Amazing views of the ocean and the sky in Okinawa's remote islands! Sea with emerald green color in Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island

Escape from the city to Okinawa remote islands

If you are in a city where you have lost the color of nature, you will have a strong desire for nature and the colors of the southern sea. The blue sky that lasts forever and the clear sea. There are many islands in Okinawa where you can enjoy such amazing views. On remote islands where many original natural landscapes remain, you may feel more “Okinawa-like”. Let's enjoy the relaxed and dramatic "Okinawa Island Time" in the paradise of the south island which is almost unrelated to the noise of the city.

Ishigaki Island "Kabira Bay". Superb view of three Michelin-starred

Kabira Bay, located in the northwest of the island, is about 40 minutes by car from the city area. It is also selected as one of Japan's Hundred Views and belongs to Iriomote Ishigaki National Park. Tourists who visit Ishigaki Island many times honor it as "A place they want to visit again and again".

Once you land in Kawahira Bay, you will be taken to another world with the contrast of white sandy beaches, the deep green of small island and Mt.Omotodake, and emerald green sea colors. From Kabira Park on the hillside, you can see the mysterious emerald green sea called Kabira Blue, which is a picturesque landscape, even if the weather is on sunny, cloudy or rainy days.

The white sandy beach is smooth and comfortable, and the world's most transparent ocean shows a beautiful gradation from blue to green. As the color of the sea changes depending on the amount of light and the tide, it may be good to change the time of visit. The swimming is prohibited due to the fast flow of water in Kabira Bay.

Therefore, if you want to see underwater corals, tropical fish and beautiful sea, it is recommended to use a glass board. In the Michelin Green Guide, which introduce the selection based on the convenience and attractiveness of travel, Kabira Bay has acquired three stars (which are well worth the trip). Only Kabira Bay is selected as the three stars from Okinawa.

"Irabu Bridge", the beautiful bridge across the blue sea of Miyako Island

Miyako Island has direct flights from Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, and it is 50 minutes by air from Okinawa main island, and it is characterized by good access among remote islands. In addition to "Yonaha Maehama Beach", which is said to be the beauty of the best in the Orient, there are also plenty of marine sports options such as diving and SUP. The sea of Miyako Island is very clear in the sea because there is no river and the sediment does not mix with the seawater.

Furthermore, there are many islands that are connected by bridges such as Kurima Island, Ikema Island, Irabu Island, and Shimji Island, and you can see the beautiful cobalt blue sea wherever you go. The drive across the sea called Miyako Blue is too comfortable.

Irabu Island, which was separated from Miyako Island by the strait. Thanks to the long-awaited “Irabu Brdige” opening on January 31, 2015, car access is now possible. The Irabu Bridge, which penetrates the incredible blue sea, is the longest bridge in Japan that can travel freely for 3,540 meters. “Irabu Bridge”, which runs in the blue-green sea called Miyako Blue, draws an arc instead of a straight line, and the up-down when passing through the arch part feels thrilling and refreshing.

Besides, I learned about the inconvenience of the life of Irabu islanders before the opening (so much as the word "Shimachabi"). Therefore, I think that every time I crossed a long bridge, the opening of the bridge brought about not only the activation of tourism and agriculture but also the improvement of the living environment.

“Kuruma Island”,the gradation of blue on the peaceful island

Speaking of Kurama Island, we can not talk without Kuruma Bridge. The length of the Kurima Bridge is approximately 1.7 km. Thanks to the opening of this bridge, it will guide us to the world of deep remote islands.

Kurima Island has a resident agreement established by the Murazukuri Promotion Committee. It has a promise called "Constitution" to "keep the island beautiful and make it a village that everyone wants to live in".

I was moved by the fact that the people living on the island, together with the visitors to the island, are creating “a peaceful island for everyone”. The moment of crossing the Kuruma Bridge and the view from the Ryugu Castle Observatory are amazing beauty. The gradation of the blue of the sea continues while changing its blueness little by little depending on the condition of the seabed, etc. The gradation is a remarkable scene.

When a member of the music unit band "Kariyushi 58", who are from Okinawa, just came to Tokyo, they were shocked when they saw the color of the sea in Tokyo. However, when he thought that the sea was sucking up various things in the city, and this sea continued to that of Okinawa, he felt that the sea in Tokyo would become so cool.

The yearning to the sea is endless. The temperature and color of each sea may be different. The northern sea from which drift ice comes, the sea in Tokyo that swallowed the whirlpools in the city, and the southern sea in emerald green, which receives typhoons. When I realize again that every sea is connected, I feel a sense of security for something natural.