Hidden away in downtown Hirara, a district of Miyakojima city, Miyako-jinja is a recently reconstructed shrine that, over time, merged two disparate shrines and moved locations.
Miyako-jinja
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.43 MILES
Just 4km north of the Hirara district of Miyakojima city, you'll find this little, archetypally tropical Japan beach, which lies at the bottom of a large…
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5.05 MILES
On the southwest coast, beautiful Yonaha-Maehama is a 6km stretch of white sand that attracts a lot of families and young folk due to its shallow waters…
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6.17 MILES
If you've seen the crowds at Yonaha-Maehama and decided you want something quieter, head across the Kurima Bridge and drive to the northwest coast of…
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13.27 MILES
If you've got a car, we recommend a drive out to the southeastern tip of the island, a narrow finger of land that extends 2km into the Pacific Ocean…
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9.14 MILES
An intriguing site for a stroll or dive is this pair of seawater pools on the west coast of Shimoji-jima, known by locals as 'dragon's eyes' – these are…
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6.34 MILES
On Irabu-jima's west coast, this is the island's best swimming beach, with showers, toilets and the delightful Blue Turtle bar-restaurant.
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10.92 MILES
On the southeast end of the island, this is a popular spot for snorkelling and kayaking (with a hair-raisingly steep access road).
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11.13 MILES
On the north side of Miyako-jima's southeastern cape, this long, shallow beach has a park featuring showers and toilets.
Nearby Okinawa & the Southwest Islands attractions
2.43 MILES
Just 4km north of the Hirara district of Miyakojima city, you'll find this little, archetypally tropical Japan beach, which lies at the bottom of a large…
5.05 MILES
On the southwest coast, beautiful Yonaha-Maehama is a 6km stretch of white sand that attracts a lot of families and young folk due to its shallow waters…
6.17 MILES
If you've seen the crowds at Yonaha-Maehama and decided you want something quieter, head across the Kurima Bridge and drive to the northwest coast of…
6.34 MILES
On Irabu-jima's west coast, this is the island's best swimming beach, with showers, toilets and the delightful Blue Turtle bar-restaurant.
8.3 MILES
Head north to drive across Ikema-Ōhashi (池間大橋) to the little island of Ikema-jima. The shallow aquamarine water on either side of this 1.4km bridge is…
8.49 MILES
The best snorkelling beach on Shimoji and Irabu, Nakanoshima Beach is protected by a high-walled bay on the west coast of Shimoji-jima. You'll greatly…
9.14 MILES
An intriguing site for a stroll or dive is this pair of seawater pools on the west coast of Shimoji-jima, known by locals as 'dragon's eyes' – these are…
9.57 MILES
On the north side of the island's southeast end, this popular beach is great for shallow-water snorkelling and has showers and toilets.