Japan’s best pristine island getaways – 6 unspoilt holiday destinations you probably haven’t heard of
From snorkelling off Taketomi to hiking on Yakushima, visiting’s volcanic Aogashima or lounging beachside on Ishigaki – aka ‘Japan’s Maldives’
Japan is a land that boasts 6,852 islands, of which only 430 are inhabited – so it isn’t too surprising to find out that the archipelago hosts a huge number of unspoilt and undiscovered pristine islands.
Kyushu, Honshu, Shikoku and Hokkaido are the four main landmasses that form the largest areas of Japan. But the country’s smaller, less well-known and less inhabited islands are worth a very different kind of visit.
Kyushu, Honshu, Shikoku and Hokkaido are the four main landmasses that form the largest areas of Japan
Here we’ve identified a few remote and pristine spots you might want to size up for your next island escape.
Taketomi Island
One of more than 150 islands which make up the Okinawa Prefecture – not to be confused with its largest island of the same name – Taketomi Island can be reached by scheduled liner from Ishigaki Port Outlying Island Terminal. The journey takes about 15 minutes.
This piece of unspoilt nature is home to old settlement remains and has been designated an Important Traditional Building Group Conservation area by the national government. Existing houses on the island are said to be traditional Okinawan and are characterised by their red roof tiles, sandy streets, traditional wood structures and limestone walls. The island is home to just one small village made of these traditional, one-storied houses and numerous evil spirit-warding shisa statues.
Taketomi is perfect for beach holidays and snorkelling due to its calm waters and coral reefs. The 5.4 sq km island is part of the Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park. There are no car rentals on the island but visitors have the option to rent bikes to explore the area.
When to go:
Try to time your visit to coincide with Taketomi’s Tanadui Festival, the island’s largest and longest-running ceremonial gathering. Said to date back more than 600 years, the festival is held annually on the 21st to the 31st of the lunar calendar’s sexagenary, which in 2019 falls on October 14 to 23. On the seventh and eighth day of 10 festival there are performances such as dances and plays, and other traditional performing arts of the island. The festival itself is considered an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Yakushima