Nishibama Beach
北浜ビーチ26°12′ N 127°17′ EBeachDive: beginner
Nishibama Beach lies 1.5 km from Aka Port and is Aka-jima's main beach, with about 1 km of sand and a reef the Ministry of the Environment rates alongside Furuzamami; it faces north, so the winter wind blows straight in.
Photo Si-take. at Japanese Wikipedia · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Nishibama runs for about 1 km along the north-east side of Aka, and in 2016 TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice list ranked it ninth among beaches in Japan. The Ministry of the Environment calls it an easy place to snorkel, with coral and fish on a par with Furuzamami across the water. The dive site offshore carries the same name, and the visitors bureau counts it among the best in the Keramas.
Ride out from the village or walk it in about 20 minutes, and stop at the Nishibama lookout beside the beach for the view over the reef. At spring low tides the water gets too thin to swim, so time your visit around the tide table. The beach house Umi no Ie Yui sits on the sand.
Before you swim
- At spring low tide the water gets too shallow to swim
- Smoking is banned on the sand
- Swim inside the marked area; swimming outside it needs a guide in Zamami Village
- Habu-kurage box jellyfish: the prefecture's alert ran from 1 June to 30 September in 2026
December to March
The beach lies on Aka's north-east shore, and its name is written 北浜, north beach, so the winter north wind comes straight in. Plan swims for calm days. The Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normal for the sea south of the Okinawa main island sits at about 22 °C through February.
Snorkelling · 5/5
Entry Walk in from the sand
Reef corals and fish that the Ministry of the Environment rates alongside Furuzamami
Diving · beginner
The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau calls the Nishibama dive site one of the best in the Keramas, with green chromis and pink basslets over the reef to a maximum depth of 26 m; diving there is regulated to protect the coral. Currents are occasionally strong.
Dive with a local shop.
Our ratings
- Swimming
- Snorkelling
- Sunset
- Quiet
- Families
- Scenery
Worth knowing
- Check the tide table, because the village guide map warns that spring low tides leave the beach too shallow to swim.
- Walk up to the Nishibama lookout by the beach before you swim to see where the coral lies.
FAQ
Quick answers about Nishibama Beachよくある質問
How do you get to Nishibama Beach on Aka Island?
Walk the 1.5 km from Aka Port in about 20 minutes, or ride a rental bicycle in about 10. Tatsunojo and Minshuku Harumi in Aka village rent bikes.
Is Nishibama Beach good for snorkelling?
Yes. The Ministry of the Environment rates Nishibama's coral and fish alongside Furuzamami's, and you walk in from the sand. Stay inside the marked swimming area.
Is Nishibama Beach sheltered in winter?
No. Nishibama faces north on Aka-jima, and the winter north wind blows straight onto it, so pick a calm day.
Can you swim at Nishibama Beach?
Nishibama Beach: One of Zamami Village's three designated swimming beaches; swim inside the marked area. Lifeguards: Village lifeguards worked here from 19 April to 30 November in 2024; 2026 dates were not published in the sources we read.
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