Hirara

Hirara grew around the Kuramoto, which was the Shuri kingdom's office for the Miyako islands, and the islands still do their business here. The old core is five wards, and two of them, Nishizato and Shimozato, hold most of the bars and izakaya. Painagama Beach is a short walk from the centre, and the Irabu Ohashi leaves from Kugai beside the port.

Evenings run along Nishizato-dori and Shimozato-dori. Goya and Miru Taiyo put on live sanshin most nights, and THINK pours cocktails until 23:30. It is also where you meet otori. The oya makes a short speech and drinks a cup of awamori, then refills it and passes it round the table; each drinker downs it in turn until the circle closes and the next oya speaks. A 2015 Miyako Hospital study cited on Japanese Wikipedia found 75% of cirrhosis cases there linked to alcohol, so feel free to excuse yourself early.

For riders Hirara works as the hub, with the road north running past Sunayama to the Ikema Ohashi and the Irabu bridge a few minutes from the port. Breakfast starts at seven at Hisamatsu Seimenjo in Kugai, and Kikuei Shokudo near the port opens at nine.