Iriomote Island, Ryukyu Islands

Iriomote island is located in the Yaeyama islands, in the Ryūkyū Shotō (The Southern Half) of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It is the largest of the Yaeyama ialnds and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa island itself.

Around a third of the island is designated as the Iriomote National Park the only national park in all of Okinawa. The park's most famous resident is the nocturnal and rarely seen, Iriomote wildcat, an endangered creature found only on this island. The Iriomote Wildlife Center, on the east side of the island, provides information on Iriomote wildlife including the Yamaneko wild cat.

The most popular activity on the island is a cruise up the Urauchi river. At the end of the 8km cruise you can disembark at Gunkan-iwa Rock and trek for half an hour through the jungle down a well-trod path to a viewing pavilion with views of the Mariyudu Waterfalls. Snorkeling, scuba diving and canoeing are also popular activities on the island.

Things to See & Do

* Iriomote National Park
* Iriomote Wildlife Center
* Cruise up the Urauchi River
* Mariyudu Waterfalls
* Snorkeling & scuba diving

General information

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Yen (JPY)
Language - Ryukyuan languages
Population - 2,000 approx
Land Area - 289 km2
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus nine hours
International Country Telephone Code - +81

Port Location - The main port on the island is located at Ohara, on the east coast.

Travel Links - Visitors can access the island by ferry from Ishigaki. Two ports on the island have services from Ishigaki, operated by Anei Kankō and Yaeyama Kankō Ferry and Ishigaki Dream Kankō Ferry.