<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYou can shop in the various souvenir shops on the island and likely see depictions of the Southern Cross star constellation. This is because, due to the island’s location being very southern, you can see this constellation at night. As an Australian, I didn\u2019t give it much attention, but my Japanese friend was pretty excited about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hateruma has quite a few cafes<\/strong> and restaurants<\/strong> scattered around the town. Our accommodations gave us a hand-drawn map that pointed them out to us, so if you are day-tripping, perhaps you can drop into the hotel and ask for a copy. For dinner, we were unable to get a seat without a reservation on the first night, so try to make a booking in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSokona Tameike Observation Deck<\/h3>\n\n\n\n This tower is called Kodomori<\/strong> (Sokona Tameike Observation Deck: \u5e95\u540d\u6e9c\u6c60\u5c55\u671b\u53f0) and was built in the 17th<\/sup> century to watch the seas. It\u2019s pretty out of the way, and the views are nothing spectacular, so you can take it or leave it, to be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOn the southern side of the island, there are steep cliffs into the seas. You can climb right up to the cliff face<\/strong>, but be care<\/span>ful, as a fall from here would probably be deadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHoshizora Tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Toward the southeast of the island is the Hosizora tower<\/strong> (\u661f\u7a7a\u89b3\u6e2c\u30bf\u30ef\u30fc). This tower is an observatory for looking at the night sky<\/strong>. There is guidance,<\/span> but it is all in Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom the observatory, follow this path to the southernmost point of (inhabited) Japan<\/strong>! It is a popular photo spot, so it gets busy when the buses arrive. The monument also has an interesting stone path with rocks representing all the prefectures of Japan.<\/strong> You can<\/span> climb out on the rocks and look at the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI hope you will enjoy Hateruma Island<\/strong> in the Okinawa prefecture. I highly recommend this island if not only for its beautiful beach but also for a relaxing overnight stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhere to Stay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n With its relatively small size, the island is best explored on a bicycle or moped. Rental services are aplenty, and a shuttle bus from the terminal is ready to take you to the store. If you are staying overnight, check with your accommodations if they have rental bikes, too, as it\u2019s probably cheaper. The island is rather hillier than usual, with the highest point being 60 meters above sea level, but it should not pose too much of a problem for anyone of average fitness.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nI recommend an overnight stay on Hateruma Island. <\/strong>There are many things to do, and the island has a \u201cdon\u2019t rush\u201d feel. The easiest way to find accommodations is to search Google Maps for \u201cminshuku\u201d (\u6c11\u5bbf) or “guesthouse”(\u30b2\u30b9\u30c8\u30cf\u30a6\u30b9). I stayed at Katsuren-so (\u52dd\u9023\u8358), which was 2500 yen per night, and I highly recommend it. The owner was very accommodating, and the rooms were nice and clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Acccess<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Hateruma Island is usually reached by boat from Ishigaki Island, and it can also be accessed by plane from the Japanese mainland. The boat trip typically lasts about 1 hour and can be bumpy during windy conditions. If you’re like me and get seasick easily, sitting at the back of the boat, while noisy, provides a much more bearable journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Useful Information at Hateruma Island<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Katsuren-so (Guesthouse)<\/strong> Phone: +81 980-85-8154 Address: Japan, \u3012907-1751 \u6c96\u7e04\u770c\u516b\u91cd\u5c71\u90e1\u7af9\u5bcc\u753a\u6ce2\u7167\u9593\uff13\uff10\uff12\uff19<\/p>\n\n\n\nHosizora Tower<\/strong> 10 am to 9 pm Closed on Mondays. Adults 400 yen. Children 200 yen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At the southernmost point of Japan lies the coral island Hateruma. Hateruma Island is a peaceful, relatively Small Island with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":20348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_meta":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[1416,23],"tags":[1304,1341,1354,1334,1382,1356],"class_list":{"0":"post-20362","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-okinawa","8":"category-sightseeing","9":"tag-architecture","10":"tag-beach","11":"tag-cafe","12":"tag-cycling","13":"tag-hostel","14":"tag-restaurant"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Hateruma Island in Okinawa, Japan's Southernmost Island<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n