Miyagi-jima
宮城島Naagushiku26°22′ N 127°59′ ECentral Okinawafarm plateaucliffssalt
Miyagi-jima is the highest of the Kaichu Doro islands in Uruma: its 5.54 km² of farm plateau rise to 121.4 m, and bridges link it to Henza and Ikei. About 635 people live in its four villages, and the Nuchima-su salt factory and the Kafu Banta cliff lookout bring most visitors.
Photo Kugel~commonswiki · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Most of Miyagi is a flat-topped plateau about 100 m above the sea, squared off by land improvement for sugarcane and purple sweet potato. The four villages keep to the edges of the plateau, with Tobaru alone on the low ground to the south. A 17 m bridge has joined the island to Henza since 1973, and the Ikei Ohashi has led on to Ikei since March 1982. Before then a five-tonne boat ran from Ikemi to Yakena.
Miyagi said no to the oil industry more than once. In 1967 Gulf Oil planned a terminal here and a refinery on Ikei, and the island split so badly over it that the dispute turned violent before the company moved to Henza. Islanders later blocked an Arabian Oil plan in 1971 and a resort scheme in 1989.
People lived on the plateau about 3,000 years ago, and digs at the Shinugu-do site near the centre of the island found 42 pit dwellings and the bones of boar and dugong. On the east coast the Nuchima-su factory makes salt with a patented method that crystallizes sprayed seawater in the air at room temperature, and its free tour shows the salt piling up like snow. The Kafu Banta lookout sits on the cliff edge in the factory grounds, and Uruma's tourism association counts it among the islands' great views.
Getting there
Cross the Kaichu Doro to Henza, then follow the road north over reclaimed land and the 17 m Tobaru Bridge onto Miyagi. The 198 m Ikei Ohashi carries on from Miyagi's north-east corner to Ikei. Uruma City's paid local bus runs out to the islands from the Yakena area.
Getting around
A car or a bike is the way to get between the four villages, which sit apart from each other around the edge of the plateau.
Riding on Miyagi-jima
Miyagi carries the climbing on the Kaichu Doro islands. Its western plateau sits about 100 m above the sea and peaks at 121.4 m at Hiitaki, and the roads onto it climb from the coast villages. The Nuchima-su salt factory and its Kafu Banta lookout sit on the east coast, and they make a natural stop on the way to Ikei.
Sea Kayak Okinawa Kamome no Jonathan rents cross bikes and e-bikes from its Kaichu Doro boathouse opposite Umino Eki Ayahashi-kan; see the Henza page for prices.
December to March
From December to March the north-east monsoon blows hard over the plateau and the cliff-top lookout at Kafu Banta. Sea temperatures sit at about 21–23 °C. The Nuchima-su salt factory opens every day of the year.
Worth knowing
- Kafu Banta looks east over the Pacific, so the light is best early, and Uruma's tourism association promotes these islands for sunrise.
- Nuchima-su has a shop on the ground floor and a café and restaurant upstairs, so the factory doubles as a lunch stop on the ride to Ikei.
- The channel between Miyagi and Ikei, called Fuukijiru, runs with strong currents.
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FAQ
Quick answers about Miyagi-jimaよくある質問
How do you get to Miyagi Island in Okinawa?
By road. Miyagi-jima in Uruma joins Henza by the 17 m Tobaru Bridge, and Henza joins the Okinawa main island by the 4.75 km Kaichu Doro. The Ikei Ohashi continues from Miyagi to Ikei.
What is Miyagi Island known for?
Miyagi-jima is known for the Nuchima-su salt factory and the Kafu Banta lookout on its east-coast cliffs. The factory opens every day and runs free guided tours, and the rest of the island is farmland on a plateau about 100 m up.
Is Miyagi Island hilly for cycling?
Yes, by the standards of the Kaichu Doro islands. Miyagi's plateau sits about 100 m up and peaks at 121.4 m at Hiitaki, so it has the most climbing of the four islands on the road loop.
How big is Miyagi-jima?
Miyagi-jima covers 5.54 km² and is home to about 635 people.
Can you cycle on Miyagi-jima?
Miyagi carries the climbing on the Kaichu Doro islands. Its western plateau sits about 100 m above the sea and peaks at 121.4 m at Hiitaki, and the roads onto it climb from the coast villages. The Nuchima-su salt factory and its Kafu Banta lookout sit on the east coast, and they make a natural stop on the way to Ikei.
What is Miyagi-jima like in winter?
From December to March the north-east monsoon blows hard over the plateau and the cliff-top lookout at Kafu Banta. Sea temperatures sit at about 21–23 °C. The Nuchima-su salt factory opens every day of the year.
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