in a small space.
We’ll first outline the islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago, including all the inhabited ones, from north to south, then discuss them in more depth in the chapters that follow.
THE RYUKYU ARCHIPELAGO
The Ryukyu Archipelago is a 684-mile (1,100-kilometer)-long chain of approximately 150 islands divided in two halves: the Satsunanshotō and the Ryukyu-shotō. The Satsunans are further divided into three lesser chains, the Ōsumi, Tokara and Amami Islands, while the Ryukyus are divided into five minor archipelagos, the Okinawa, Miyako, Yaeyama, Daito and Senkaku Island groups.
Every several minutes, ferries shuttle across Kagoshima Bay to Sakurajima volcano.
Satsunan Shoto
The northern half of the Ryukyus is part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The Satsunans include the three island groups of Ōsumi, Tokara and Amami.
Ryukyu Shoto
The southern half of the Ryukyu Island Archipelago, which constitutes Okinawa Prefecture, is usually divided into the three major north–south groups of Okinawa Shotō, the Miyakos and the Yaeyama Islands, plus the more distant Daitō and Senkaku Island groups.
Getting around
Many of the inhabited Ryukyus have airports, or at least an airstrip. For the northern group, the Satsunans, most air services originate from Kagoshima, although there are also some flights to and from Fukuoka. There is also occasional service to some islands from Osaka and Tokyo, but not much and not often. In the south, in the Ryukyu group, almost all air services start or end at Okinawa. Most local flights in the islands are handled by Japan Transocean Air (JTA) and its subsidiary Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC), both owned by Japan Air Lines (JAL). All Nippon Airlines (ANA) also has several subsidiary carriers, including Air Next (AN) and Air Nippon (ANK), which offer flights from Naha out to a number of islands.
Other than from the hubs of Kagoshima and Naha, however, there is very limited (or no) air service from one island to another. In other words, if you wish to fly, for example, from Yoron-tō to Amami, you might have to fly first to Naha, then to Amami; or first to Naha, then to Kagoshima and then to Amami, or maybe even from Yoron to Naha, from there to Tokyo, then to Amami, direct or through Kagoshima. Similarly, flying from Tokyo to Ishigaki would usually mean flying from Tokyo to Naha, then taking a local flight to Ishigaki. In fact, because Ishigaki happens to be a particularly popular place, there are some direct flights to there from Tokyo but that’s not usually the case with most islands.
The “A” Line’s Akebono
Both the “A” and “Marix” Lines sail daily from Okinawa’s Naha and Motobu ports to the Amami Islands and on to Kagoshima on the Japanese mainland. As it takes twelve hours from Naha to reach Amami-Ōshima and then another twelve to reach Kagoshima, a total of four ships alternate on the route so that all islands are served twice daily, one from the north and one from the south. The service is 24/7/365 and only interrupted in the event of typhoons or other severe inclement weather.
Why Some Islands Are Uninhabited
Although many of the inhabited Ryukyu are very small, sometimes only 2–3 miles (4–5 kilometers) or less in diameter, they are for the most part arable and suitable for cultivation and habitation, although adequate fresh water supplies are always a challenge. In general, uninhabited islands are uninhabited for a reason: they are either too small, too lowlying, too rocky or possess no fresh water—or all of the above.
Traditional Okinawan Houses
A classic Okinawan house is usually encircled by a coral stone wall or fugaki trees for protection against winds and typhoon damage. It has a ceramic tiled roof often sporting a shīsā dog and is raised off the ground on stones for to guard against dampness and insects. It is surrounded by an overhanging roof supported by wooden pillars for shade protection from the sun and for air circulation. It’s a structure that’s been completely adapted over the centuries to perfectly fit into its environment.
The Shīsā Lion Dog (シーサー)
Symbol of Okinawa, good luck charm of the Ryukyu kingdom and defender of the home from evil spirits, shīsā originated in the early blend of Chinese and Ryukyuan cultures. They’re placed at the entrance of homes, shrines and graves and on rooftops. Often set in pairs, the one with the open mouth summons good fortune, the one with the closed mouth prevents its escape. Together they keep evil from coming into the house.
One thing that’s definitely not possible by air, unless you pilot or charter your own plane, is island hopping in a straight line from one island to another. For that, you’re going to have to get your feet wet, figuratively, not literally. In other words, to island hop, you’ll have to take an ocean cruise or, more precisely, one of the many sea ferry voyages that run throughout the Ryukyus.
Don’t worry, for this is no hardship and is indeed a great way to meet the people of the Ryukyus and discover their wonderful way of life. Although any sailing will take longer than an air flight, the opportunity to live life as the people who live here do will be un-surpassed and worth every minute of your time. One final consideration: in many cases, you’ve got no choice but to sail. There are no airports and thus no flights to many of the Ryukyu Islands. So, for example, if you wish to navigate and explore the Amazon of Japan, the Urauchi-gawa, the longest river in Okinawa, on Iriomotejima Island, then you’ll have to take a local ferry from Ishigaki. There’s simply no other way to get there.
Every day throughout the year in the Ryukyus there are scores of ships shuttling around from one island to another. Carrying `assengers and hauling vehicles and freight, the Japanese ferry service is the lifeline of the Nansei-shotō. Short distances, under an hour or two, are handled by local ferries. Generally, these are small ships, under 50–60 feet (15–20 meters) in length. For islands further than two, three or four hours sailing time from Kagoshima or Okinawa, larger ships of 330 feet (100 meters) and more, are used. As for the expense, naturally the longer the sailing distance, the more remote the island, the less frequent and more expensive the ferry service will be. Ferries are not inexpensive but they can sometimes be a good deal less than airfares to the same destinations.
As a very rough approximation of fares, a journey of an hour will cost around $10–$15. A longer trip of two hours will run to $25. A four–six hour sailing will set you back about $50–$75, and an overnight journey will cost around $100–$125. Halve those numbers for your bicycle, if you bring one. Figure about the same amount as the passenger fare for a motorcycle, and double those numbers for your car
Cafeteria on the ferry “Akebono.”
Welcome aboard an “A” Line ferry!
Larger ships used for longer sailings always have a cafeteria on board. By and large, the food is good and not unreasonably priced. For trips over twelve hours, more
