Yurigahama Beach
Yoron Island’s mysterious ‘phantom’ oasis.
Catch it while you can: Yurigahama is a picture-perfect beach actually disappears. But that’s all part of the allure of Japan’s most mysterious white-sand beach.
Perhaps better described as the ultimate tropical “sandbar,” Yurigahama Beach is off the coast of Yoron Island, a small island within Kagoshima Prefecture. Travelers will enjoy crystal-clear water and tons of relaxation time.
Known by locals as the “phantasmal” beach, it appears during the flow of the tide from spring to summer in a variety of shapes and locations. Because of that, the beach hours depend on the seasonal low tides. Travelers can reach the island via a small, guided cruise boat.
Photo by: Reggaeman A beach within a beach.
Yurigahama is actually a beach within a beach, as it is located 1.5 KM off the coast of Okaneku Beach. This shoreline is the largest sandy oasis on Yoron Island and travelers can partake in snorkeling and swimming there. While Okaneku will stick around, keep a watchful eye out to discover Yoron Island’s exclusive beach in the middle of the ocean.
How to see the beach
The best time to visit here is from April to September. The safest way to get out to the phantom beach is to reserve a glass boat in advance. The correct meeting time will be emailed to you the day before so you can leave for the low tide, when the beach appears. To see a schedule of the tide schedule aka when the beach is going to appear, go to the official website (Japanese only). The official tourism site also has a list of boat transportation, but since this is a remote location there may not be English support.
Topics: Beaches, Japan islands, kagoshima, summer, views in japan, Yoron Island
