branches spread over some 250 square metres, propped and tended, a national natural monument.
Uegusuku Castle ruins
The walls of the castle of the island's lords on the highest hill of Kumejima, with the whole island and its reef laid out below.
experiences
The best of Kumejima
A boat to Hate no Hama
A boat steered by an islander out across the lagoon to the sandbar, and an hour on a beach that seems to float in the open sea.
With a tsumugi weaver
A visit to the workshop of a Kumejima tsumugi weaver, to see the thread dyed with island plants and mud and the cloth woven slowly by hand.
The island at the table
Kuruma prawns raised in deep ocean water, island pork and sea grapes, with the awamori distilled on Kumejima itself.
Deep ocean water
An afternoon at the island's thalassotherapy spa, whose pools are filled with mineral-rich water drawn from the deep ocean offshore.
plan your visit
Kumejima on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- Two nights lets Kumejima be seen at an easy pace, with a morning on Hate no Hama and a day around the island; three leave time for the weavers of Kumejima tsumugi and a day on the water.
- Getting there
- By air from Naha in about thirty-five minutes. Ferries from Naha's Tomari Port take three hours or more, so the flight is the usual way.
- Pairs well with
- Kumejima is a short flight from Naha, and sits well with a night or two in the city and a day out to the Kerama Islands.NahaOkinawa IslandKerama Islands
journeys
Kumejima on a private journey
We bring guests to Kumejima on the Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director.
questions
Kumejima: questions answered
Where is Kumejima?
In Okinawa Prefecture, about a hundred kilometres west of Naha. It is the westernmost of the islands around Okinawa Island.
How do you get to Kumejima?
By air from Naha, a flight of about thirty-five minutes. There are also ferries from Naha, taking three hours or more.
What is Hate no Hama?
Hate no Hama is a chain of white sandbars some seven kilometres long off the east coast of Kumejima, reached by boat, with nothing on it but sand and sea.
What is Kumejima tsumugi?
Kumejima tsumugi is a silk pongee dyed with island plants and mud and woven by hand. It is said to be the origin of tsumugi in Japan and is an Important Intangible Cultural Property.
How many days do you need in Kumejima?
Two nights is enough to see Hate no Hama, Tatami-ishi and the island at an easy pace, and three for a slower stay.
Can Kumejima be part of a private tour of Japan?
Yes. The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director, and it can go anywhere in the country, Kumejima included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
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Kumejima, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Kumejima, and we will answer with a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone, or, if you would rather travel independently, an Expert Japan Itinerary that plans every day for you.