TripAdvisor: most beautiful beach in Japan in 2017. A rescue post only since 2019.
On the southernmost inhabited island in Japan, a kilometre of dazzling white sand looks out on an emerald-coloured sea that people here call ‘Hateruma Blue’. In the local dialect ‘Nishi’ means ‘north’ (not ‘west’, although the most common spelling is misleading): the beach does in fact lie north of the port. It is among the most photographed in the Yaeyama Islands, but it has no permanent lifeguards: since May 2019 there has only been a seasonal rescue post, after a series of drownings recorded since 2006.
A beach on the north side of Hateruma Island, the southernmost inhabited point in Japan, in the Yaeyama archipelago. It can only be reached by ferry from Ishigaki (about 90 minutes, a route subject to frequent cancellations in rough seas). There are no shops on the beach itself; it has showers, toilets and benches.
ℹ️ ⚠️ It is not a permanently supervised bathing area and has no regular lifeguards: a seasonal rescue post has only been active since May 2019, after several drowning incidents documented since 2006 (source: Japanese Wikipedia, with notes). Anei Kanko ferry from Ishigaki: about 90 minutes, the only company on the route, adult fare ¥4,990 one way as of May 2026 (official source not reopened for the most recent fare: the figure comes from cross-checked research, not from the carrier's official page). ⚠️ The route has a high cancellation rate in rough seas: check it on the day.
🚉 波照間港 · 9 min walk
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