Okinawa & Yonaguni, Japan
Yonaguni horses grazing in Yonaguni Island

Okinawa & Yonaguni, Japan

Renowned for its balmy weather, crystal-clear waters, and rich marine life, the Prefecture of Okinawa has countless islands for scuba divers to explore. Yonaguni in the Yaeyama Islands offers adventure seekers numerous above and below ground attractions. So whether you want to go horseback riding or wish to explore underwater caves and corals, our guide will help you plan the ultimate Okinawa diving adventure.

Geography of Okinawa & Yonaguni, Japan

Encompassing two thirds of the Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa Prefecture is Japan’s southernmost prefecture. The prefecture’s major island chains include the Yaeyama Islands, the Miyako Islands, and the Okinawa Islands.

Yonaguni is a remote pelagic island located in Yaeyama District on the southwestern tip of the prefecture. It is the westernmost municipality in Japan and is a midpoint between Taiwan and the island of Ishigaki. Inhabited by less than 2,000 people, this remote Okinawan island is the last place in Japan to see the setting sun every day.

With its striking coastline of towering capes, cliffs, and beaches, Yonaguni Island is one of the most popular scuba diving destinations in the prefecture. Due to a warm tropical current heading north from the Philippines along the east coast of Taiwan, Yonaguni boasts warm and crystal clear waters that are said to be the third clearest in the world.

The Best Okinawa & Yonaguni Scuba Diving Destinations

The main attractions in Okinawa and Yonaguni are the mysterious underwater ruins and dive spots teeming with wonderful sea creatures. Numerous rock formations, tunnels, caverns, and lots of beautiful corals provide plenty of areas for divers to explore.

Yonaguni Monument

Also known as the Yonaguni Island Underwater Ruins, the Yonaguni Monument is the most popular dive site in Yonaguni. This massive linear rock formation resembles an ancient underwater city and has attracted significant interest among archaeologists and divers.

It was discovered in 1986 by Kihachiro Aratake, a local divemaster who was scouting the area for new hammerhead schooling sites. The monument has sparked much debate, with some claiming it is a man-made structure created by an ancient civilization and others claiming it is a mere product of natural processes.

While this dive spot is situated in very shallow waters with great visibility, conditions vary greatly from day to day and currents can range from strong to ferocious. This makes it challenging for inexperienced divers to navigate. The key features of the underwater ruins include the main monument with perfectly carved perpendicular terracing, the archway entrance, a staircase, and a dividing wall.

Irizaki

Located at the westernmost point of Yonaguni Island, Irizaki offers divers the highest possibility of encountering large pelagic fish, including hammerhead sharks. Like the Yonaguni Monument, the currents in Irizaki can also become quite strong, making it unsuitable for novice divers. You may also encounter schools of barracuda, dogtooth tuna, and bigeye trevally, with occasional sightings of sailfish and whale sharks.

Sabachi

Home to colonies of red sea anemones spread at a depth of 15 meters, Sabachi is the perfect dive site for beginners with its virtually non-existent currents and extremely stable water conditions. Living side by side with the sea anemones are the beautiful tomato anemonefish and broadclub cuttlefish.

Muran

Characterized by an L-shaped cave found at a depth of 20 meters, Muran is a dive site with occasionally strong currents, making it suitable for intermediate and advanced divers. Explore the beautiful arches when you go through the cave and expect to encounter schools of square-spot fairy basslet and elegant firefish at about 25 meters deep.

White World

Found near Yonaguni Island, White World has a maximum depth of 10 to 20 meters and occasionally experiences strong currents. Characterized by an endless white sandy bottom and deep blue waters, this beautiful dive site is home to schools of bluestripe snappers and other marine life.

Umabana-hanareiwa

Umabana-hanareiwa offers divers incredible underwater formations, including walls and arches. The site has a maximum depth of 26 meters and sometimes experiences strong currents. Interesting marine life include large fan corals and colorful schools of basslet.

Gorilla Chop

Situated right off Okinawa’s northwest coast, the Gorilla Chop is a fairly sheltered dive site that is accessible from the beach and is suitable for beginner and intermediate divers. Named after a large black protruding rock, the Gorilla Chop has a distinctly white sandy bottom and many coral reef islands that harbor schools of goatfish, lionfish, and many other reef dwellers.

Channel Crevices

Also known as the Channel Crevasses, this shore diving site is located off the southern tip of Okinawa. The water condition in this spot is prone to extreme tidal changes that yield strong rip currents. Beyond the reef, you can see different kinds of shellfish and spot sea turtles laying their eggs in a protected area on the beach. Channel Crevices is largely known for its shallow lagoon that is perfect to swim through.

Ippon Ishi

Ippon Ishi should definitely be on your bucket list if you’re diving in Okinawa Prefecture. As you swim through the bottom, you will see a river of white sand about 20 meters below, adorned with coral reefs on either side. Get to play with friendly sandpipers on the sand and explore the coral reefs for lionfish, juvenile angels, and cleaner shrimps. Also expect to see turtles grazing around here and there.

Taka Dai

Characterized by an abundant coral garden, the Taka Dai dive site is populated by butterfly fish, large schools of tomato clownfish, yellow striped snapper, and an enormous field of bright orange anemones.

Marine Life

With a warm tropical current, interesting rock formations, and lots of beautiful coral reefs, Okinawa’s ocean is filled with an abundance of subtropical marine life. Be on the lookout for these awesome creatures when scuba diving in Okinawa and Yonaguni:
  • Hammerhead Sharks - Characterized by their flat hammer shaped snouts, hammerhead sharks congregate around Yonaguni Island in the winter months of December to February.
  • Whale Sharks - Characterized by their wide mouths and striped bodies, massive whale sharks are occasionally sighted in Okinawa‘s waters.
  • Sea Turtles - Often sighted swimming around the coral reefs or laying their eggs on the seashore, this marine reptile graces Okinawan waters all year round.

Other Attractions

  • Horseback Riding - A trip to Yonaguni Island is every horse lover’s dream come true as the island is the natural habitat of a distinctive horse breed known as the Yonaguni horse. This endemic species is one meter tall and roams freely around the island.
  • Hiking - Yonaguni Island has excellent walking trails perfect for hiking down to the beach and along the coast. There are also large parks overlooking the stretch of coastline on the eastern and western tips of the island. On the west coast, you will see a plaque that indicates the westernmost point of Japan. Lots of tourists get their photos taken here.
  • Sunset Watching - From Kubura-bari, a cliff near the northern side of Kubura's port, you can watch the last setting sun in Japan.
  • Tindabana - Known as the sailfish monument of Yonaguni, Tindabana is a natural observatory that gives you a glimpse of Sonai village in the center of the island and the East China Sea beyond it.
  • Hanazake Distillery - Yonaguni is known in Japan for hanazake, a rice-based distilled beverage produced only on the island. Visit the Hanazake Distillery to see how the local firewater is made and have a taste test.

How to Get There

Citizens from 68 countries and regions aren’t required to obtain visas to enter Japan as tourists. The period of stay will depend on the nation of origin and ranges from 15 days to 90 days.

Yonaguni Island is accessible both via airline and ferry.

By Air
Travelers from Singapore, Taipei, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Japan can fly directly to Okinawa's Naha International Airport. There are one or two flights a day from Ishigaki Island and three flights a week from Naha Airport to get to Yonaguni Airport. From Ishigaki Airport, the flight takes about 35 minutes and costs 13,000 yen, while the flight from Naha Airport takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and costs roughly 7,000-10,000 yen.

Another option is to fly with Ryuku Air Commuter, a subsidiary of Japanese Airlines (JAL), which operates daily 90-minute flights to Yonaguni from Naha Airport.

By Sea
There is a ferry that runs two trips a week from Ishigaki, with return journeys on different days, but it takes four hours and it can be a rough journey. While there is no ferry service from mainland Okinawa to Yonaguni Island, there is a ferry that runs two trips a week from Ishigakijima Port to Yonagunijima Kubura Port. The duration of the trip is about 4 hours and 30 minutes and the fare is 3,550 yen. The return journeys are on different days and can be rough.

Getting Around
Once you arrive on the island, the guesthouse staff will usually pick you up from the airport or the Kubura port. Similarly, the diving shop staff will pick you up from your guesthouse to drive you to and from the dive boat each day.

Public bus service is free in Yonaguni Island, but this tour bus does not travel to the eastern part of the island. If you want to fully traverse the island, the best option is to rent a car, motorcycle, or bicycle to explore the beautiful green wilderness and spectacular craggy seashores. You can take the entire tour in less than two hours since the island is not that big. Whatever means you choose to get around, always drive safely and make sure to watch out for the cows and Yonaguni horses when traveling.

Best Time to Visit

Yonaguni Island has very warm summers and mild winters with its humid subtropical climate bordering on a tropical rainforest climate. As a result, there is no bad time to visit Yonaguni Island. The coolest months are December to March when the mean average temperature drops below 20°C and the water temperature can drop to 23°C. Between June to October, the water temperature is at its warmest at 27-29°C. September is the wettest month, while July is the driest, but rainfall is abundant throughout the year with more than 20°C and less than 30°C daytime temperatures.

The best months to see large populations of hammerhead sharks are from the winter months of January to February and sometimes into March.

Required Trainings & Certifications

Since most of the dive sites in Yonaguni Island pose challenging water conditions, scuba divers are advised to be at least a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. Before diving in Yonaguni, you should have enough experience with deep dives and a proper understanding of how currents can affect a diver. Taking PADI Deep Diver, PADI Boat Diver, and PADI Drift Diver courses are also highly recommended to make the most of Okinawa’s sea currents and deeper dive sites. If you are traveling in the months of May through June, consider taking the PADI Night Diver specialty to experience the magical coral spawning at night during this season.

Miscellaneous Information

Currency
As with mainland Japan, the official currency in Okinawa and Yonaguni is the Japanese yen.

Language
The principal language of Japan is Japanese, but English is widely spoken in tourist areas and by the licensed guides who run trips to Okinawa and Yonaguni.

Time Zone
Okinawa and Yonaguni utilize Japan Standard Time (JST) all year with UTC/GMT +9 hours. The country does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Driving Side
Similar to the rest of Japan, drivers have to drive on the left side of the road.

Calling Code
The country code for Japan is 81. Dialing +81, followed by the area code and local number, will allow you to call Japan from another country.

ISO 3166 code
The ISO 3166-2 code for Okinawa Prefecture is JP-47.

Internet TLD
.jp is the Internet country code top-level domain for Japan.