Iriomote

Okinawa, Japan · Remote island, Sea / Beach, Mountain

Nine-tenths of the island is subtropical jungle and mangrove, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site: you reach its waterfalls by paddling upriver, and at night the last hundred or so Iriomote cats cross the road. Staying over gives you what the day trip from Ishigaki can't: the rivers early in the morning, the boat-only village of Funauki and a sky without light.

The essentials

Getting there

Ferry — High-speed boats run by Anei Kanko and Yaeyama Kanko Ferry leave Ishigaki port (about 35 minutes by bus from the airport): about 40 minutes and several sailings a day to Ohara in the south-east (around ¥2,300-2,800), and 45-55 minutes with about four sailings per company to Uehara in the north (around ¥3,000-3,300), a route often cancelled by winter north winds and by typhoons (especially August to October). There are only four buses a day around the island, so renting a car at the port is close to essential.

Frequently asked questions about Iriomote

What to do in Iriomote: 25 activities

• Kayak and hike to Pinaisara Falls 6 h must-see booking

  Okinawa's tallest waterfall (about 55 m) is reached by paddling up the mangrove-lined Hinai River and then hiking through jungle to the plunge pool or to the top of the fall, which looks out over Funaura Bay. Since March 2025 you may only go with a town-certified guide, and numbers are capped at 200 people a day (¥500 fee); the tour company handles the paperwork. Half-day tours from about ¥11,000; full days ¥14,000-18,000.

• Urauchi River cruise and the Mariyudu and Kampire falls 4 h must-see

  A boat takes you about 8 km up Okinawa's longest river, through mangroves, to the Gunkan-iwa landing; from there a jungle path (mud and roots, 1-2 hours return) leads to the viewpoint over the tiered Mariyudu falls and on to the Kampire rapids. Around ¥3,500 per adult, five departures a day between 9:00 and 14:30, no booking needed but a four-passenger minimum; boots are lent free. Swimming at the falls is not allowed.

• Funauki village and Ida Beach 5 h Taketomi (Funauki) · 35 min

  Iriomote's road ends at Shirahama; Funauki, a hamlet of around forty people, can only be reached by boat (10 minutes, ¥520, five sailings a day). From the jetty a fifteen-minute jungle walk leads to Ida no hama, a white beach with no facilities, toilets or lifeguard. Bring water and food, and check the time of the last boat back.

• Hoshizuna Beach (star-sand beach) 2.5 h

  Ten minutes' walk from Uehara port, a coral beach whose sand includes star-shaped grains (foraminifera shells), with good snorkelling in the reef pools at high tide. There is no lifeguard, and at low tide the currents in the channels out to open sea are dangerous. Best June to September; in winter the north wind blows straight in.

• Iriomote wild boar dinner (kamai) 2 h booking

  The Ryukyu wild boar, called kamai locally, is the island's traditional meat, served as tataki, carpaccio, stew or soup in several Uehara restaurants. Most have a single sitting, close one or two days a week and fill up: book by phone before you arrive, because at night there is nothing else open.

• Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center (Iriomote cat) 1 h Taketomi (zona de Ohara) · 40 min

  A Ministry of the Environment centre in Komi explaining the life of the Iriomote cat, of which about a hundred remain, and why so many are killed on the roads. Free, 10:00-17:00, closed Mondays. There are no live animals: it is the best way to understand the cat without disturbing it in the wild.

• Night jungle walk 2 h booking

  With a guide and torch, two hours along the jungle edge looking for coconut crabs, frogs, owls and fruit bats. The Sakishima habu (a venomous pit viper) comes out at night: don't put your hands into the undergrowth or go on your own. The rules forbid searching for or chasing the Iriomote cat with lights.

• Shichi festival in Sonai and Hoshitate 4 h Taketomi (Sonai) · 20 min only September-October, by the lunar calendar

  The traditional new year of the western villages, designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan: ritual boat races, a procession of the god Miruku, dances and traditional theatre over three days, on a date set by the lunar calendar (September or October). It is a religious ceremony of the community: watch from the edges and follow the rules on where you may stand and photograph.

• Snorkelling at Barasu Island 4 h booking

  Barasu is a bank between Iriomote and Hatoma made entirely of coral fragments, ringed by living reef. The only way there is on a boat trip from Uehara (half a day, roughly ¥8,000-12,000 with gear), which is cancelled in north winds or typhoons. Best May to October; don't take any coral.

• Stargazing 1.5 h

  Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park has been an International Dark Sky Place since 2018, and the island has hardly any street lighting. There are guided outings, but a north-coast beach on a moonless night is enough. From December to June the Southern Cross shows low on the horizon; in summer, the Milky Way.

• A walk through Sonai and Hoshitate 1.5 h Taketomi (Sonai) · 20 min

  Near the end of the western road, the island's two oldest villages keep coral-stone walls, fukugi trees and sacred groves (utaki) that visitors do not enter. Sonai was Iriomote's administrative centre under the Ryukyu Kingdom. It is a living community: walk quietly and stay out of yards and places of worship.

• Driving the coast road (watch out for the cat) 3 h

  The only road runs half-way round the island, about 55 km from Shirahama to Haemida, with viewpoints over mangroves and reefs (Urauchi bridge, Cape Nohara). Two signposted stretches carry a high risk of hitting an Iriomote cat: drive slowly, especially at dusk. If you see one injured or killed, call 0980-85-5581 (24 h). Petrol stations exist only in Uehara and Ohara.

• Haemida Beach and the Wasurenaishi stone 2 h Taketomi (zona de Ohara) · 80 min

  The wild beach at the end of the south-eastern road holds the Wasurenaishi, 'do not forget' stone: in 1945 the army forced the people of Hateruma to evacuate to this malarial area and about a third of them died of malaria. The school principal carved the message into a rock; there is now a memorial. No facilities; about thirty minutes' drive beyond Ohara.

• Honensai harvest festivals 3 h only summer, lunar date, depending on the village

  In summer each village holds its harvest festival with processions, tug-of-war and dances, on lunar dates between June and August. Some rites, such as the visits of the Akamata-Kuromata deities in the east, are secret: photographing or recording them is forbidden, and outsiders are sometimes not admitted. Ask at your lodging which parts are open.

• Mangrove kayaking or SUP 3 h booking

  A guided half day paddling the northern mangrove rivers among aerial roots, fiddler crabs and mudskippers; unlike Pinaisara or Sangara, these rivers have no visitor cap. Many operators take children from about 4-6; timing depends on the tide.

• Nakama River mangrove cruise 1 h Taketomi (zona de Ohara) · 50 min

  Right by Ohara port, a 50-60 minute boat trip through Japan's largest mangrove forest (about 158 ha), with herons and crested serpent eagles. ¥3,000 (¥3,500 from 1 October 2026), no booking needed. The longer route to the giant sakishima-suou tree is suspended while the boardwalk is repaired: check before you go.

• Sangara Falls and canyoning on the Nishida River 4 h booking

  The Nishida River drops through natural slides and pools to Sangara Falls, reached by kayak and on foot. Since March 2025 a certified guide is compulsory and there is a cap of 100 people a day (¥500 fee). Canyoning runs mainly April to October and is called off after heavy rain.

• Scuba diving on the northern and western reefs 5 h booking

  Several Uehara dive shops head out to coral gardens, caves and walls towards Hatoma, Amitori Bay or Sotobanari island, with try-dives for those without a licence. The water is around 29°C in summer and 22°C in winter, when diving continues on the south coast if the north is rough.

• Tsukigahama Beach 1.5 h

  A crescent of fine sand beside the mouth of the Urauchi River, about ten minutes' drive from Uehara, perfect for staying on to watch the sunset after the river cruise. No lifeguard or facilities, and near the river mouth the current pulls: swim only in calm seas.

• Yaeyama fireflies 1 h booking only 15 Mar - 31 May

  The tiny Yaeyama-hime-botaru firefly, found only in these islands, flashes through the undergrowth just after dusk for a few weeks each spring. You see it on guided night walks; no torches or flash, and stay on the path.

• Yaeyama soba at the island's diners 1 h

  Round wheat noodles in a pork-and-bonito broth topped with strips of pork and kamaboko, seasoned with pipatsu (the island's long pepper). It is the cheap everyday meal in the small diners of Uehara and Ohara, around ¥700-1,000. Many close by mid-afternoon, and there are no convenience stores on the island.

• Yubu Island by water-buffalo cart 2 h Taketomi (zona de Ohara) · 35 min

  An islet 400 m off the east coast, crossed through shallow water in a cart pulled by water buffalo, with a botanical and butterfly garden. ¥2,000 including the cart both ways, or ¥700 if you wade across (possible at low tide); 9:15 to 16:30. The buffalo work several hours a day in the sun, a use of animals some travellers are uneasy with, and walking across is a perfectly good alternative.

• Day trip to Hatoma Island 5 h Taketomi (Hatoma) · 30 min

  A tiny island of about fifty residents some 15 minutes by boat from Uehara, walkable in an hour, with empty beaches and a lookout over Iriomote. There are very few boats a day and they are cancelled in north winds: plan both legs around that day's timetable.

• Seasonal pineapple and mango 0.5 h only 1 Jun - 31 Aug

  In summer farmers sell pineapple (mainly June to August) and mango (July-August) at roadside stalls and in the shops of Uehara and Ohara; Iriomote pineapples are small, very sweet and eaten on the spot.

• Taketomi Yamaneko Marathon 4 h booking only one Saturday in February

  A community race starting and finishing at Uehara school, with 23, 10 and 5 km courses along the coast road and locals cheering at the aid stations. Held on a Saturday in February (14 February in 2026); advance entry required, and book lodging early.

What only happens on specific dates

• Taketomi Yamaneko Marathon one Saturday in February
• Yaeyama fireflies 15 Mar - 31 May
• Honensai harvest festivals summer, lunar date, depending on the village
• Seasonal pineapple and mango 1 Jun - 31 Aug
• Shichi festival in Sonai and Hoshitate September-October, by the lunar calendar

Ready-made routes through Iriomote

Chains well with

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