Oki Islands

Chugoku, Japan · Remote island, Sea / Beach, Countryside / satoyama

A volcanic archipelago far out in the Sea of Japan, where two emperors were sent into exile. The Kuniga coast works two ways: a 2.3-kilometre path drops from the top of the 257-metre Matengai cliff, through free-roaming cattle and horses, down to the Tsutenkyo sea arch; and a boat noses in under those same arches and into the Meian no Iwaya cave, where the water shifts colour with the light. Around it, villages living off rock oysters and squid.

The essentials

Getting there

Ferry or plane — Base yourself at Hishiura port (Ama, on Nakanoshima island, in the Dozen group). Oki Kisen ferries leave from Shichirui (about 40 min by bus from JR Matsue Station) or Sakaiminato (near Yonago): the large ferry takes 2h30 to 4h depending on stops (2nd class ¥3,870 from June 2026) and the Rainbow Jet hydrofoil just over an hour (¥7,360, reservation required, runs 11 March to 31 December); there are roughly three ferry sailings and one Rainbow Jet a day. There is also one daily JAL flight from Izumo (30 min) and one from Osaka-Itami (50 min) to Oki Airport on Dogo, then a bus to Saigo port and a ferry to Dozen (about 1h). Small inter-island boats link the Dozen islands every few hours (7-30 min). Rental cars are scarce, so book ahead; in winter and during typhoons (August-October) sailings are often cancelled.

Frequently asked questions about Oki Islands

What to do in Oki Islands: 25 activities

• Kuniga Coast and the Matengai clifftop trail 3 h must-see Nishinoshima · 40 min

  A 2.3 km trail (60-90 min, 250 m of descent) running from the top of the 257 m Matengai cliff down to the Tsutenkyo natural arch and Kuniga beach, past free-grazing cattle and horses. Keep clear of the animals, especially mothers with young, and watch for ticks if you sit in the grass. It is on Nishinoshima: a 7-minute boat from Hishiura, then 15-25 min by car or e-bike from Beppu port; there are no vending machines, so bring water.

• Kuniga Coast sightseeing boat 1.5 h must-see booking Nishinoshima · 40 min only 21 Mar - 31 Oct

  The Kuniga coast seen from the water: the boat slips under the arches and into the Meian no Iwaya sea cave, where the water changes colour with the light. It leaves Urago port (10 min by car from Beppu) at 10:50, 13:00 and 15:00, takes about 90 minutes and costs ¥4,000 (children ¥2,000); booking is advisable and it does not sail in rough seas.

• Local fish and Oki beef dinner at a guesthouse 2 h booking

  There is almost no nightlife in Dozen and the few restaurants close early, so dinner is usually at your lodging: the day's fish, squid, seaweed and sometimes Oki beef, raised on the islands' pastures. Book half board when you book the room.

• Mt Akahage and the pastures of Chiburijima 2.5 h Chibu · 45 min

  From the 325 m summit of the smallest, quietest inhabited island you can see all four inhabited islands at once. The road climbs through cattle pastures, heirs to the old makihata rotation of crops and grazing; wildflowers in spring. An 18-26 min boat to Kurii port, then e-bike, rental car or sightseeing taxi (buses are sparse). For lunch, the island's wakame seaweed ramen.

• Oki rock oysters (Harukoi iwagaki) 1 h

  Oki was the first place in Japan to farm rock oysters (Nishinoshima, 1992); Ama's Harukoi brand takes at least three years to reach market and fetches some of the top prices in Tokyo. They are best from March to May, eaten raw or grilled at restaurants and guesthouses on all four islands.

• Oki Shrine, dedicated to Emperor Go-Toba 1 h

  The retired emperor Go-Toba, a great poet, lived in exile on Nakanoshima from 1221 until his death in 1239 after his failed revolt against the shogunate. The 1939 shrine is built in Oki's own architectural style and stands beside the site of his tomb and palace; free entry, 10 min by car or bus from Hishiura (20-25 min by bike).

• Sekiheki, Chiburi's red cliff 1.5 h Chibu · 45 min

  A wall of reddish volcanic rock about a kilometre long plunging into the sea, a cross-section of the volcano that built Dozen; at sunset the red glows. There is a lookout at the top. If you want the sunset, check the last boat from Kurii back to Hishiura first: it often means spending the night on Chiburi.

• Sunset boat to Rosoku-jima candle rock 1.5 h booking Okinoshima · 2 h only 1 Apr - 31 Oct

  A 20 m rock spire off northern Dogo that, seen from the boat at just the right moment, looks like a candle with the setting sun as its flame. It leaves Fukuura pier (33 min by car from Saigo port) at sunset, 1 April to 31 October; ¥4,000, advance booking required. It is on Dogo, the big island: from Hishiura it is about an hour by ferry to Saigo and there is no boat back after sunset, so you have to stay the night there.

• Takuhi Shrine, built into the rock 2 h Nishinoshima · 45 min

  A 1732 shrine built inside a rock overhang on the slopes of Mt Takuhi (452 m), the oldest shrine building in Oki and an Important Cultural Property, dedicated to the protection of seafarers. From the car park it is a steep 15-25 min climb, or about an hour to the summit with views over all three Dozen islands. 20 min by car from Beppu port.

• Turban-shell (sazae) curry at Hishiura port 1 h

  In Ama curry is made with sazae turban shells instead of meat: lighter, with a bitter edge from the shellfish liver. The classic place is Funadokoryu-tei, upstairs in the Kinnyamonya Center at Hishiura ferry terminal, with bay views and island produce; it is also sold in pouches to take home.

• Amanbow underwater viewing boat 1 h only 1 Apr - 3 Nov

  A semi-submersible boat with a glassed-in cabin below the waterline, leaving from Hishiura port itself: shoals of damselfish, sea bream and amberjack among the rocks. ¥2,500 (children ¥1,200), minimum two passengers; the night trip (¥2,000, minimum five) is for the bioluminescent plankton. 1 April to 3 November, sea permitting; tickets at the ferry terminal.

• Dangyo Falls 1 h Okinoshima · 100 min

  Twin waterfalls on Dogo, listed among Japan's hundred best, with a small shrine tucked behind the curtain of water; locals still collect the spring water. A short walk from the car park; on Dogo, over an hour from Hishiura by ferry plus the drive.

• Dozen beaches in swimming season 3 h only 13 Jul - 18 Aug

  Very clear water in small coves: in Ama, Akiya coast, Rainbow Beach and Furoya have lifeguards, showers and changing rooms from mid-July to mid-August; on Nishinoshima, Sotohama and Oyama. Outside those weeks there is no lifeguard; there are no jellyfish nets (wear a rash guard) and never swim alone.

• Go-Toba-in Museum, Ama 1 h only 1 Mar - 30 Nov

  Opposite Oki Shrine: a portrait of Emperor Go-Toba, documents, poems and offerings, plus a free building with traditional island tools; staff give a 10-minute talk on request. Open 1 March to 30 November, 9:00-17:00, closed Tuesdays; ¥500, cash only.

• Kayak or SUP around Shimazushima and Watatsu Shrine 2.5 h booking Chibu · 45 min only 1 Jun - 30 Sep

  On Chiburi a footbridge leads to the islet of Shimazushima and the small Watatsu Shrine, dedicated to safe voyages; around it lie shallow, clear waters where local guides run sea kayak and SUP outings in the warm season. Watatsu beach has showers and a swimming season from mid-July to late August, with no lifeguard.

• Kinnyamonya Festival, Ama 4 h only late August (2026: Saturday 29)

  Ama's summer festival, held in the Hishiura port car park: food stalls from 15:00, a parade dancing to the Kinnyamonya folk song with shamoji rice paddles in hand (handed out to participants), and fireworks over the bay around 19:30. In 2026 it fell on Saturday 29 August.

• Nakanoshima by bike: the town that reinvented itself 3 h

  Ama is known across Japan for slowing its population decline by drawing young outsiders, through projects such as the Dozen High School study-on-the-island programme and its own seafood brands. Cycling the island (bikes are rented at the port) past rice fields, beaches and workshops is the best way to see it; Nakanoshima is flat compared with its neighbours.

• Renge-e-mai dances at Kokubunji temple 2 h Okinoshima · 80 min only 21 Apr

  Every 21 April Kokubunji temple on Dogo performs Renge-e-mai, masked dances descended from Heian-period court music and designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The temple is also one of the places where exiled Emperor Go-Daigo is said to have lived; it can be visited March to November (8:30-17:30, ¥400), 10 min by car from Saigo port.

• Sea kayaking through Nishinoshima's caves and cliffs 2 h booking Nishinoshima · 40 min only 1 Apr - 30 Nov

  A guided sea kayak outing (Club Noah Oki) beneath the volcanic cliffs and into caves the boats cannot reach. April to November, sessions at 9:00-11:00 and 13:00-15:00, about ¥6,500 per person; the same outfit runs diving from May to October. Book ahead and expect cancellations when the sea is up.

• Tamawakasu Shrine and the Yao-sugi cedar 1 h Okinoshima · 90 min

  The leading shrine of old Oki Province, on Dogo, built in the islands' own style, with the Yao-sugi beside it: a cedar said to be over 1,700 years old. Nearby on Mt Daimanji, Oki's highest peak, stands the Chichi-sugi, a huge cedar whose hanging roots resemble breasts, where people pray for mothers' milk.

• Ushitsuki, Oki bullfighting 1 h Okinoshima · 80 min

  Bulls of 400 to over 1,000 kg push horn against horn, steered by handlers holding a rope tied to the nose, a custom that tradition traces back to 1221 as entertainment for the exiled Go-Toba. There are no matadors and the bulls are not killed, but it is a trial of strength between animals and injuries can happen. Irregular tourist bouts are held at the Moo Moo Dome on Dogo (¥1,500, about 15 min) and there are three serious tournaments: 15 August, early September and mid-October.

• Yurahime Shrine and Ikayose beach 1 h Nishinoshima · 40 min

  A shrine on record since 842, once the leading shrine of Oki Province, with a torii standing in the sea. Legend says a squid grabbed the goddess's hand and, by way of apology, shoals of squid used to swim into the cove every winter (December to New Year), where locals scooped them up with baskets or bare hands; today it happens only rarely. Free entry, 15 min by car from Beppu port.

• Kurogi Gosho, Emperor Go-Daigo's refuge 0.75 h Nishinoshima · 15 min

  A hill beside Beppu port traditionally identified as the residence of Emperor Go-Daigo, exiled to Oki in 1332 before escaping a year later to bring down the Kamakura shogunate (Kokubunji temple on Dogo claims the same honour). A short walk with bay views, easy to fit in while waiting for a boat.

• Oki Onsen GOKA hot-spring baths 1.5 h Okinoshima · 2 h

  The archipelago's most complete public hot-spring bath is on Dogo: sodium bicarbonate water plus a swimsuit spa zone. Open 14:00-20:00 (last entry 19:15), closed Mondays; ¥500. It is 25 min by car from Saigo port and near the Rosoku-jima boat pier, so it only fits if you stay on Dogo.

• Uzuka-no-mikoto Shrine among the rice fields 1 h

  A shrine already listed in the Engishiki register of 927, reached along a path through rice fields framed by two torii, in the north of Nakanoshima. It is the island's farmland with nobody around; 20 min by car from Hishiura, free entry.

What only happens on specific dates

• Kuniga Coast sightseeing boat 21 Mar - 31 Oct
• Go-Toba-in Museum, Ama 1 Mar - 30 Nov
• Sunset boat to Rosoku-jima candle rock 1 Apr - 31 Oct
• Amanbow underwater viewing boat 1 Apr - 3 Nov
• Renge-e-mai dances at Kokubunji temple 21 Apr
• Sea kayaking through Nishinoshima's caves and cliffs 1 Apr - 30 Nov
• Kayak or SUP around Shimazushima and Watatsu Shrine 1 Jun - 30 Sep
• Dozen beaches in swimming season 13 Jul - 18 Aug
• Kinnyamonya Festival, Ama late August (2026: Saturday 29)

Chains well with

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