Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The eastern half of Okuma's southern beach is the portion returned to Japan. It's operated
by a subsidiary of Japan Airlines and called the JAL Private Resort. Although it's called
“private,” it's open to everyone. Since it's no longer a military facility, no one needs an ID to
come here. It was established using the original lodging facilities built by the military. Al-
though it's been completely upgraded over the years, it's still advertised by JAL to “provide af-
fordable luxury hotel accommodations.” In other words, it runs around $200 a night instead
of the $300 or more a night you'll pay in the top-end resorts a little further south on the Onna
coast.
10
HIJI FALLS
比地大滝
By far the most popular day trip from either of the Okuma resorts is to Hiji Falls (
比地大滝
;
Hiji Ōtaki). From the entry gate at the Okuma Military Recreational Facility, it's almost 1.75
miles (3 kilometers) to the parking lot at. You'll pass just below the village of Okuma and
about halfway there you'll cross Route 58 at a stoplight. Follow the river to the falls. There's
an entrance fee of 500 Yen.
From the entrance gate of the falls, it's a 1-mile (1.5-kilometers) hike along a well-marked
and well-traveled path. The trail follows the Hiji River (
比地川
; Hiji-gawa). Opinions vary on
the hike itself. It's easily one of the most popular short hikes on the island as it has a very
pretty waterfall at its end. But, after all it's a mile and coming and going, that's two miles, and
those two miles are up and down more than a couple of dozen sets of stairs. So if you're in
your 20s or 30s, it's a piece of cake. Figure on 20 minutes each way. Oldsters, those not in
such great shape, or those with bad knees and families with young children are going to have
a tougher time. Figure on 40 minutes. Bring a water bottle.
JAL Private Resort at Okuma.
Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the hike. It's reported that there are over 1,200 species
of subtropical plants and it's possible you might see several rare animals like the Okinawa
