Iriomote

Iriomote (西表) is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa, Japan.

Understand
While the second-largest of all Okinawa islands, Iriomote's population is barely over 2,000 and visitors, at over 150,000 a year, outnumber residents by almost 100:1. 90% of the island is covered in dense jungles and swampy mangroves, most of which are either part of the Iriomote National Park or protected state land, and the island is unquestionably one of the few remaining great wildernesses of Japan. Together with Tokunoshima, Amami Oshima and the northern part of the Okinawa Island it was listed as a natural world heritage site by UNESCO in 2021.

Pretty much all of the island's population lives along the coast. Clockwise from the west, the major settlements are Shirahama (白浜), Uehara (上原), Funaura (船浦) and Ōhara (大原). The southern stretch between Ohara and Shirahama is effectively untouched coastline, with no roads and only a few isolated fishing villages near the western end.

Get in
Despite its size Iriomote does not even have a landing strip, so all visitors must arrive by boat. The nearest airport is in neighboring Ishigaki.

Two ports on the island have services from Ishigaki, operated by Anei Kankō and Yaeyama Kankō Ferry (which share tickets offices and boat schedules), and by Ishigaki Dream Kankō Ferry. Almost all visitors use the rapid services listed below, but dedicated penny-pinchers may opt for Yaeyama's thrice-weekly slow cargo boats to Ohara (2 hours, ¥1,070) and Uehara via Hatoma (3 hours, ¥1,380) instead. Round-trip tickets are generally available at about 10% discount.

East coast
Ohara, in the south-east coast, is the busiest port on the island and accessible in all but the very worst weather. Anei, Yaeyama and Ishigaki Dream operate boats roughly hourly for a fixed ¥1,540 and take about 35 minutes.

Northwest coast
Anei and Yaeyama boats both service to Uehara in the north of the island. Both services cost ¥2,000 and take about 40 minutes. Some of them also stop in Hatoma, which makes the trip 15 minutes longer. Ishigaki Dream also offers this route, but its two daily ferries stop in Hatoma and the whole trip takes around 70-80 minutes (¥1,420).

Note that northwest coast services are subject to cancellation (欠航 kekkō) if there is a strong north wind, which happens particularly frequently in the winter (in autumn-winter 2016, on average half the time). In this case your ¥2,000 will get you to Ohara by boat and then a free bus transfer to anywhere between Ohara and Shirahama. In case of cancellation for the return to Ishigaki, allow one hour to go by bus from Uehara to Ohara where you will be able to take a ferry (which follows Ohara schedule); relevant timetables for buses and ferries available at the An-ei Kanko website.

Get around
The port Uehara is probably your preferred place to start exploring the island. Most sights are relatively easy to reach from here. Bike, scooter, and car rental are found near the harbor. Public transport on Iriomote is rather limited, but most lodges on the island offer free transfers to/from the nearest port, and both Anei and Yaeyama operate free shuttle services timed to meet ferry departures.

By bus
Iriomote Kōtsū runs 5 services per day in each direction from Shirahama to Funaura (30 min, ¥390), 3 of which continue across the north coast to Ohara on the east (from Funaura 50 min, ¥670). Tell the driver where you're going when getting on and pay when you get off. A three-day bus pass costs ¥1,000.

On foot
The 20 km-long and demanding "Iriomote-jima Island Nature Trail" crosses the island. The southern terminus is over 1 km from the Ohara port, and not labeled well, so a north-to-south passage, beginning with the Urauchi River cruise, is the recommended route. The jungle is home to habu vipers, which though rare, are venomous. After a Japanese hiker went missing in 2003, signs now ask hikers attempting the cross-island hike to notify the local police department in advance.

By car
You can rent a scooter or car at several locations on the island. Depending on the rental shop, an international driving permit alone may not suffice, and an official Japanese translation may be required.



By bike
If all else fails or you like the idea, you can rent a bike. Locks are usually not necessary and as a result you won't get one with your rental. Bikes are cheap (as low as ¥500), but make sure you get a bike that fits your needs. The Uehara Service Station rents bicycles with several gears and an integrated lock. They are comfortable for taller people, and multi-day rental is possible.

See
Around a third of the island is designated as the Iriomote National Park (西表国立公園 Iriomote-kokuritsukōen), the only national park in all of Okinawa. The park's most famous denizen is the Iriomote wildcat (イリオモテヤマネコ Iriomote yamaneko), an endangered creature found only on this island. Alas, the critter is nocturnal and very rarely seen. Other more readily viewable flora and fauna include the giant mangrove trees known as sakishimasuo-no-ki, a range of water birds, and lizards, including Japan's largest lizard, a skink, reaching up to 2 feet in length.

There are boat trips available on the Urauchi River, on the west side of the island, and the Nakama River, on the east side. A 70-minute cruise up the Nakama River ends at a giant mangrove tree said to be the largest and oldest in Japan. For jungle rivers minus the tour groups, head for Maira (前良), Shiira (後良) on the east coast or Yutsun (ユツン) on the north coast. All are suitable for canoeing.


 * The most popular option is offered by many local tour operators and hotels who offer tours where you kayak up the river and then hike (~30 minutes) to get to the bottom of the falls. This requires a decent fitness level and is the easiest way to reach the falls. From the bottom there is a rather demanding path to hike up to the top. This is usually not part of the Kayak tour. Make sure to inquire ahead if this is on your list. One of the companies that have English speaking guides is GreenRiver.
 * Hire a guide or take a tour to go to the top and basin of this fall, it will take about 6-7 hours in round trip.
 * It is possible to hike from a parking lot close to the kayaks to the top of the waterfall by foot on your own. This requires walking through deep jungle, crossing through rivers by foot, walking muddy paths, using the occasional hand to get up some steep passages (some ropes are present), as well as a very good level of fitness. Proper shoes and plenty of water are recommended. If you are unsure you should not attempt this by yourself but hire a guide. The entrance to the path is tricky to find (a video guide and some GPS coordinates can be found on this page [German]). The hike takes 2-3 hours round trip. The views from the top are stunning. There is a steep path down to the base of the waterfall. However, you will need to hike it back up to get out, so factor in that extra time.
 * Hire a guide or take a tour to go to the top and basin of this fall, it will take about 6-7 hours in round trip.
 * It is possible to hike from a parking lot close to the kayaks to the top of the waterfall by foot on your own. This requires walking through deep jungle, crossing through rivers by foot, walking muddy paths, using the occasional hand to get up some steep passages (some ropes are present), as well as a very good level of fitness. Proper shoes and plenty of water are recommended. If you are unsure you should not attempt this by yourself but hire a guide. The entrance to the path is tricky to find (a video guide and some GPS coordinates can be found on this page [German]). The hike takes 2-3 hours round trip. The views from the top are stunning. There is a steep path down to the base of the waterfall. However, you will need to hike it back up to get out, so factor in that extra time.

Do
Snorkeling and scuba diving are very popular. There is a lot of virgin coral, particularly on the southern coast. Dolphins can frequently be spotted in the summer and Ishigaki's famed mantas also make an occasional appearance here. Dive operations are clustered on the northern shore around Uehara and Funaura. You can get leaflets of some of them at the Uehara Ferry Terminal. Furthermore, canoeing is also very attractive, and you will find and touch magnificent mangrove forest, beautiful waterfalls and plenty of unique plants and creatures.






 * At the end of the 8-km cruise you can disembark at Gunkan-iwa Rock and trek for half an hour through the jungle down a well-trod path to a viewing pavilion (展望台 tenbōdai) with views of the Mariyudu Waterfalls (マリユドゥの滝 Mariyudu-no-taki). The paths can be quite muddy so boots can be useful (they will lend you some if you come back by canoe).
 * Another 10 minutes from here the trail descends to the upper level of the falls. As of 2016, this section of the path is roped off due to a fallen tree.
 * 5 more minutes down the main trail will take you to the Kanbirē Waterfalls (カンビレーの滝 Kanbirē-no-taki). The cross-island trail starts from here.
 * 5 more minutes down the main trail will take you to the Kanbirē Waterfalls (カンビレーの滝 Kanbirē-no-taki). The cross-island trail starts from here.

Buy
The Yamaneko wildcat may be elusive in real life, but it's difficult to avoid in souvenir shops, which plaster the poor creature on every surface imaginable. Many Yamaneko souvenirs are also sold on Ishigaki.

Eat and drink
Iriomote has a scattering of places to eat, most of which double up as izakaya watering holes in the evening. But be aware that it's easy to find yourself wanting to eat lunch with no lunch in the vicinity. Though Uehara offers more tourist-targeted food options, Ohara is the larger settlement on the island, with a number of bars and restaurants.

Local specialties include pineapple and the smaller, sweeter local variety, the peach-pineapple (ピーチパイン), available only in the summer, as well as coconut crab (ヤシガニ, yashigani), the ferocious-looking armor-plated main battle tank of the crab world (from ¥3000 per critter). If you stroll along the island's trails, you will probably see traces of wild boar, and perhaps some caught in a trap. Its meat is available in izakaya (even as sashimi!). Fruits and vegetables are often available at unmanned roadside stalls.



Sleep


Accommodation in Iriomote is typically either very expensive or very cheap in old houses.

Connect
Softbank has 3G and 4G coverage in populated areas and around the coasts, but much of the interior of the island lacks coverage.

Go next
Head back to Ishigaki by boat, and from there you can explore the rest of the Yaeyama Islands or Okinawa.