A Day Around the Beautiful Kouri Island!
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CONTENTS
Located on the North East Coast of Okinawa, Kouri Island is a small but breathtaking island that is only 8km long and takes around 15 minutes to drive around! But while it takes a short while to drive around, it has enough charms to keep you busy for a whole day!
Ever Heard of Kouri Island?
An azure sea, abundant nature,
Beautiful starry sky, warm local residents.
Tradition, history, culture.
A miracle island that has all the charms of Okinawa – Kouri Island.
Kouri Island is located on the north coast of Okinawa, and the 1,560-meter-long Kouri Bridge connects the island to the mainland.
The island is only 8 kilometers in circumference and can be circled in just 15 minutes by car. But this little island has a lot of charm, enough to keep you for a whole day!
How to arrange a romantic one-day trip to Kouri Island, which is known as the "Island of Love"?
Crossing to a marvellous new world – Going across the Kouri Bridge!
Departure from 10:00AM!
1 Kouri Ocean Tower
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2 Shrimp Wagon
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3 Heart Rock & Tokei Bay
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4 Chigune Bay/ Adam and Eve Rock
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5 Muranochaya (Mura Cafe)
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6 Kouri Beach / Kouri Night Festival
A Full Map of the Romantic Tour of Kouri Island
①Kouri Ocean Tower
First stop: Kouri Ocean Tower
A white observation tower with an altitude of 82m where you can see a 180-degree view of the sea. Here you can try and see the vast amount of different blues in the surrounding perfect ocean.
There is also a shell exhibition hall and a sea view restaurant in the tower, and a bell that you can ring on the roof deck to bring happiness!
Kouri Ocean Tower
Opening hours:9:00 – 18:00
(Last entry 17:30. In summer time it is possible to enter until 18:00)
Holidays:open all year round (temporary closure in case of typhoon or other bad weather)
Parking lot:140 spaces (No.1, No.2, No.3)
*There are 10 parking spaces available for buses
Address:538 Kouri, Nakijin-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa Prefecture
TEL：0980-56-1616
E-mail address: kouri-info@kouri-oceantower.com
②Shrimp Wagon
Second stop: Shrimp Wagon
This super popular shrimp and shrimp rice place is somewhere on Kouri Island that you need to go to!
The succulent shrimp are served with garlic rice, which will make your mouth water as soon as you get just a little bit close to this this shop.
Shop Name: Shrimp Wagon Yanbaru Kitchen
Address: 436-1, Kouri, Nakijin-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, Japan.
Open hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-17:00
Tel: 0980-56-1242
Payment: Cash
Parking: Free of charge
③Heart Rock & Tokei Bay
Third stop: Heart Rock & Tokei Bay
After being made famous by JAL Japan Airlines and a Japanese idol group filming at the location, this beautiful hidden place became an instantly famous attraction. This part of the island and its two heart-shaped rocks are the main attractions of the island at the current moment.
Heart-shaped rock & トケイ浜
Address / 2371 Kouri, Nakijin, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 905-0406
Heart Rock
Also, if you not a big fan of crowds, we recommend you to go to the nearby Tokei Bay Beach, which is in the northernmost part of Kouri Island.
The shells and reefs form a soft sandy beach, and as you walk it will feel like you're floating on air. There are also naturally formed portholes that you can look out and view the ocean!
④ Chigune Bay/ Adam and Eve Rock
Fourth stop: Chigunu Bay チグヌ浜
This bay is a place that not many tourists will come but is well known with the locals. A legend similar to the Adam and Eve story can be found about this location. The origin of the Okinawa Ryukyu people can be said to have started from here. The mysterious cave is called the "Cave of Origins".
Because there is no parking lot here, it is recommended to park your car at Kouri Beach and then walk here.
⑤ Muranochaya (Mura Cafe)
Fifth stop: Mura Cafe むらの茶屋
You can't miss the fresh sea urchins when you come to Kouri Island!
Although the cafe is not on the beach, the advantage of being at such a height means you can overlook the entire Kouri Island Bridge from the window.
Of course, sea urchins there are also fresh! Those who dare not eat sea urchins, can also choose Okinawan food thats found there.
Beautiful scenery with food, is there anything more healing than this?
むらの茶屋
Business hours / 11:00 ~ 18:00
Holiday/Wednesday
Address/1087 Kouri, Nakijin, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-0406
⑥Kouri Beach・Kouri Island Night Festival
Last stop: Kouri Beach / Kouri Island Night Festival
After having your fill on amazing seafood, the twilight will start to rise, bringing an end to the day.
So what other way to finish the day is there, other than going to Kouri Beach next to the Kouri Bridge to watch the Sunset.
The welcoming white sands and soothing soft waves that crash gently on the beach create a sense of time stopping still, bringing an amazing day to a close.
A perfect sunset to end the day
As the night gets darker, there is still time for a few more things.
Look up to the starry sky, and feel the summer breeze, and see the clearest night sky you probably would ever see.
This island is truly one of the most romantic places to be on!
Starry night sky seen on Kouri Island
Kouri Island Night Festival 2019
Beginning in the summer of 2018, a group of Okinawa university students statrted holding a night festival on Kouri Island. Since most of the tourists only travel to Kouri Island during the day, the island's night time economy has faced a big problem. Many tourist visit islands such as Kouri, however they often just stop to take pictures and then leave, with no money flowing into local economy.
Therefore, college students have independently initiated various activities, hoping to improve the local tourism situation and let more people know the beauty of Kouri Island which the students have come to deeply love.
Okinawa College Students holding cleaning events!
In order to successfully hold the Kouri Island Night Festival 2019, with the support of the local residents and using Japankuru Funding, the students are holding a crowdfunding project to raise the funds to carry out this festival! If you are planning to travel to Okinawa, you may wish to join us!
Festival Information
Kouri Island Night Festival 2019
Date:21/9/2019 12:00～22:00
Location/Hashizume Park〒905-0406, Kouri, Nakijin, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-0406
Learn more about Kouri Island Night Festival 2019:
https://en.japankurufunding.com/projects/kourito-night-festival/
Blue sky, white beaches, and pure blue oceans! Go to Kouri Island and take a magical, romantic journey!
Hey everyone! We hope that we can help you keep up to date with all the projects and things we have going on over at Japankuru Funding! We hope that you find the projects on the site as interesting as we do!
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KYOTO
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Kyoto flourished as the capital of Japan between the years 794 and 1100, becoming a center for poilitics and culture, and to this day it's a great place for close encounters with Japanese history. The cobbled streets of Gion, the atmospheric road to Kiyomizudera Temple, Kinkakuji's golden walls and countless historic attractions, even Arashiyama's Togetsukyo Bridge―Kyoto is a place of many attractions. With new charms to experience throughout the seasons, travelers can't stop themselves from returning again and again.
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NARA
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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OSAKA
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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CHUGOKU
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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