Shima no Oyado Hatake no Mae

Hatake no Mae means 'in front of the field', and the six private rooms sit by the fields on Hateruma, which is Japan's southernmost inhabited island. The owners are upfront that the soundproofing between rooms is a little weak. Guests share a TV lounge that the owners call the *yuntaku* space, and there's a coin laundry. Stays are room only.

An electric bicycle costs ¥1,500 and keeps until 9:00 the next morning, which covers an afternoon lap and a night ride out to look at the stars. The pickup from the port takes five minutes; phone with your sailing and again when you board at Ishigaki. The high-speed boat takes about 90 minutes, and winter swell can cancel sailings.