Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The net result of this daily scheduling of two ships serving two islands is:
• two ferries a day from Naha to Kume, one at 8:30
AM
, one at 2:00
PM
• two ferries a day from Kume to Naha, one at 8:30
AM
, one at 2:00
PM
• one ferry a day from Naha to Tonaki, at 8:30
AM
• one ferry a day from Tonaki to Naha, at 10:15
AM
• one ferry a day from Tonaki to Kume, at 11:00
AM
• one ferry a day from Kume to Tonaki, at 8:30
AM
In addition, for those in a hurry or those prone to seasickness, it is possible to fly into
Kume. Kume Island has a good-sized airport and you can fly there from Naha. Both Japan
Transocean Air (JTA) and Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC) operate daily flights from Naha. It
only takes 40 minutes and costs about $120 one way. In the summer season, JTA also oper-
ates several direct flights a week from Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The Kume Airport is located
at the far westernmost point of the island. Unfortunately, Tonaki has no airport, so the only
way to reach that island is by sea.
The full length of Tonakijima from the east, with the Kume Line ferry passing in front.
4
TONAKIJIMA
渡名喜島
Sailing west out of Naha's Tomari Port, Tonakijima (
渡名喜島
; Tonaki-jima) is the first stop
on the morning ferry to Kume. Sailing time is about two and a half hours. It's not quite 40
miles (64 kilometers) or a little more than halfway to Kume. The island lies a bit north of
Naha's latitude; it's due west more or less from Okinawa City.
Tonaki is very small. It's shaped somewhat like a crescent with a bump on its southern
end. It's longest north-south dimension is 2.3 miles (4 kilometers) and its greatest east-west
width is 1.25 miles (2 kilometers), but that's misleading. Most of the island's width is three-
