Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Incidentally, just to keep things a bit confusing—this is Japan, after all—you may well
see the name of this beach as Mūn-bīchi (
ムーンビーチ
), which of course also means Moon
Beach. And lastly, if you look at older maps you may see its name as To-udoumari-no-hama
(
トウドウマリ浜
). That was its historic name. Modern times and modern tourism upgraded
the name to the more euphonious Moon Beach.
Barasutō is a coral reef-encircled sandbar rather than an islet proper, composed entirely of coarse sand,
coral chips and broken shell material. Its shape and size are transformed every year by typhoons.
Moon Beach is considered the best beach on Iriomote, partly for its “crying/screaming” sand.
Naturally, this gorgeous location has not gone undetected or undiscovered. If you're look-
ing for a very deluxe resort, the best on the island, you'll find it at the Nirakanai Sanctuary Re-
sort (
西表サンクチュアリー リゾートニラカナイ
; Iriomote sankuchuarī-rizōto nirakanai).
It's right on the beach, surrounded by jungle, and has a beautiful outdoor swimming pool.
Rates, including meals, start at around $200 per person per night.
We'll leave the Nirakanai Resort and drive 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) due south on Route
215 until we come to the only bridge over the Urauchi River. For the most part the road par-
allels the river's mouth, which here is very wide, shallow and sandy. If coming directly from
Uehara, that is, without stopping at Star Sand Beach or the Nirakanai Resort, it's 3.5 miles
(5.5 kilometers). On the northern side of the bridge, before crossing it, there is a small park-
ing area, a public bus stop and a small road to the left. This is the entrance for the river cruises
and kayak rentals on the Urauchi River. The dock and ticket office are 500 feet (150 meters)
