Miyakojima
Miyakojima is the main island of the Miyako Islands, in Okinawa Prefecture in the Okinawa region, about three hundred kilometres south-west of Okinawa Island: a low coral island of white beaches, joined to its neighbours by long bridges over the sea.
Higashi-Hennazaki, Miyakojima
- Region
- Okinawa
- Journeys
- The Custom Tour of Japan
overview
A flat coral island where the sea is the whole of the view.
Miyakojima is made of raised coral limestone and has no mountains and no rivers. Rain sinks straight into the rock, so no silt runs into the sea, and the water around the island is among the clearest in Japan; the islanders store their fresh water in dams built underground. Fields of sugar cane cover most of the land, with mango orchards and small villages between them, and the island's capital, Hirara, sits on the west coast by the port.
Three long bridges join Miyakojima to its neighbours. The Ikema Bridge of 1992 crosses to Ikema in the north, the Kurima Bridge of 1995 to Kurima in the south-west, and the Irabu Bridge, opened in 2015, runs some three and a half kilometres over open sea to Irabu, the longest toll-free bridge in Japan. Irabu is joined in turn to Shimoji by short bridges over narrow channels. Driving them, the road seems to run across the surface of the sea.
The islands have a history of their own. Under a head tax imposed in 1637 and abolished only in 1903, every islander paid in grain or cloth, and the fine ramie of Miyako jofu was woven to meet it; it is now an Important Intangible Cultural Property. The Miyako language is distinct from that of Okinawa Island, and in Shimajiri the Paantu, a spirit covered in mud, still visits the village, a rite recognised by UNESCO.
Miyakojima is the resort island of the south, with direct flights from Tokyo, a handful of fine hotels and beaches that rank with any in Asia.
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see and do
What to see on Miyakojima
Yonaha Maehama
Some seven kilometres of fine white sand on the south-west coast, facing Kurima across water of pale turquoise, and the island's best known beach.
Higashi-Hennazaki
A narrow cape some two kilometres long running out into the Pacific at the eastern tip of the island, designated a Place of Scenic Beauty, with a white lighthouse at its end and the sea on three sides.
The Irabu Bridge
Some three and a half kilometres over open sea from Miyakojima to Irabu, rising in a long curve in the middle to let boats pass beneath, with water of every blue on either side.
The Kurima Bridge
The bridge of 1995 across the shallows to Kurima, with a lookout on the far side over the bridge, Yonaha Maehama and the sea.
Ikema
A small round island in the north, joined by bridge in 1992, with a fishing village, a lighthouse and quiet coves, and the reef of Yabiji lying offshore.
Sunayama Beach
A small beach north of Hirara reached over a dune of white sand, with an arch of weathered coral rock standing in the water.
Imgya Marine Garden
A natural inlet on the south coast, almost enclosed by rock, with a walkway around it and lookouts over water so clear the fish can be seen from above.
Toriike on Shimoji
Two round ponds in the rock near the coast of Shimoji, linked to each other and to the sea through underwater caves, their water deep green, and a natural monument.
The end of the runway at Shimoji
At the northern end of the airport runway on Shimoji, the reef shelves into water of startling pale blue, a stretch of shore known by the runway's number.
Miyakojima Sea Park
An undersea observatory at Karimata in the north, its glass-walled room set below the waterline, where the reef fish swim past the windows.
experiences
The best of Miyakojima
The bridges by private car
An afternoon across the bridges to Ikema, Kurima and Irabu with a driver who knows the island, stopping at the lookouts and ending at Shimoji for the sunset over the sea.
The reef from a boat
A glass-bottomed boat or a private boat with its own captain over the reefs off Irabu and Ikema, where the coral lies a few metres below in water so clear it seems shallower than it is.
Miyako jofu
A visit to a weaver of Miyako jofu, the ramie cloth once paid as tax, so fine it is beaten with wooden mallets until it shines.
The island at the table
Miyako beef and island pork, fish from the reef, Miyako soba and the mangoes of the island's orchards, with awamori from its distilleries.
plan your visit
Miyakojima on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- Three or four nights suit Miyakojima, with a day for the bridges and the capes and the others for the sea and the hotel; add Ishigakijima for a longer island stay.
- Getting there
- Direct flights from Tokyo Haneda reach Miyako Airport in about three hours, and Shimojishima Airport, on Shimoji, also has direct flights from the main islands. From Naha the flight is about fifty minutes, and from Ishigakijima about thirty-five.
- Pairs well with
- Miyakojima pairs with Ishigakijima and the Yaeyama Islands a short flight to the south-west, or with Okinawa Island and Naha to the north.IshigakijimaOkinawa IslandNahaTaketomiKumejima
where to stay
Luxury hotels and ryokan on Miyakojima
On Irabu, across the long bridge, a quiet resort of low buildings stands among gardens turned to the sea, with a pool, a spa and the sunsets of the west coast. On Miyakojima itself, the resort hotels are on the south coast around Ueno and along Yonaha Maehama, the best of them with villas, pools and beaches of their own.
For a party who wants privacy, private villas on Irabu, Ikema and the south coast offer a home by the sea with a pool and a cook, a short drive from the bridges and the beaches.
journeys
Miyakojima on a private journey
We bring guests to Miyakojima on the Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director.
questions
Miyakojima: questions answered
How many days do you need in Miyakojima?
Three or four nights: a day for the bridges, the capes and the beaches by car, and the others for the sea and the hotel. Add Ishigakijima for a week in the southern islands.
How do you get to Miyakojima from Tokyo?
By a direct flight from Haneda to Miyako Airport, about three hours. Shimojishima Airport on Shimoji also has direct flights, and Naha is about fifty minutes away by air.
What is the best beach in Miyakojima?
Yonaha Maehama, some seven kilometres of white sand on the south-west coast, is the most celebrated. Sunayama, with its coral arch, and the coves of Ikema and Irabu are quieter.
How long is the Irabu Bridge?
Some three and a half kilometres. Opened in 2015, it joins Miyakojima to Irabu and is the longest toll-free bridge in Japan.
Should you visit Miyakojima or Ishigakijima?
Both, if there is time, since they are about thirty-five minutes apart by air. Miyakojima is flatter, with long beaches and bridges; Ishigakijima is hillier and the gateway to Taketomi and Iriomote.
Do you need a car on Miyakojima?
Yes, since the beaches, capes and bridges are spread across the islands. A private car and driver is the easiest way to see them.
Can Miyakojima 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, Miyakojima included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
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Miyakojima, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Miyakojima, 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.