Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From Kouri we'll retrace our steps back over the bridge, on to Yagajijima, then head south
and west about 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) and take the brand new bridge that connects the
west coast of Yagaji to the Motobu Peninsula, thus putting us back on Okinawa mainland.
From here, it's about 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) north to Unten Port and our ferry connections
to the next, and final, group of islands making up the Okinawa-shotō.
Altogether, since starting this clockwise circuit of Okinawa main island's near neighbors,
we've gone around almost 360 degrees. The last little group of about a dozen islands and islets
lies approximately 15-25 miles (24-40 kilometers) north of Unten Port and the Motobu Pen-
insula. It is also accurate to say that they are about 25-28 miles (38-45 kilometers) west of
Yoron-tō and around 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Cape Hedo. Three in the group
are inhabited. The two largest, Izena and Iheya, are each served by twice-daily ferry connec-
tions, all out of Unten Port. There is no active airport service on either island, so the ferry is
the only way to reach them.
14
IZENAJIMA
伊是名島
One of the two largest islands in this mini-cluster of islands, Izenajima (
伊是名島
; Izéna-
jima), is the more southerly and closer to Okinawa. As the crow flies, it's just over 14 miles
(22 kilometers) from the northernmost spot on the Motobu Peninsula to the southernmost
point on Izena, but the ferry takes the shipping route from Okinawa's Unten Port (
運天港
;
Unten-kō) to Izena's Nakada Port (
仲田港
; Nakada-kō) and that's more like 20 miles (32 kilo-
meters).
Year round, other than when cancelled due to severe weather, there are two daily ferry
round trips to Izena. The first sailing leaves Unten Port at 9:00
AM
and arrives just under an
hour later on Izena at 9:55
AM
. The ferry docks for less than one hour, then departs at 10:30
AM
for the return trip to Okinawa, arriving back at Unten Port at 11:25
AM
.
The ship rests at home port until 1:30
PM
when it departs on its second daily sailing to
Izena, arriving at Nakada Port at 2:25
PM
. The ferry docks until 3:30
PM
when it begins its fi-
nal journey of the day, back to Unten Port, arriving at 4:25
PM
. The Izena ferry is large and
comfortable and takes passengers, vehicles and freight.
Notice that with this schedule it's possible to make a quick one-day visit to Izena,
something that's not possible with Izena's immediate neighbor, Iheya. A 9:00
AM
departure
from Okinawa's Unten Port puts you on Izena just before 10:00
AM
. Granted your visit will be
short, only five and a half hours, but with a bike, scooter, car or taxi, you can see most of the
island in this time if you wish. You can return to Unten Port on the 3:30
PM
ferry.
