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Okinawa · City

Miyakojima

宮古島市みやこじましMiyakojima-shi

Flat coral islands in a sea of improbable blue

Miyakojima is the city of the Miyako Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, a group of flat coral-limestone islands about 300 kilometres south-west of Okinawa Island, known for white-sand beaches, very clear water and the long bridges that join Miyako to Irabu, Ikema and Kurima.

Overview

Miyakojima city was formed in 2005 from the city of Hirara and the towns of Gusukube, Shimoji, Ueno and Irabu, and covers Miyako Island with its neighbours Ikema, Ōgami, Irabu, Shimoji and Kurima. The islands are low plateaus of uplifted coral limestone with no mountains and no rivers; rain sinks into the rock, so water has long been drawn from springs and caves and, since the late twentieth century, from underground dams that hold back fresh water in the limestone.

The lack of rivers carrying silt to the sea gives Miyako its famously clear water. Beaches such as Yonaha Maehama and Sunayama, the long cape of Higashi-hennazaki and the vast reef of Yabiji draw visitors, and the three bridges to Irabu, Ikema and Kurima – the Irabu Bridge, opened in 2015, is over 3.5 kilometres long – have made the islands easy to explore by car.

Miyako has its own language, songs and customs, including the Pāntu ritual of mud-covered deities and the otōri drinking circle. Sugar cane covers most of the farmland, with mangoes and beef cattle as further mainstays, and tourism has grown quickly since the bridges and a second airport on Shimoji opened.

Landmarks

  • Yonaha Maehama Beach

    与那覇前浜Yonaha Maehama

    Some seven kilometres of fine white sand on the south-west coast, facing Kurima Island.

  • Higashi-hennazaki

    東平安名崎Higashi-hennazaki

    Narrow cape stretching about two kilometres into the Pacific, with a lighthouse and wild lilies in spring; a national Place of Scenic Beauty.

  • Irabu Bridge

    伊良部大橋Irabu Ōhashi

    Toll-free bridge of 3,540 metres over turquoise shallows to Irabu Island, one of the longest of its kind in Japan.

  • Tōri-ike

    通り池Tōri-ike

    Two deep sinkhole pools on Shimoji Island connected underground to each other and to the sea; a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument.

  • Sunayama Beach

    砂山ビーチSunayama Bīchi

    Small beach behind a sand dune north of Hirara, with a natural rock arch.

  • Yabiji

    八重干瀬Yabiji

    Great coral reef complex north of Ikema, parts of which emerge above the sea at the lowest spring tides, traditionally in the third lunar month.

  • German Emperor's memorial

    独逸皇帝博愛記念碑Doitsu Kōtei Hakuai Kinenhi

    Stone memorial of 1876 in Hirara, erected on the orders of Wilhelm I to thank the islanders for rescuing German sailors.

  • Ueno German Culture Village

    うえのドイツ文化村Ueno Doitsu Bunkamura

    Park with a replica of the Rhine castle Marksburg and exhibits on the 1873 rescue and German–Japanese friendship.

Districts

  • Hirara

    平良Hirara

    The urban centre and port on the west coast, with the city hall, markets and most restaurants.

  • Gusukube

    城辺Gusukube

    Rural south-east with sugar-cane fields, Higashi-hennazaki and Boraga beach.

  • Ueno

    上野Ueno

    Southern district of the German Culture Village and the beach resorts along Maehama.

  • Irabu and Shimoji

    伊良部島・下地島Irabu-jima・Shimoji-shima

    Twin islands joined by short bridges across a channel, with the fishing port of Sarahama, cliffs, Tōri-ike and Shimojishima Airport.

  • Ikema

    池間島Ikema-jima

    Small fishing island to the north with its own dialect and strong sea-faring traditions.

History

Miyako entered into relations with the Chūzan kingdom on Okinawa Island in the late fourteenth century. Around 1500 its chief Nakasone Tuyumya sided with Shuri against the Yaeyama rebel Oyake Akahachi and was rewarded with authority over the southern islands. Under Satsuma's control of Ryukyu, a poll tax levied per head regardless of harvest was imposed on Miyako and Yaeyama from 1637; a petition movement by Miyako farmers to the Imperial Diet in the 1890s led to its abolition in 1903.

In 1873 villagers of Ueno rescued the crew of the German merchant ship R. J. Robertson, wrecked on the reef in a typhoon, and cared for them until they could return home. In gratitude Emperor Wilhelm I had a memorial erected in Hirara in 1876. The episode is commemorated by the Ueno German Culture Village, visited by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in 2000. Miyako suffered air raids but no ground battle in 1945 and returned to Japan with Okinawa in 1972.

  1. 1390

    Miyako begins sending tribute to the Chūzan kingdom on Okinawa Island.

  2. 1500

    Nakasone Tuyumya supports Shuri in suppressing the Oyake Akahachi rebellion on Ishigaki.

  3. 1637

    A per-capita poll tax is imposed on Miyako and Yaeyama.

  4. 1771

    The Great Meiwa Tsunami also causes heavy loss of life on the Miyako Islands.

  5. 1873

    Villagers rescue the crew of the German ship R. J. Robertson.

  6. 1876

    A memorial sent by Emperor Wilhelm I is unveiled in Hirara.

  7. 1903

    The poll tax is abolished after petitions from Miyako farmers.

  8. 1992

    The Ikema Bridge opens, followed by the Kurima Bridge in 1995.

  9. 2005

    Five municipalities merge to form Miyakojima city.

  10. 2015

    The Irabu Bridge opens, linking Miyako with Irabu and Shimoji.

Culture

Miyako's culture is close-knit and distinct. The Miyako language (Myākufutsu) differs from Okinawan and even between islands, and is listed by UNESCO as endangered. The Pāntu ritual of Shimajiri, in which figures covered in mud and vines smear villagers and new houses to drive away evil, is part of the Raiho-shin group on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The kuichā circle dance is performed at festivals, and the islands' otōri drinking circle is a well-known – and sometimes debated – social custom. The 1873 rescue of German sailors is a point of local pride, taught in schools as a story of hospitality.

Festivals

  • Pāntu

    パーントゥpāntu

    Autumn ritual in Shimajiri in which mud-covered deities emerge from a sacred well and daub villagers for good fortune.

  • All Japan Triathlon Miyakojima

    全日本トライアスロン宮古島大会Zen-Nihon Toraiasuron Miyakojima Taikai

    Japan's best-known long-distance triathlon, held in April since 1985 on courses across the islands and bridges.

  • Kuichā

    クイチャーkuichā

    Communal circle dance with song and hand-clapping, performed at village festivals to pray for rain and a good harvest.

Food

  • Miyako soba

    宮古そばMiyako soba

    Thin, flat noodles in a clear broth; traditionally the pork and fish cake were hidden beneath the noodles.

  • Miyako mango

    マンゴーmangō

    Greenhouse-grown mangoes ripening in midsummer, one of the islands' prized crops.

  • Miyako beef

    宮古牛Miyako-gyū

    Wagyu raised on the islands, a small but well-regarded brand.

  • Awamori and otōri

    オトーリotōri

    Awamori mixed with water is drunk in the otōri custom: each guest in turn gives a short speech, then fills and passes the glass around the table.

  • Bonito from Irabu

    鰹katsuo

    Pole-caught bonito landed at Sarahama, eaten as sashimi and made into katsuobushi.

Getting around

  • Miyako Airport, near Hirara, has flights from Naha of under an hour and direct flights from Tokyo and other cities; Shimojishima Airport on Shimoji Island serves further domestic and some international routes.
  • There are no passenger ferries from Okinawa Island; within the city, ferries serve Ōgami-jima from Shimajiri, and ferries and flights connect with Tarama.
  • Bridges link Miyako with Irabu, Shimoji, Ikema and Kurima, so the islands can be toured by car in a day; bus services are limited, and most visitors rent a car or bicycle.

Day trips

  • Irabu and Shimoji

    伊良部島Irabu-jima

    Across the Irabu Bridge: cliffs, Tōri-ike, Sawada beach and the runway coast of Shimoji, popular for sea views.

  • Ikema and Kurima

    来間島Kurima-jima

    Small islands at the end of the Ikema and Kurima bridges, with viewpoints and quiet beaches.

  • Ōgami-jima

    大神島Ōgami-jima

    Tiny sacred island reached by a short ferry, where visitors must respect off-limits ritual sites.

  • Ishigaki

    石垣島Ishigaki-jima

    The Yaeyama hub, a short flight away, for travellers combining the southern islands.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalNahaNaha-shiPort town and royal capital of the Ryukyu KingdomCityIshigakiIshigaki-shiCoral seas and the hub of the Yaeyama IslandsCityNagoNago-shiWhere the north of Okinawa Island begins

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Miyakojima?

By plane to Miyako Airport or Shimojishima Airport, from Naha in under an hour or directly from several mainland cities. There is no passenger ferry from Naha.

Why is the water around Miyako so clear?

The islands are flat coral limestone with no rivers, so almost no soil or sediment washes into the sea.

What is the German connection of Miyakojima?

In 1873 islanders rescued the crew of the German ship R. J. Robertson; Emperor Wilhelm I thanked them with a memorial in 1876, and the Ueno German Culture Village recalls the event.

Do I need a car on Miyakojima?

It is strongly recommended: buses are infrequent, while the bridges make it easy to drive round all the linked islands in a day.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 沖縄県企画部統計課
  2. 2.宮古島市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 宮古島市
  3. 3.Raiho-shin, ritual visits of deities in masks and costumes (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
  4. 4.Okinawa (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization

Editorial team · Published: