Okinawa's Smaller Islands: Kerama, Kudaka and Beyond

Explera DMC Japan recommends the Kerama Islands and Kudaka Island as the easiest smaller Okinawan islands for groups. Both are reached by ferry from the main island in under an hour. Okinawa is promoting 15 such islands until February 2027, but ferry capacity and weather decide what is possible, so we plan them as day trips with a fallback.

The Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau, working with The Pokémon Company, launched a campaign on 1 October 2026 that gives visitors a sticker of Growlithe, Okinawa's support Pokémon, on each of 15 islands around the main island, nine of them new to the campaign. It runs until the end of February 2027, or until stickers run out. Visitors show identification and proof that they arrived on the island within the past week.

Which islands are in the campaign?

The 15 are Iheya, Noho, Izena, Ie, Minna, Tsuken, Kudaka, Aguni, Tonaki, Zamami, Aka, Geruma, Tokashiki, Kita-Daito and Minami-Daito. They range from islands a short ferry ride from the main island to the Daito Islands far out in the Pacific, reached by air. For most groups only a few are practical in a day.

Which islands suit groups?

• The Kerama Islands. Zamami, Aka, Geruma and Tokashiki form part of Kerama Shoto National Park, designated in 2014. Japan's Ministry of the Environment gives a high-speed ferry time of about 35 to 50 minutes from Tomari Port in Naha. Snorkelling, beaches and, in winter, whale watching are the draw.
• Kudaka Island. A small, flat island off the south-east coast of the main island, regarded in Okinawan tradition as sacred. Ferries leave from Azama Port in Nanjo, and the crossing takes roughly 15 to 25 minutes depending on the boat. Some sacred sites are closed to visitors, and we brief clients on what not to enter.
• The rest. Islands such as Ie or Iheya work for smaller groups with more time; the Daito Islands need flights and an overnight.

What to plan for

Ferry seats are limited and sell out at weekends and in summer, so we book group space early and keep the return on an earlier sailing than the last one. Typhoons and strong wind can cancel ferries, especially from summer to autumn, so every island day has a main-island alternative. Island facilities are small: few restaurants, limited toilets and little transport, which we arrange in advance. See our Okinawa beach and diving guide, our Ishigaki and Yaeyama guide and our Miyakojima guide.

Sources: Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau campaign page (Japanese) and Ministry of the Environment: Kerama Shoto National Park.