# Yonaguni Island

> Japan's westernmost inhabited island, 111 km from Taiwan, with sea cliffs, free-roaming Yonaguni horses and a disputed underwater rock formation. RAC flies small propeller planes in from Ishigaki and Naha; the ferry from Ishigaki sails twice a week and takes about 4 hours.

- Prefecture: Okinawa
- Type: Island
- Address: Yonaguni, Okinawa, Japan
- Official site: https://welcome-yonaguni.jp/

Yonaguni is as far west as Japan goes. Irizaki, the cape at the island's western tip, has the monument to Japan's westernmost point, a lighthouse and a lookout where the country's last sunset is watched. Strictly, the record moved in 2019 to Tuishi, a rock just offshore. Taiwan is 111 km away, and in good conditions its outline can show on the horizon; the tourism association only says this happens sometimes, so do not plan a trip around it. At the eastern end, Agarizaki rises about 100 m from the sea, and the pasture around it belongs to Yonaguni horses, a small native breed. They graze by the road and walk across it. Off the south coast near Arakawabana is the underwater formation divers call Iseki Point, found by a local diver in 1986: huge stepped terraces of rock. The diver who found it and a University of the Ryukyus geologist argue that people shaped it; most geologists and archaeologists read it as natural fracturing, and Okinawa Prefecture has not recognized it as an archaeological site. You see it on a boat dive or from the Jack's Dolphin semi-submersible out of Kubura port (7,000 yen for adults, at least 5 adults to sail, cash only). Practical warnings: the island has about 1,700 people, no convenience store and one clinic, and supplies stall when bad weather stops the boats. Bring cash from Ishigaki; the ferry, the semi-submersible and the dive shop all want it. Rooms are limited to a few hotels, inns and guesthouses, so book a bed before anything else.

## FAQ

### Should I fly or take the ferry to Yonaguni?

Most visitors fly. RAC had three flights a day each way from Ishigaki and two from Naha as of March 2026. The ferry from Ishigaki runs only twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays at 10:00, about 4 hours, 3,610 yen one way at February 2026 fares), sells tickets on the day for cash only, and is cancelled when the sea is rough, so it suits flexible travellers more than tight schedules.

### Can you really see Taiwan from Yonaguni?

Sometimes. Taiwan is 111 km away, and in good conditions its outline can show on the horizon from Irizaki. The tourism association does not promise more than that, and most days it is not visible, so treat it as a bonus.

### Is the Yonaguni underwater formation man-made, and can non-divers see it?

That is disputed. Its discoverer and a University of the Ryukyus geologist argue it was shaped by people; most geologists and archaeologists consider it natural, and Okinawa Prefecture has not recognized it as an archaeological site. Non-divers can view it from the Jack's Dolphin semi-submersible from Kubura port (7,000 yen for adults, at least 5 adults, cash only), though from June to September south winds can keep the boat on the north side instead.

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Source: Yonaguni Island — Japan Voyage