How Do You Get to Miyakojima and Around Its Bridged Islands?

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors who want to know how to reach Miyakojima and how to move between its small islands. It covers flights, the bridges to the nearby islands, the one island you can only reach by boat, and what to expect from buses and taxis.

We used the official Okinawa travel site run by the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB) and the website of Miyakojima City. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Timetables and routes change, so check with the airline or operator before you travel.

Where Miyakojima is

Miyako Island lies about 300 kilometers southwest of Naha, roughly halfway between Taiwan and the main island of Okinawa. Miyakojima City says the city is made up of six islands: Miyako, Ikema, Kurima, Irabu, Shimoji and Ogami.

The city gives a total area of 204 square kilometers and a population of about 55,000. Most people live in the Hirara area. The island is mostly flat, with no large rivers, and most of the water people use comes from groundwater.

Flying in

OCVB says Miyako Island is only accessible by plane. The flight from Naha on the main island of Okinawa takes around 45 minutes. One OCVB page gives "around 50 minutes" instead, so plan for 45 to 50 minutes.

There are also direct flights to Miyako Island from mainland Japan. OCVB names Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka as examples. Routes and frequency depend on the season and the airline.

A second airport sits on Shimoji Island, which is linked to Miyako Island by road through Irabu Island. OCVB says a limited number of domestic and international flights land there, including international flights from certain Asian cities.

The bridges

Four of the islands around Miyako Island are joined to it by bridges. That means you can drive to them in a normal day, without booking any boat.

• Irabu Bridge. It runs from Miyako Island to Irabu Island. OCVB gives its length as 3,540 meters and says it opened in 2015. It is described as the longest toll-free bridge in Japan. There is a place on the bridge where drivers can pull over to take pictures.
• Shimoji Island. Several smaller bridges connect Irabu Island and Shimoji Island. There are no ferry routes to either island.
• Ikema Bridge. This bridge is about 1.5 kilometers long and connects the northeast cape of Miyako Island with Ikema Island. OCVB says Ikema is about a 30-minute drive from Miyako Island.
• Kurima Bridge. It starts just south of Yonaha Maehama Beach and leads to Kurima Island. Kurima has no direct flights or ferries, so the bridge is the only way in.

Ogami Island: by boat only

Ogami is the one island in the group that is not connected by a bridge. OCVB says boats leave from Shimajiri Port on Miyako Island four times a day, and the crossing takes around 15 minutes.

Ogami is mainly a day trip, so check the boat schedule and leave plenty of time for the last boat back. The island is a deeply spiritual place. Take your rubbish with you, and do not enter sacred sites without permission. Some parts of the island are closed on the days of traditional ceremonies.

Getting around once you land

OCVB suggests rental cars, motorcycles and bicycles as good ways to explore Okinawa's remote islands at your own pace. It says there are many rental companies and advises reserving online or in advance.

For a sense of distance, OCVB says a drive between Nishi-Hennazaki and Higashi-Hennazaki, the two capes furthest apart, takes around 45 minutes. Miyako Island itself covers 159.26 square kilometers.

Taxis are plentiful in Okinawa's cities, but OCVB warns that availability is limited on remote islands. It asks visitors to confirm in advance. Some remote islands have bus services, but OCVB says availability varies by location.

Most dive shops are on Miyako Island and run their tours from Hirara Port, according to OCVB. A few dive shops are on Irabu Island.

When typhoons come

OCVB's typhoon page says flights to and from Okinawa may be cancelled during a typhoon. It also warns that bridges and highways may become inaccessible.

The page advises arriving at your accommodation early, before the typhoon hits. If your return flight is cancelled, arrange somewhere to stay quickly. Typhoons mainly affect Okinawa from June to September.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Flight times and fares for each route. Check with the airline.
• Bus timetables and fares on Miyako Island. The pages we read did not list them.
• Which international routes currently fly to Shimoji Island, and how often.
• The boat timetable to Ogami Island beyond "four times a day".
• Whether bridges close at a set wind speed. The pages we read only said they "may become inaccessible".

Related guides

• What are Miyakojima's beaches like, and where can you safely swim?
• How do you stay safe in the sea and in typhoons around Miyakojima?

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Miyako Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN (Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau) — (location; flights; Irabu Bridge; Ikema and Kurima bridges; cape-to-cape drive; Shimoji airport)
2. Irabu Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (bridge opened 2015; no ferry routes; dive shops)
3. Shimoji Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (airport; no ferry routes)
4. Ikema Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (Ikema Bridge about 1.5 km; 30-minute drive)
5. Kurima Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (no direct flights or ferries)
6. Ogami Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (boat only; four departures a day; about 15 minutes; local rules)
7. Getting Around Okinawa - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (rental cars; taxis and buses on remote islands)
8. Typhoon Precautions in Okinawa - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (flight cancellations; bridges may become inaccessible)
9. Outline of Miyakojima City (Miyakojima City, in Japanese) — (six islands; area; population; groundwater)