Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Naha's Tomari Port, the transport hub for ferries to the nearby islands off Okinawa's west coast.
Ferry fares to the Amamis naturally vary on how far you're going. Yoron is the first island
northbound and it's about $50 one way for second class from Naha. It's about $35 from Mo-
tobu. It's approximately $120 to Amami-Ōshima and $170 all the way to Kagoshima. Deduct
about $15 from either of these fares if leaving from Motobu. Private cabins and vehicles cost
considerably more.
Naha's third harbor is Tomari Port (
泊港
; Tomari-kō), also called “Tomarin.” It's the
transport hub for ferries to the near islands of the west coast of Okinawa-hontō. There is
daily service to three of the Kerama Islands, Tokashiki, Aka and Zamami, and daily service
to Kume (stopping at Tonaki along the way) and Aguni. Fares to these islands also vary, from
around $25 one way to the Keramas and $30 to $35 for Kume and Aguni.
Tomari Port is also the terminal for the once a week ferry to the Daitō Islands. That trip
takes 15 hours and costs around $60 one way, second class. The shipping company that used
to sail between Naha and the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands went bankrupt several years ago, a
victim of low airfares, so there is no longer any public ferry service south of Okinawa. Trans-
port of a vehicle to the Ryukyu southern islands now entails use of a cargo shipping line.
Starting clockwise from Naha, the other five ferry ports on Okinawa are Motobu Port
(
本部港
; Motobu-kō), serving Iejima and just around the next bend of the road from there,
Toguchi Port (
渡久地港
; Toguchi-kō), which serves Minnajima. On the top northern side of
the Motobu Peninsula you'll find Unten Port (
運天港
; Unten-kō), in Nakijin Village (
今帰仁
村
; Nakijin-son), which is the sea terminal for Iheya and Izena Islands. Crossing over to Ok-
inawa's east coast, Katsuren Town's Heshikiya Port (
平敷屋港
; Heshikiya-kō), is the place to
get to Tsuken Island. In southern Okinawa, Chinen Village's Azama Port (
安座真港
; Azama-
kō), is where you'll find the ferries to reach Kudaka Island.
Okinawa is not a tropical destination. It is subtropical. It lies on the same latitude as
Orlando, Florida, and enjoys similar, generally mild subtropical weather. The yearly average
