Iriomote Introduction

Iriomote Island is the second largest island in all of Okinawa. Over 90% of the island is made up of tropical and amazon-looking virgin forest. The island is part of Iriomote National Park and is perfect for hiking and canoeing enthusiasts. The island has jungles, waterfalls, as well as a number of extremely rare animals and plants. The population of the island is 2,251. The islands area is 289.2 km squared.

Getting to Iriomote from Ishigaki City

Ferries to Iriomote start at 7:00am and the last boat is at 5:00pm. Throughout the day, there are many ferry departures. A round trip ticket is 2930 yen. The ride is about 40-50 minutes depending on the weather. There are two ferry companies that go to Iriomote. They are the Yaeyama Kankou Ferry 0980-82-5010 and the Anei Kankou Ferry 0980-82-2691. You can easily find their ticket offices at the Ishigaki Port.

When buying your ferry tickets, you must choose which port you would like to go to. The three ports are are Uehara, Ohara, and Funaura. Ohara is the largest and most convenient port on the island. On windy days, the ports in Uehara and Funaura may be closed. When you buy your roundtrip ticket, the company will provide you with two bus tickets as well. These tickets are good for catching bus transportation while on the island. The bus coupons are only good for buses that are owned by the ferry company. If you buy a Anei ferry ticket then you can only use Anei buses. You are not allowed to use them on the Yaeyama ferry buses or the city bus.

Another option for Iriomote is to see the island via tour. Hirata Tourism Company offers tours with english support. Stop by their office at the ferry port to see their listing of tours. They offer tours to Iriomote as well as tours that bundle in other islands. An interesting tour is the Urauchi-kawa (River) Waterfall Canoe Experience. They can also be reached at 080-1713-7395.

If you decide to explore Iriomote on your own, you will need some mode of transportation. The best way to see Iriomote is by using a rental car. Here are the numbers of rental car companies. You will need either an international or japanese drivers liscense to rent a car.

For a full day's rental, you will usually be charged about 5000 yen. Insurance is usually 1000 yen extra. It would be best to get insurance just in case. Also, you will have to fill up the gas tank before you return the car. Make sure that you know where the gas station is located. There are also many bicycle and scooter rental shops on the island. Bicycles can be rented for about 1500 yen per day and scooters can be rented at a rate of 600 yen per an hour or about 3000 yen for an entire day. Services on Iriomote Iriomote is a very large and rural island. Outside of the town areas, you will not be able to find a grocery store or gas station. It is best to stock up on food and drinks before you leave the town area. If you get hungry along the way, you will have to stop at one of the island's restaurants. Please take note that some of the restaurants on the island close up during slow travel seasons.

Lodging on Iriomote

Iriomote is home to an onsen resort, campgrounds, and many small family owned inns. Most inns and resorts offer a pick up service from the ferry port. Here is a listing of the island's lodging:

If staying in Uehara, Kiyomi Sou (0980-85-6251) is an excellent choice. The new Nirakanai Sanctuary Resort (0980-85-7111) is very beautiful and is located right next to Nakisuna Beach. The Nuicha Hotel Painumayari Resort (0980-85-5700) is also a good choice. It is joined to the only real hot water bath (onsen) in Okinawa.

Campgrounds on Iriomote

Sightseeing on Iriomote

Iriomote is an island of untouched natural beauty that can be seen by swimming, biking, kayaking, driving, and hiking.

Hoshizuna Beach
This beach is closest to Uehara Port and it is famous for its star-shaped sand.

Nakisuna Beach
Located right next to the Nirakanai Sanctuary Resort and is in Urauchi Bay. It is said that the beach talks as you walk on it. This is due to the fact that the sand "squeaks" as they rub against each other.

Nakama River
Take a canoe ride down this river and experience the largest mangrove forest in all of Japan.

Urachi River
This is the longest river in Okinawa and offers excellent views of virgin forest. In total, the length of the river is 17.5km.

Yubu Island
Yubu Island is located about 400m from Iriomote Island. Daily tours feature an ox-cart ride to the island. In addition to the many flowering plants on the island, you will also have the chance to see a tropical plant garden, a butterfly garden, and a fruit garden. This island is worth the small trip.

Mariyudo Waterfall/Kanpire Waterfall
Both waterfalls are located upriver on the Urauchi River. This waterfall has the highest volume of water in Okinawa. There is an observation platform that you can hike to in order to see the view of the falls. It is about a 30 minute walk from Gunkan-Iwa rock till the observation platform. Kanpire falls is located about 250 meters downriver from the Mariyudo waterfall. It is a calmer waterfall with less dramatic drops but it is known by the locals as "a place where the gods sit". The water at Kapire flows so fast that it sometimes creates a water mist which can be seen.

Iriomote Wildlife Center (Preservation Center)
Open daily from 10am-4pm. You can see the notorious Yamaneko cat here via a live camera. The center also talks about the many different species of wildlife that are found on Iriomote as well as what people can do to protect them. Free entry.

Iriomote Onsen
The only hot water spring bath in all of Okinawa. The southernmost onsen in all of Japan features indoor baths, oudoor baths, steam saunas, and large outdoor common areas. Swimming suits are not used inside but, they are required if you are going to use the outside common areas. Admission is 1500 yen and the onsen is open from 12am until 10pm daily.

Yamaneko Marathon

For athletes out there, you may also be interested in running the Iriomote Yamaneko Marathon. It is called the Yamaneko Marathon because "Yamaneko" is an indigenous type of cat which lives on the island. It looks like a mix between a lynx, a leopard, and a domestic cat. The race usually takes place sometime in February. The race has a 23km course as well as a 10km course. The race course scenery is beautiful. The race afterparty features two huge boats of "sashimi" or raw fish which are brought in to the room. It is then a free-for-all as everyone grabs whatever they can hold. The afterparty lineup features great performers as well as a last song in which everyone gets up and dances on the stage. It is quite an experience. If you need more information on the Yamaneko Marathon, please contact me at cir@city.ishigaki.okinawa.jp. Hope that you can join in the fun as well.

Shitsumatsuri (Festival)

An interesting festival to see is the Shitsumatsuri which takes place on beaches throughout the island. It takes places in November and has been named as a Nationally Designated Immaterial Cultural Asset. It is a ritual for the arriving god called Mayunganas. The festival starts with a parade from town and makes its way to the beach area. After getting down to the beach, you may have to wait a short time while speeches are made. After these speeches are finished, the festival will start to get interesting. Groups from different areas of town will perform dances and songs. Exciting one-on-one staged fighting is an exciting part of this festival. Last, boaters will get into canoes and row out into the harbor while singing. After finishing one circle around the harbor they will come back to the beach. The next time out will be a race. The villagers will all gather on the beach and start dancing and yelling. The race starts and yelling continues until the winner is announced. Shitsumatsuri is an interesting and colorful festival to watch. The festival is unique to Yaeyama because it is held on the beach. Click here to see a video of the festival.

River Kayaking and "Sagaribana Viewing"

The Sagaribana tree (Botanical name: Barringtonia racemosa) thrives in the areas surrounding Iriomote's rivers. It's blooming flowers give off a unique sweet scent which fills the air. This scent is used to attract pollinating insects. The flowers begin to slowly bloom at night and then fall off in the morning. If you can wake up early enough (4am departure), you can see these flowers falling before the tide takes them away. You will need to ride sea-kayaks or canoes to get to the area where the blossoms can be seen. There are two different types of sagaribana that can be seen on Ishigaki. There are pink and white types which can be seen on Iriomote. There are numerous companies on Iriomote that offer guided eco-tours to see this beautiful plant. Sagaribana can best be seen during the months of June and July. Click here to see a video of a sagaribana viewing adventure.

Dining in Iriomote

Iriomote is famous for its pineapple! If you visit in the summer, be sure to taste some of the fresh crop. Iriomote is also known for mountain boar soup. Locals eat boar meat like sashimi...so in other words...raw! If you have a chance, give it a try. The mountain boar soup contains cooked boar meat ("Inoshishi Juu" in Japanese). This specialty dish can be found at many restaurants around the island.

Want to learn more about Iriomote? Here are some links...

Kanpira-So's English Website - Excellent Resource on Iriomote Island
Wikitravel - "Iriomote"
Japan Atlas Nature - "Iriomote Island and Iriomote Wildcat"
Wonder Okinawa - "Iriomote"
Alternative Tourism - "Iriomote"