Iriomote-jima
西表島Irimuti24°25′ N 123°48′ EYaeyama Islandsjunglemangrove riversWorld Natural Heritage
Iriomote-jima is the largest island in the Yaeyama group at 289.62 km² and has been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site since 2021; its 2,324 people live along one coast road beside mangrove rivers and the forest home of the Iriomote cat.
Forest and mountain run almost to the shore on Iriomote, and people live on a thin strip of coast between the reef and the trees. The Urauchi and Nakama rivers push mangrove deep into the island below Komi-dake, which tops out at 469.5 m. On 26 July 2021 UNESCO inscribed the island alongside Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima and northern Okinawa as a World Natural Heritage site. Taketomi Town's own count for the end of August 2026 put the island at 2,324 people, Yubu-jima included.
Iriomote manages its visitors with written rules. Since April 2020 only guides licensed by the town may lead nature tours on land, and since 1 March 2025 five fields have daily caps under the Ecotourism Promotion Act: the Hinai River to Pinaisara Falls takes 200 people a day, the Nishida River to Sangara Falls 100, the Urauchi headwaters 50, and Komi-dake and Tedo-yama 30 each. Entry needs the town's prior approval. The two river fields admit visitors only with a registered guide, the other three also accept people who sit the town's course on the island, and the guided approval fee of ¥500 a person usually sits inside the tour price.
Everything else hangs off Route 215. Uehara has the most places to eat and the Urauchi River boats nearby. The Nakama River cruise and the steadier winter port are at Ohara on the south-east coast, and the road runs out at Shirahama in the west, where the small boat to Funauki leaves. Drive and ride slowly after dark: the Ministry of the Environment's count reached 102 traffic accidents involving the Iriomote cat since 1978, the latest on 2 August 2025 near Mihara.
Getting there
High-speed boats leave Ishigaki's island ferry terminal for two ports. Anei Kanko's winter 2026/27 timetable gives 40–45 minutes to Ohara in the south-east and 45–55 minutes to Uehara in the north, and Yaeyama Kanko Ferry runs the same pair of routes. In winter the north wind cancels the Uehara boats more often than the Ohara ones, and when that happens the ferry companies run a connecting bus from Ohara round to Uehara.
Getting around
Iriomote Kotsu runs the only public bus along Route 215, and the Taketomi Town tourism association counts four services a day; since March 2023 the bus no longer pulls into Uehara port, so you walk up to the road. Yamaneko Rent-a-car has offices in Uehara and Ohara and lets you drop a car at either, and Iriomote Rent-a-car meets the boats at Ohara. Taxis are few and need booking ahead. Funauki on the south-west coast has no road and is reached by the Funauki Kaiun boat from Shirahama.
Riding on Iriomote-jima
Prefectural Route 215 runs 54 km from Shirahama in the west, round the north and east coasts, to Haemida in the south, and no road crosses the interior or closes the loop, so every ride is an out-and-back. The island has two traffic lights, and local rental companies ask everyone on the road to keep to 'island speed' of 40 km/h or less, and 30 km/h in the villages, because the Iriomote cat crosses Route 215 day and night. The prefecture has built 83 underpasses for wildlife along the 45 km between Funaura and Maera.
December to March
The Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals for the Iriomote station at Uehara give February a mean of 19.0 °C, an average high of 21.6 °C and a mean wind of 4.6 m/s from the north-east, with about 83 hours of sunshine. That wind is the reason the Uehara boats cancel more often in winter, so build a spare day into the plan or book a room near Ohara. The Nakama River mangrove cruise and the Yubu buffalo carts run year-round, and the restricted forest fields keep their daily caps through every month.
Worth knowing
- Book a Pinaisara or Sangara tour early in your planning; once a field reaches its daily cap the town cannot approve more entries, and tours that day get cancelled.
- The Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center posts a monthly 'driving caution map' of recent cat sightings on iwcc.jp; read it before you pick up a car or bike.
- The tourism association says the old Utara coal mine boardwalk near the Urauchi bridge is closed because the timber has rotted.
- Haemida beach at the southern end of the road has no toilets or shop, so carry water and food on a ride from Ohara.
Where to base
Towns and villages on Iriomote-jima町
FAQ
Quick answers about Iriomote-jimaよくある質問
Do you need a guide to visit Pinaisara Falls?
Yes. Since 1 March 2025 the Hinai River route to Pinaisara Falls has been a restricted field capped at 200 people a day, and you may enter only with Taketomi Town's prior approval and a registered guide. The ¥500 approval fee is usually included in the tour price.
Can you drive or cycle all the way around Iriomote?
No. Prefectural Route 215 runs 54 km from Shirahama to Haemida along the north and east coasts, and no road crosses the interior or links the two ends. Every trip by car or bike on Iriomote is an out-and-back.
What is the speed limit on Iriomote?
Local rental companies ask drivers to keep to 'island speed': 40 km/h or less on Iriomote and 30 km/h in the villages. The rule protects the Iriomote cat, which records show has been hit by vehicles 102 times since 1978.
Which Iriomote port is better in winter?
Ohara. The Uehara boats run outside the reef on the north side and cancel more often in the north wind, and on those days the ferry companies send passengers to Ohara and run a connecting bus to Uehara.
How do you get to Iriomote-jima?
High-speed boats leave Ishigaki's island ferry terminal for two ports. Anei Kanko's winter 2026/27 timetable gives 40–45 minutes to Ohara in the south-east and 45–55 minutes to Uehara in the north, and Yaeyama Kanko Ferry runs the same pair of routes. In winter the north wind cancels the Uehara boats more often than the Ohara ones, and when that happens the ferry companies run a connecting bus from Ohara round to Uehara.
How big is Iriomote-jima?
Iriomote-jima covers 289.62 km² and is home to about 2,324 people.
Can you cycle on Iriomote-jima?
Prefectural Route 215 runs 54 km from Shirahama in the west, round the north and east coasts, to Haemida in the south, and no road crosses the interior or closes the loop, so every ride is an out-and-back. The island has two traffic lights, and local rental companies ask everyone on the road to keep to 'island speed' of 40 km/h or less, and 30 km/h in the villages, because the Iriomote cat crosses Route 215 day and night. The prefecture has built 83 underpasses for wildlife along the 45 km between Funaura and Maera.
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