Hoshizuna beach
Hoshizuna is a small but unique beach on the northern edge of Iriomote. This heavenly beach area is located between two coastal villages - Nakano and Sumiyoshi, and the best way to get there is from the Uehara port. Even though it's a pretty well-known and popular place, it's almost never crowded here.
Photos
Beach description
Hoshizuna translates to "sandy starry beach". That's because the powder-like white sand is the remains of sea dwellers mixed with coral. If you look closely, you can see tiny 1 mm stars. These are the remains of exoskeletons of beached sea creatures. They make up the famous "starry sand" of the beach. According to local legends, these are the remains of actual stars that were swallowed by a sea serpent.
Hoshizuna Beach isn't very suitable for shallow-water swimming, but it's worth visiting for the unique sand alone. Merchants selling containers with sand as souvenirs can be encountered on the coast. Small stone islands near the shore covered in greenery add more attractiveness to the beach and make perfect places for photo shoots.
When is the best time to go?
If in the north of Japan, in Hokkaido, the weather in January-February is quite wintery, in the southern islands the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees even in the cold season. In summer, the rainy season comes in Japan, when the humidity becomes almost one hundred percent, and the thermometer is at 30 to 40 degrees. Therefore, the best time to travel to Japan – is late spring or early autumn.