Yonaguni
Discover Yonaguni
Also known as Dunan (どぅなん) in the local language, Yonaguni is a small island (28 km) 107.4 km (66.7 mi) from Taiwan at their closest points and 127 km (79 mi) from Ishigaki. The main population centers are Sonai (祖内) on the north coast, the smaller port town of Kubura (久部良) on the west coast, and tiny Hikawa (比川) in the south. The total population is about 1700. Although it lacks the resorts of the larger Yaeyama islands and its few visitors are mostly divers coming to witness the island's mysterious sunken "ruins" and hammerhead sharks, the island has beautiful (yet uncrowded) beaches, cultural attractions, and various mysteries of history.
Taste of Yonaguni...
Most visitors opt to eat breakfast and dinner at their lodgings and lunch at their diving service, but there are a few small restaurants in Sonai and Kubura, as well as a small "supermarket" in Sonai. Yonaguni is best known for hanazake (花酒), literally "flower sake", a drink nowhere near as dainty as you might expect from the name: it's the local 60° awamori and tradition demands drinking it straight, without even an ice cube to ease the pain. The best known brand is Donan (どなん) and the other labels brewed on the island are Yonaguni (与那国) and Maifuna (舞富名, ateji) meaning 'clever person' in the local dialect). You can visit the breweries of all three in Sonai, sample a little, and learn about brewing methods. It's fairly steeply priced though, as a 600 ml (21 imp fl oz; 20 US fl oz) bottle of the stuff will set you back over ¥2000; and you need to add a few hundred yen if you want the traditional protective straw coat for your bottle. Cheaper and marginally less lethal 43° and 30° versions are also available. Okinawa's favorite bogeyman, the habu snake, is absent from Yonaguni. The main danger here is the ferocious currents, particularly on the north coast, so check conditions before swimming. Other than that, the usual warnings apply not to touch any seas creatures (including beautiful cone shells), some of which have stings that can occasionally be fatal. There are no banks on Yonaguni, but you can withdraw money from the ATMs at the post offices in Sonai and Kubura.
Culture & Religion
Culture
Scuba diving is without a doubt the main draw for most visitors to Yonaguni. However, the island's location in the middle of the open sea without protective reefs means that waves can be high and currents can be strong, so most diving here is drift diving and many of the more interesting dive sites are only accessible to experienced divers. Snorkeling is possible in from some beaches, and can be quite good, though there may not be any spot ideal for beginners. The sheltered channel on the east side of the bridge at Sonai harbor is a relatively safe place to swim around and see some tropical fish, best accessed from a tiny beach near Urano Cemetery. There can be a significant current here during the changing tides, but there's nowhere for you to get pulled out to - you'll either end up at the boat ramp or back at the beach. The outer lagoon on the other side of the concrete reinforcements is even better, but you should be very careful of currents and high surf.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsYonaguni is among the remotest inhabited spots of Japan and getting there is inconvenient and expensive. Flights and ferries may be cancelled at short notice if the weather is bad, particularly around the fall typhoon season, so allow some buffer in your plans. (Oddly, despite the island's close proximity to Taiwan, as of 2024 there are no flights or even cruises between the two. There are plans to start fast-boat service between Suao or Hualien and Yonaguni, though.) There are 9 buses per day between Sonai and Kubura, 3 of which continue on to make a full circuit of the island of the west half of the island, but there is no public transport on the eastern side. Somewhat incredibly, all buses are free. 2 taxis are also available, and a circuit of the island by car takes about an hour. There are at least 4 or 5 different rent-a-car places, including SSK right in front of the airport (from ¥5000 for a full day), and motorbikes and bicycles are also readily available....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There are 9 buses per day between Sonai and Kubura, 3 of which continue on to make a full circuit of the island of the west half of the island, but there is no public transport on the eastern side. Somewhat incredibly, all buses are free. 2 taxis are also available, and a circuit of the island by car takes about an hour. There are at least 4 or 5 different rent-a-car places, including SSK right in front of the airport (from ¥5000 for a full day), and motorbikes and bicycles are also readily available. More or less all diving shops and lodgings offer free transfers to and from the airport or ferry pier if you book ahead. The following rock formations are best viewed by boat. Scuba diving is without a doubt the main draw for most visitors to Yonaguni.
Where to Stay
Okinawa's favorite bogeyman, the habu snake, is absent from Yonaguni. The main danger here is the ferocious currents, particularly on the north coast, so check conditions before swimming. Other than that, the usual warnings apply not to touch any seas creatures (including beautiful cone shells), some of which have stings that can occasionally be fatal. There are no banks on Yonaguni, but you can withdraw money from the ATMs at the post offices in Sonai and Kubura. There are no convenience stores either. The supermarket in Sonai stays open until 20:00, and for dinner there is at least one izakaya in Sonai that stays open until 21:00 or 22:00. There are no public WiFi hotspots on Yonaguni yet, but your accommodation should have fast WiFi for guests. You're at the end of Japan now — unless you can score a seat to Taiwan on a private boat, the only way out is back where you came from.
Money & Budget
The most popular Yonagunian souvenir by far is hanazake (花酒) liquor, see Drink for details. Most visitors opt to eat breakfast and dinner at their lodgings and lunch at their diving service, but there are a few small restaurants in Sonai and Kubura, as well as a small "supermarket" in Sonai. Yonaguni is best known for hanazake (花酒), literally "flower sake", a drink nowhere near as dainty as you might expect from the name: it's the local 60° awamori and tradition demands drinking it straight, without even an ice cube to ease the pain. The best known brand is Donan (どなん) and the other labels brewed on the island are Yonaguni (与那国) and Maifuna (舞富名, ateji) meaning 'clever person' in the local dialect).
Language & Talk
Yonaguni is famous for its local language, brewed in isolation for centuries, which even those from mainland Okinawa find utterly incomprehensible. Pronunciation can be a bit easier than that of the neighboring Miyako islands, though, as the central vowels and word-final consonants are absent here. Language buffs can pick up Nae Ikema's Japanese-Yonaguni dictionary Yonaguni-go Jiten (与那国語辞典) at the airport shop. The only words the casual visitor is likely to run into though are waːriː (ワーリー) and fugarassa (フガラッサ), Yonaguni for "welcome" and "thank you", respectively, as standard Japanese is spoken by practically everybody (the locals are bilingual), and Chinese is understood by some as Taiwanese TV and radio can be picked up on the island.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Okinawa's favorite bogeyman, the habu snake, is absent from Yonaguni. The main danger here is the ferocious currents, particularly on the north coast, so check conditions before swimming. Other than that, the usual warnings apply not to touch any seas creatures (including beautiful cone shells), some of which have stings that can occasionally be fatal. There are no banks on Yonaguni, but you can withdraw money from the ATMs at the post offices in Sonai and Kubura. There are no convenience stores either. The supermarket in Sonai stays open until 20:00, and for dinner there is at least one izakaya in Sonai that stays open until 21:00 or 22:00. There are no public WiFi hotspots on Yonaguni yet, but your accommodation should have fast WiFi for guests. You're at the end of Japan now — unless you can score a seat to Taiwan on a private boat, the only way out is back where you came from.