About the country
Away from the tourist trail of Honshu and its medieval cities, we traveled through the more southern Pacific islands, all the way to the East China Sea, starting from the island of Kyushu.
Since diving wasn’t the main goal of the trip, we tried to set aside a few days for it wherever we could (some clubs turning away non-Japanese speakers).
From the island of Okinawa, we were able to dive in the Kerama archipelago, considered the mecca of diving in Japan. The sites are very varied and full of fish. We were also struck by the relics of the Pacific War, like shells and bombs. It really is one of the best places to dive in Japan, though the sites are small and there are quite a few divers.
Then we continued on to the island of thousand-year-old trees : Yakushima, in the Osumi archipelago in Kyushu. Diving there is completely off the radar.
And we finished up at Iriomote in the Sakishima archipelago, nicknamed the Japanese Galápagos, reachable by ferry from Ishigaki. The island is beautiful, and diving there is rich, with its coral reef flats, we’ll never forget our first manta .
The islands are reachable by plane from Kyushu island. Plan on at least 2 weeks.
Our opinion
Difficulty
Visibility
Diversity
Atmosphere
Practical
In May 2014.
Okinawa : Reef Encounters, in the Chatan neighborhood. Run by a former marine, it was the only club offering dives on the Keramas for non-Japanese speakers. Only drift diving, with negative entries for most sites. Small boat, very professional, hands-on staff. 3 dives a day.
Yakushima : Easy diving from Isso beach, organized by Yes, a local tour operator.
Iriomote : Dive club at the Hoshinosuna guesthouse. There are two of them on the boat, the captain and the dive master. Large, comfortable boat. They don’t speak English, we appreciated Atsuko’s drawn-out briefings and hands-on guiding.
In May 2014.
In Kyushu : Ryokojin Sanso, a stunning hotel with a view over the Kagoshima volcano and private onsens, each more beautiful than the last, in a forest frequented by many deer.
Ryokan Sanga, in a magnificent valley, with beautiful private onsens and good food.
Okinawa : Beach side Condo (closed since), a small, practical apartment, lots of shops and restaurants nearby, in the neighborhood around the US base.
Yakushima : Soyotei, a traditional guesthouse overlooking a beautiful beach in the south.
Iriomote : Pension Hoshinosuna, a dive guesthouse, with a magnificent view over a starry-sand beach.
Kyushu is full of beauty, with its volcanic landscapes, much less touristy than Honshu, and it’s well worth the detour : a trek up Mount Aso, a walk around Miyazaki and the beautiful island of Aoshima, the Buddhas of Usuki and Kumamoto Castle.
Yakushima : Take the time to drive around the island, soak up the forest that Miyazaki loved so much, and see the thousand-year-old cedars, including Jomon Sugi. Admire the temples with their toris on the beaches, and watch leatherback turtles nesting in season. (Operator Yes).
Iriomote : The island has no public transport, but the guesthouses handle getting you to the sites : to the north of the island, the beautiful starry-sand beach, and a trek near the Urauchi River to see some beautiful waterfalls.