Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [606]
TOKASHIKI-JIMA
098 / pop 750
Tokashiki-jima, the largest island in Kerama-shotō, is a long, skinny, north-south island that has some great beaches. It’s very popular with young Japanese holidaymakers, but is actually slightly less appealing than Aka-jima or Zamami-jima. Ferries arrive at the port of Tokashiki () on the east coast.
The island’s most attractive beaches are Tokashiku Beach () and Aharen Beach (), both of which are located on the west coast. Both beaches are well developed for tourism, and have toilets, showers, food stalls and shops where you can rent snorkelling gear (¥1000).
You can easily visit Tokashiki as a day trip from Naha. If you prefer to spend the night, Aharen is the place to be. Southern Cross (; 987-2258; r per person with/without meals ¥6500/4000), a family-run inn with simple Western- and Japanese-style rooms, is practically on the beach. It’s popular with young Japanese holidaymakers and families. A little further back in the village you’ll find Kerama-sō ( 987-2125; r per person with/without meals ¥5775/3675), a simple minshuku with basic Japanese-style rooms and reasonable rates. Staff will pick you up at the pier if you can get someone to reserve in advance in Japanese.
Tokashiki Sonei (868-7541) operates one or two fast ferries a day (¥2430, 35 minutes) and one regular ferry (¥1620, one hour 10 minutes) from Naha’s Tomari-kō.
Buses run from Tokashiki Port to the beaches on the west coast. Bicycles, cars and scooters are available in Tokashiki Port.
Kume-jima
098 / pop 9600
The furthest flung of the outer islands, Kume-jima is a quiet island that sees fewer visitors than the Keramas. It’s mostly flat and covered with sugarcane, with a few good beaches and the mother of all sandbars off its east coast.
The airport is at the western extreme of the island, while the main port of Kaneshiro () is on the southwest coast. There is a tourist information office (985-7115) at the airport that opens to meet incoming flights in summer.
The most popular beach on the island is Ifu Beach (), on the east coast. Ifu means ‘white’ in the local Kume dialect, and not surprisingly, the beach is known for its powdery white sand. Another attractive beach is Shinri-hama (), on the west coast near the airport, which is known for its sunsets over the East China Sea.
Kume-jima’s most famous attraction is Hate-no-hama (), a 7km sandbar that extends from the eastern point of the island, pointing back towards Okinawa-hontō. If you arrive by air, you can’t miss this coral-fringed strip of white framed by the turquoise waters of the East China Sea. The best way to get there is on an excursion with Hatenohama Kankō Service (090-8292-8854), which runs a three-hour tour to the sandbar for ¥3500. If you book in advance, staff members can pick you up from your accommodation.
On tiny Ōjima (), which is connected to Kume-jima’s east coast by a causeway, you’ll find the intriguing Tatami-ishi (), a natural formation of flat pentagonal rocks that covers the seashore.
Ifu Beach is the place to stay, and there are plenty of choices along the 1.5km waterfront. Our pick is Minshuku Nankurunaisā (; 985-7973; http://nankurunaisakume.ti-da.net, in Japanese; r per person from ¥5000; ), an excellent, friendly new minshuku set back just a bit from the beach. It’s got Japanese- and Western-style rooms with bathroom. For those with tents, there is a small camping ground on Ōjima, before the Tatami-ishi.
JTA and RAC operate five flights a day between Naha and Kume-jima (¥10,800, 35 minutes). JTA operates one daily flight from Tokyo and Kume-jima between June and September (¥46,700, 2½ hours). Kume Shōsen (098-868-2686) runs a daily ferry from Naha’s Tomari-kō to/from Kume-jima (¥3000, three hours 15 minutes).
Kume-jima has an efficient bus system. East Rentacar (896-7766) has a counter at the airport.
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MIYAKO-SHOTŌ
Miyako-shotō lies about