【Okinawa Remote Island Report (First Half)】Kerama Islands "Aka Island" that is perfect for weekend travel

On the weekend from Tokyo, you can spend time on the island slowly without being pressed for time, depending on which island you want to go to, your access plan, and your attitude. I hope you find this report of 2 days and 1 night on Aka Island helpful.

Experience a high-season trip in the off-season

On Tuesday, April 4, ANA announced this week's Tokutabi Mile, Haneda ~ Naha was out at 4,000 miles one way. The high season in late March was 7,500 miles, so I felt it was a good deal and held my seat. The first half of April before GW is treated as the off-season, but Okinawa is not the off-season in the first place.

The high season and the off-season are proportional to the flow of people on the calendar, and are not the same as the good or bad conditions of the destination. In the first half of April, before the rainy season begins, the remote islands of Okinawa begin to feel summer, and there are no crowds, making it a high season for travelers.

The reserved Naha flight departs at 16:25 on Friday, April 7. On the day of the event, I worked from home from 8 a.m. to noon before leaving. I arrived at Haneda by airport bus from Busta Shinjuku after 14 o'clock. After checking in my luggage, I work at Tully's in the arrivals hall until a reasonable amount of time. The plane I was scheduled to board was delayed by about 15 minutes due to the aircraft, and took off for Naha Airport.

Arrive at Naha Airport at 19:25. It took more than 30 minutes to pick up my luggage, but I immediately took the monorail to Miebashi Station and walked to the Tomari Pier Passenger Terminal Building "Tomarin". Arriving at night and "perching" on its feet? The reason is that the next morning, I was heading to the Kerama Islands National Park "Akashima", so I booked a smile hotel that is a 0-minute walk to "Tomarin". For weekend trips with little time, you want to attack Bitta Bita from the departure point to the landing point. On such a day, let's forget about Matsuyama.

Seamless travel with homemade MaaS

The room was booked with a nationwide travel discount, and the price was 4800 yen, which is quite reasonable. For this price, it's plenty of room and bed width. After a bit of work, we had dinner at a sushi izakaya, which is a 1-2 minute walk away. Immediately after entering the store, it was the last order, so I drank less. Normally, I feel lonely when I am told that it is the last order, but I am grateful for this day. I want to be healthy in the morning when I head to a remote island.

On Saturday, April 5, I woke up around 9 a.m. and checked out around 30 minutes. At the bento shop of "Tomarin", I bought an Okinawan breakfast and side dishes, as well as sata-andagi. I had already purchased a ticket on my smartphone, so I boarded the docked "Ferry Zamami" and departed at 10:00 for Aka Island.

From "Tomarin", there are ferries to the Kerama Islands "Aka Island, Zamami Island", "Tokashiki Island", "Aguni Island", "Kume Island / Watanaki Island", and "Kita Daito Island / Minami Daito Island". Flights to the Kerama Islands and Aguni Island are operated by village-run ferries.

It took 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Aka Island. Yesterday evening, I traveled from Tokyo and arrived stress-free on the remote island of Okinawa, which is now designated as a national park. I would like to compare it to a homemade version of MaaS, which is seamlessly connected from the point of origin to the destination.

Why did you choose Akashima?

The reason why I chose Akashima was that I wanted to spend a relaxing time on the island without rushing and not rushing even though it was a short weekend. Among the Kerama Islands, which are easily accessible from Naha, Aka Island is suitable.

There are no rental cars on Aka Island. Except for bringing a car from the main island, you can get around the island on foot, rent a bicycle or moped. Normally, when you go to a remote island, you want to move from one end to the other, but secondary traffic is weak, so use a rental car. On the other hand, Aka Island does not require a car because the action area from the village is consolidated.

Also, in the case of remote islands where cars are needed, the tragedy of not being able to drink beer during the day is born. They look envious of the beer that others drink, and their companions who think of the driver also give up beer. It's like some kind of punishment game. If you want to stay for more than two nights, you can afford it, but it's a little tough on weekends.

I visited Akashima about 10 years ago when I came to visit a friend who had moved to the main island of Okinawa. I wanted to feel nostalgic for those days, and I thought I could rely on my sense of the place.

Landing on Aka Island

The first scene that will greatly enhance the mood of a remote island trip is when the ferry docks. There are people on the embankment to greet and see off. At the port, the staff of the guest house who took care of me came to pick me up. 1-2 minutes by car to the inn. The day before, I contacted the tourism association and was told that there were several accommodations that had rooms left on Saturday. Among them, the beach and the fishing port are in front of you. Hosei I did. Akashima is a guest house or a diver's pension.

Especially if you are looking for accommodation just before your trip, it is a good idea to contact the tourism association before looking online. In many cases, you can check the availability of member inns at the same time. For fairness reasons, you won't be recommended a specific place to stay, but you can ask your own questions and get good information. If you want to see reviews online, you can do it after that. It is not limited to accommodation. If you rely on the tourism association, whether you are traveling or traveling, you will have a better understanding of the land and your trip will be smoother.
If you're only looking at your smartphone while traveling, it would be a shame to miss out on the scenery.

I had forgotten the scenery of Akashima Port and the road from the port to the village. I felt like I was landing on Aka Island for the first time.

I left my luggage in my room and headed straight to the fishing port. Start with fishing. I brought a compact rod with my hand luggage. Even though the site is in a fishing port, the transparency of the sea is too high, and although it seems to be quite deep, you can see to the bottom. Even if you look from above, not a single fish is swimming. This is where Okinawa is. Okinawa is incredibly packed where there are fish, but there are many places where you don't feel any sign of fish at all. It's usually a place with a lot of sea clarity. Even so, if you go to a small reef near the fishing port, there should be fish, but this time I stopped fishing early because I wasn't that enthusiastic and the wind seemed to be strong in the open sea.

Rent a bicycle to the turnaround point "Kerama Airport"

Now, let's rent a bicycle and cross the bridge from Aka Island, pass through Keiruma Island, and go to Kerama Airport on the uninhabited island of Fukajishima. It is 3.2 km from Aka Port, about 40-50 minutes on foot. It's a good deal to be able to conquer three islands with this. There are 2-3 shops in the village that rent bicycles. This time, I rented a mamachari at a store called "Super Tatsutojo". 800 yen for 4 hours.

As you can imagine, the difference in height is particularly tight before and after the bridge between the islands. You know it's easier to walk and pull a bike, but if you get off, you'll lose. Except for the last devil's slope, even if it is hard, we will continue to stand and move forward. On the way, when I pass people who are coming back, I am grinning, but it must be a painful expression. The customary call of "hello" is louder here because of the physical strength left. Considering the condition of the returnee, it may be necessary to greet them with a smile and not to greet them aloud. When you talk to the travelers afterwards, you'll both talk about how hard you worked on the slopes.

Aka Island's Highlight "Nishibama Beach"

Around 3 p.m., he returned to Aka Island. The sky is still bright and there is plenty of time until the rental bicycle is returned, so let's go to Nishibama Beach, a spot that represents Aka Island. This place is also written as Kitahama Beach. If you are familiar with Okinawa, you probably know that in the Okinawan dialect, it is east (agari), west (iri), south (he), and north (nishi).

At the site, the sun was blocked by clouds and a strong wind blew with a go-go, so it was not a complete Nishibama beach, but I think this photo is enough to convey the beauty. It's even better when the sun shines on the sea and the beach and there is no wind! It's such a beautiful place that you want to hold your shoulders.

Nishibama Beach is about 1.5 km away from the village. I clearly remember the last time I snorkeled on this beach. It was already late October, but it was a warm day. It looks like the weather on the last day. In steep terrain from close to the beach, coral clumps grow from just a few meters, and multiple schools of tropical fish are placed around it, moving sharply over short distances. A huge parrotfish with a human face came after me in a friendly manner.

After eating, I fished for about an hour, but there were no fish. Night fishing boosts motivation by assuming that there are fish at your feet because you can't see the surface of the sea, but when you don't come out, there is an atmosphere that you will never come out. It is said that many people who like fishing are patient, but this is not the case. At night, when you can't see the scenery, if you throw a lure and reel it in when there is no response, it will be penance.

I went back to the inn, took a shower, drank a beer, watched an Okinawan program, and lay down, and before I knew it, I was asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized. I was thinking of going to the bar "Yonamine House" that is open until 24 o'clock in the village, so I felt like I had done it, but let's say that it is good because it is comfortable to sleep on a futon at night on a remote island. （ To the second half ）

★ This year's opening of Zamami Village (Aka Island, Zamami Island) will be on Saturday, April 15.