{"id":419,"date":"2013-10-21T12:54:59","date_gmt":"2013-10-21T12:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/?post_type=portfolio&p=419"},"modified":"2025-11-10T14:03:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:03:34","slug":"izena-okinawa","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/destinations\/izena-okinawa\/","title":{"rendered":"Izena Island (Izena-jima)"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re exploring the northern part of Okinawa and looking for coral islands even further off the beaten path, Izena Island (Izena-jima<\/em>) is a wonderful choice. Together with neighboring Iheya Island (Iheya-jima<\/em>), it offers a glimpse into authentic island life, with limited tourist infrastructure but endless charm.<\/p>\n

Both islands are home to spectacular white sandy beaches and thriving coral reefs. For those eager to experience pristine coral reefs despite climate change, we highly recommend joining an off-the-boat snorkeling or diving tour with Izena Guin<\/a>. For off-the-beach snorkeling, this area<\/a> is a great spot featuring beautiful table corals and branch corals, though it requires a bit of a swim from shore. You can almost always see sea turtles at high tide on many of Izena\u2019s beaches, though they\u2019re usually quite shy and quick to swim away when approached.<\/p>\n

Izena has several beautiful beaches, but Mattera Beach<\/a> stands out with its striking backdrop \u2014 the majestic rock formation of Agi Gitara<\/a>.\u00a0Don\u2019t miss the Shirasagi Observatory<\/a>, which offers panoramic views of both Agi Gitara<\/a> and the mountain of Izena Castle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you have time, also visit the nearby Yanaha Island and Gushikawa Island \u2014 both uninhabited, blessed with pristine white sand and crystal-clear tropical waters, perfect for a peaceful island escape.<\/p>\n

Island-hopping (for example to Gushikawa Island)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A boat service between islands is operated by fishermen and is called watashibune (\u6e21\u3057\u8239 in Japanese). You can ask\u00a0the fisheries cooperative to arrange a watashibune:\u00a00980-45-2018. It is also possible to ask a\u00a0fisherman with a boat at the port (not the main port but Uchibana port \u5185\u82b1\u6f01\u6e2f).<\/p>\n

For those who are considering traveling to Izena Island\/Okinawa Main Island outside summer months of May to October, especially for avid snorkelers, we recommend the Miyako Islands<\/a> or Yaeyama Islands (such as Ishigaki<\/a> and Iriomote<\/a>) over Izena Island\/Okinawa Main Island because of warmer temperatures for both air and underwater. Okinawa Main Island and the other northern islands of Okinawa Prefecture have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), while the southern islands of Okinawa Prefecture (the Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands) have a tropical rainforest climate (Af). This results in noticeable differences in both air and water temperatures from November to April.<\/p>\n

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