Kouri Island
Kouri Island, A Small Island In Northern Okinawa Linked To The Main Island By A Long Low Bridge Across Clear Shallow Water, With White Beaches, A Heart Shaped Rock, A Seafood Restaurant Strip And A Cycling Loop. Easy In A Rental Car. · Nakijin, Okinawa
Kouri Island is a small island in Nakijin, northern Okinawa, reached from Yagaji Island by a long, free, low bridge of roughly 2 km that runs straight across shallow turquoise water. That drive is half the point. On the island you find a couple of pale beaches, a heart-shaped rock on the quieter shore, a small observation tower with a view over the bridge, and a short strip of shrimp and seafood restaurants. A full loop of the coast road takes about 30 minutes by car, so the island suits a half-day stop on a drive north from Naha, or a stop on the way to the Churaumi Aquarium. Locals tell a creation story about the first Okinawan couple living here, a tale repeated on signs and in gift shops. It is worth the detour on a clear day and a poor choice in rain or haze, when the sea loses its colour. Weekend afternoons bring a traffic queue on the bridge. Buses are rare, so a rental car or bike is the realistic way in.
Kouri, Nakijin, Kunigami District, Okinawa, joined to Yagaji Island by the 2 km Kouri Bridge in the north of the main island, Nakijin, Okinawa, Japan
The island is open at all times; the bridge and the coast road are public and free. Shops, shrimp restaurants and the small observation tower keep their own hours, commonly from about 10:00 to around 17:00 or 18:00, and some close one weekday or after a typhoon - confirm before a long drive. Beach areas near the bridge have showers and toilets in season. From Naha it is roughly 1.5 to 2 hours by car on the expressway and the Nakijin road; a bus is rare or very infrequent, so confirm any service in advance. Arrive before late morning to avoid the weekend queue. Bring cash for the smaller stalls and parking.