Covid-19 Summer: Island Hopping in Japan
Getting away from Tokyo was a must for me. I had to escape to the remote islands of Japan. As you may know, Japan is comprised of over 6500 islands! Many of which are uninhabited and protected by the Japanese Navy. Actually, I have a photo of the Japanese seal team training off the coast of Akashima Island, but I will not post that.
Most locals on the mainland will not know of these islands, this is because for the last 40 years the tourism industry has been pushing international travel to places like Hawaii, Bali, and Indonesia. Overall, most locals do not view Japan’s tiny little islands as precious and beautiful, they assume that they must be the same as the mainland and are therefore not worth visiting. This is a mistake, and one based solely on ignorance.
Former Governor of Tokyo Shintaro Ishihara was the most prolific political figure in Japanese history, and he was the first Japanese to promote these remotely located islands hundreds of miles from the mainland. Many to this day are still being encroached upon by the Chinese Navy along with their fishing boats and stealing resources.
The snorkeling and diving in these waters are priceless and extremely beautiful! We were the only ones there snorkeling amongst these island chains. We witnessed some of the biggest and most beautiful sea creators we had ever seen, even barricuda and a few other dangerous fish swam in these waters. We wore extra gear just to be safe. Always wear marine shoes here because the corals are razor sharp and will cut you.
Zamami Island is an hour ferry ride from Okinawa, and from there you can take a smaller boat to these remote islands. We only visited 3 islands and several small islets. If you are a good swimmer you can swim to other islands, but I highly recommend wearing lifejacket and bringing a small pocket knife to ward off spearfish or other predatory species. When you swim across to islands do not go alone and swim slowly. Wear head and rash guards to protect from jellyfish and plenty of sunscreen. Protect yourself. Ocean swimming is vastly different from swimming in a pool. I wear a sea snorkel and fins to conserve energy by just kicking my legs. My girl got bit by a coral fish on her finger.
These are virtually untouched beaches and oceans and there are NO life guards. I recommend a one week trip here because you will be spending so much time swimming and snorkeling. We snorkeled 3 times a day everyday and I got an ear infection. Still so beautiful the things I saw I had to go back into the water again.
