Winter in warm, southern Okinawa actually brings many cloudy days.
We took a day trip to Zamami Island, described as about two and a half hours by ferry or roughly 50 minutes by high-speed boat from Naha.
The sky had looked fine the day before. By the time we reached Tomarin port, a typhoon had developed nearby and most sailings were suspended.
Only the 9 a.m. high-speed departure to Zamami was running, with its return canceled. The regular ferry had just one sailing. Our plan therefore became the 9 a.m. high-speed trip out and the 12:30 p.m. ferry back.
A ‘day trip,’ but only around two hours on the island.
The regular ferry can carry vehicles, including rental cars where permitted by the operator and rental agreement.
We boarded the high-speed Queen Zamami.
Leaving at 9 a.m., we arrived at about 10 a.m.
Zamami sits around 40 km west of Naha, in the central part of Keramashoto National Park.
It is the principal island of Zamami Village and, though small, has the village office.
The account notes Zamami’s two-star recognition in the 2009 Michelin Green Guide Japan, and the 2014 designation of Keramashoto National Park, separately from Okinawa Kaigan Quasi-National Park. Overseas visitor numbers are described as increasing afterward, with diving and snorkeling particularly well known.
On May 2, 2021, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay took place on the water off Kozamami Beach using a sabani, a traditional Okinawan boat.
Several observation points around the island offer beautiful views.
The island also carries painful memories of the Battle of Okinawa. The source describes it as the first island where U.S. forces landed; that historical superlative is the original account’s claim and has not been independently verified here.
Our first stop is a vehicle-rental shop.
We would normally have brought our car, but without the outbound regular ferry we need transport on the island.
Cars and motorbikes are available. To move quickly, we choose a rental motorbike.
After about 20 minutes, we reach remote Ino Beach.
The source explains ‘ino’ as an Okinawan word for a shallow, sheltered sea enclosed by coral.
Fish, shellfish and seaweed live here, making it one of Zamami’s nature-rich coastal spots.
We move on to Takatsukiyama Observatory.
The source describes Takatsukiyama as a 137-meter-high viewpoint in southern Zamami and one of Kerama’s finest scenic points. From the observation park, you can see the village, Kozamami Beach and Kerama’s islands, with Aguni, Tonaki and Kume visible in good weather.
At Unajinosachi Observatory on Zamami’s western end, a walking path leads to the lookout.
Walking along the cliff feels dramatic, with waves breaking around it. The sea breeze accompanies the roughly three-minute walk to the viewpoint.
It offers dynamic landforms and a wide horizon, and is also known for sunset views.
Inazaki Observatory faces north. The source names distant islands as ‘Gikijima’ and Kumejima; the first name’s transcription is unclear and has not been replaced with a guessed island.
Unlike the sheltered inner sea south of Zamami, this view takes in ocean swells crashing against the cliffs.
During winter whale-watching season, this lookout is used to search for whales and radio their position to boats, giving it the nickname ‘Whale Observatory.’
Our final stop is Chishi Observatory, described in the source as the closest of these lookouts to Zamami port.
The lookout takes in rugged cliffs and the horizon, around ten minutes on foot from Asa Village.
On a clear day, the original says you can see an island transcribed as ‘Awakuni’ across the sea; its exact identity is not confirmed here.
Rough rock and the exceptionally clear ‘Kerama blue’ water create a striking landscape.
After only about two hours of looking around, we leave Zamami for Tomari port.
You might wonder whether the island is worth visiting after seeing it in poor weather. The following marine-activity photographs show the Kerama Islands on a clear day, rather than conditions during this typhoon-affected visit.
I would like to try Zamami again on a bright day, when Okinawa can look this beautiful.
Zamami Village (座間味村)
Address: Zamami, Zamami Village, Shimajiri District, Okinawa
Phone: 098-987-2311 (village office)