Tinu Beach is a beach on Kouri Island, a small island off Nakijin Village on the northern part of Okinawa’s main island.
It is an outlying island, but a bridge connects it to the main island, so you can drive there.
Tinu Beach is well known for Heart Rock, a heart-shaped rock formation, and it draws a steady stream of visitors.
Some people do go in the water here, but there is no shower room, so it is better thought of as a place to take in the view than to swim.
It also became more widely known after being used as a filming location for a JAL commercial featuring the idol group Arashi.
Ratings for Tinu Beach
*Ratings are the subjective assessment of the Okinawa Bookmark editor, compared with other beaches in Okinawa Prefecture.
Tinu Beach at a Glance
| Swimming season | None in particular |
| Opening hours | None in particular |
| Swimming fee | Free |
| Safety net | No |
| Lifeguard | No |
| Showers | No |
| Lockers | No |
| Equipment rental | No |
| Marine activities | No |
| Shop | Yes |
| Restrooms | Yes |
| Official website | No |
Tinu Beach has no lifeguards and no safety net, so take real care if you go into the water.
There is no shower room at Tinu Beach, so we recommend it for the scenery rather than for swimming.
The Highlights
Heart Rock
Heart Rock at Tinu Beach was formed naturally, carved by the waves over a very long stretch of time.
That it ended up in this shape is close to miraculous, and genuinely striking.
Blue Water and White Sand
The blue water and the clean white sand are both lovely.
In summer you will see people swimming in the shallows.
The beach is ringed by rock, and you take a staircase down to reach it.
A Dramatic Difference Between Low and High Tide
At low tide it looks like the photo above — the water is calm and you can see right to the base of the rocks.
At high tide the base of the rocks disappears beneath the surface.
Tides shift with the season and time of day, so it is worth checking the tide times before you visit Tinu Beach.
There Is a Shop and a Restroom
There is a shop on the way down to Tinu Beach where you can buy ice cream, drinks, and the like.
There are cafés as well, so the area is reasonably well served.
There is a restroom too.
Kouri Ohashi Bridge Is Beautiful
It has little to do with Tinu Beach itself, but Kouri Ohashi Bridge — which you cross from the main island to Kouri Island — is a remarkable sight.
Enjoy the drive, and the view from the bridge along with it.
Access and Parking
| Access | About 100 minutes by car from Naha Airport |
| Address | Kouri, Nakijin Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa |
| Parking | Yes (both paid and free) |
| Restrooms | Yes |
There are several parking areas, both paid and free.
There were a good number of spaces, so you are unlikely to be left without one.
If you want to use the free parking, it is worth going at a quieter time.
Around Tinu Beach
Kouri Beach
Kouri Beach is a genuinely lovely beach with blue water, white sand, and a view of Kouri Ohashi Bridge.
It is one of the popular beaches that draw crowds in summer — somewhere you can spend an unhurried afternoon on the sand, or swim and try marine activities.
Activities on Kouri Island
Kouri Island has plenty in the way of marine activities.
Snorkeling tours, trips around Kouri Island, SUP, jet skiing, and more.
If you would like to try something on Kouri Island, take a look at what is available on Viator or GetYourGuide.
One Suite THE TERRACE
One Suite THE TERRACE is a luxury resort hotel where every room has an ocean view.
The rooms are spacious and stylish, with a real sense of cleanliness.
Kouri Beach is about a ten-minute walk away, so if you are looking to stay on Kouri Island, One Suite THE TERRACE is worth considering.
JUNGLIA OKINAWA
JUNGLIA OKINAWA is a theme park in Nakijin Village that opened on July 25, 2025.
The site covers roughly 60 hectares, with attractions built around the wild nature of Yanbaru and a spa looking out over a remarkable view.
It is about an hour and a half by car from Naha Airport, which makes it easy to work into a day of beach-hopping on Kouri Island.
If you want more than just the sea on your trip, it is well worth a visit.
A Rental Car Is the Way to Go in Okinawa
A rental car is by far the best way to get around Okinawa’s main island.
Shuri Castle in Naha, the beautiful beaches of the north, American Village in Chatan — the places worth seeing are spread across the island, so having a car lets you explore at your own pace. Buses are infrequent and do not always run to time, so a car makes a real difference to how much you can fit in.
Cars fill up quickly in the peak season, so we recommend booking early once your travel dates are set. One important note for overseas visitors: to drive in Japan you must obtain an International Driving Permit (Geneva Convention) in your home country before you depart, and remember that traffic in Japan drives on the left.
In Closing
This guide has covered Tinu Beach.
Tinu Beach draws large numbers of visitors every year, and couples and families seem to make up most of them.
Some people swim here in summer, but with no shower room and no swimming facilities, Kouri Beach is the better choice if swimming is what you are after.
Thank you for reading to the end.
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