Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hatobanarejima is a collection of eight to ten small rocks strung out along the coast midway between Fun-
aura and Uehara. The largest island has a couple of pleasant beaches.
The Pineapple House stands out among the various minshuku guesthouses in Uehara for two reasons: its
pineapple shape and the free, as much as you can eat, pineapple given to guests in summer.
There's something else nice less than a mile (2 kilometers) down the road, south of Star
Sand Beach. Here there's another beautiful beach that many think is the best on the island,
Moon Beach (
月ケ浜
or
月が
; Tsuki-ga-hama). This one gets its name from its perfect cres-
cent shape. It is located on the mouth of the Urauchi River (
浦
內
川
; Ura-uchi-gawa) and
nestled into a curve immediately below the far northwest end of Iriomote, at Cape Unari (
宇
奈利崎
; Unari-zaki).
Moon Beach has its pluses and minuses. It is a great beach due to its sheltered location.
There's no rough surf and it has a long, sloping grade which is calm and peaceful, so it's safe,
perfect for young children. But because it's sited at the end of the Urauchi River estuary it's a
mixture of fresh and salt water. Thus, there are no coral reefs here and also it's way too shal-
low for snorkeling. But there is another plus: the sand is soft and fine, so fine in fact that it's
described as “crying” or “screaming” sand. That is, when you walk along the beach or kick
your feet, it squeals or squeaks, making a high-pitched noise somewhat like a cry or scream.
Try it, it's fun—and kids will love it.
