Three small islands in Japan for your next getaway

Japan’s 6,852 isles are why the country is called a shima-guni, or island nation. The concept of an “island nation,” which underlines the sense of relative isolation, seems to be the go-to word to explain anything that feels uniquely Japanese and out of the norm for most foreigners.

The sense of isolation and unique culture becomes even more evident as one leaves Japan’s four main islands hosting most of its population—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu—and sails away to one of the hundreds of small inhabited islands.

Here are just three of those islands that feel worlds away and will lure you into their extraordinary and alluring world with open blue waters, cultural splendors and charming hospitality.

Tokashiki Island is my favorite summer getaway in Japan, and I visit every summer. It can be reached by a 35-minute long ferry ride from Naha, the capital city of Okinawa, but despite its proximity to Okinawa’s main island, Tokashiki feels relatively secluded. You can often have some of the beaches to yourself early in the morning.

The island is part of the chain of islands known as the Kerama Islands. It’s difficult to describe the beauty and near-transparency of the waters surrounding the group of more than 20 islands (only four are inhabited), so the locals call it “Kerama blue.”

The main spots on Tokashiki Island are Tokashiki Village, where the main ferry port is located, and Aharen Beach, the busiest beach on the island thanks to several sports centers and restaurants. As someone more interested in just swimming or reading on the beach instead of water sports, I often skip Aharen Beach and spend most of my days on the more secluded Tokashiku Beach, which is a prime to spot sea turtles.

Since there is only one place for lunch selling bento boxes, most people bring food and drinks to make a day out of it, either right on the beach or under the shade of free-to-use huts.

Aharen Beach area and Tokashiki Village are where most of the island’s minshuku (Japanese-style bed and breakfast) are. I always stay at Kerama Backpackers in Tokashiki Village. It offers private and dorm-style rooms and a free shuttle to the island’s popular beaches.