Hateruma Island

Hateruma is as far south as you can go in Japan and still find people living. About 440 residents share 12.7 square kilometers of sugarcane, stone walls and five small villages in the middle of the island. The town says the name comes from "the coral at the edge". There are no traffic lights, no taxis and no regular buses, and the shops are small co-op stores run by each village. Nishihama, on the north coast, is a white sand beach with toilets and showers but nothing to buy. The current off it has drowned swimmers, so stay close to shore. On the opposite side, the Southernmost Point of Japan monument stands at Cape Takanazaki, on limestone cliffs with open sea beyond them. At night the island is dark enough to see the Southern Cross low on the southern horizon, from about December to June; it sits highest in the late evening around late April and early May. The star observation tower that used to run viewings is closed. The catch is the sea. The boat from Ishigaki leaves the reef near Kuroshima for open water, and cancellations were frequent before a larger boat came into service in 2017. Winter and rough weather still cancel boats often, so keep a spare day before any onward flight.