Janedo Beach is a stretch of shore on Yabuchi Island, in Uruma City in the central part of Okinawa’s main island.
Yabuchi Island is an uninhabited island off the northern side of the Katsuren Peninsula, connected to the mainland by the Yabuchi Ohashi Bridge, so you can drive across.
Janedo Beach is the shore that opens up in front of the Yabuchi Cave Site, also known as Janedo, in the south-east of the island.
Being a beach on an uninhabited island, there is no shop and no restroom, just sand, rocks and quiet water. The nature here is completely untouched, which makes it a hidden gem in the truest sense.
Ratings for Janedo Beach
*Ratings are the subjective view of the Okinawa Bookmark editor, compared with other beaches in the prefecture
Janedo Beach at a glance
| Swimming season | Year-round (no designated swimming area) |
| Hours | None in particular |
| Swimming fee | Free |
| Jellyfish net | None |
| Lifeguard | None |
| Showers | None |
| Lockers | None |
| Swim gear rental | None |
| Activities | None |
| Shop | None |
| Restroom | None |
| Official website | None |
Janedo Beach is a natural shore on an uninhabited island, with no facilities whatsoever.
Bring everything you need, including drinks, something for shade and a rubbish bag.
Highlights
A shore on Yabuchi Island, an uninhabited island you can drive to
Yabuchi Island is a small uninhabited island of roughly 0.62 square kilometres.
People lived here until about 300 years ago, but today only part of the island is used as farmland and nobody lives there.
The Yabuchi Ohashi Bridge was built in 1985, and since then it has been an uninhabited island you can simply drive onto.
Driving to a beach on an uninhabited island is a rare experience, even in Okinawa.
A shore right in front of an archaeological site
Immediately behind this beach lies the Yabuchi Cave Site (Janedo), where some of the oldest pottery in Okinawa Prefecture was excavated.
Knowing that people thousands of years ago lived here looking at this same shore is a curious feeling indeed.
The beach and the site are best visited together.
Please note
- There is no lifeguard and no jellyfish net. If you swim, you do so at your own risk, so do not push your luck
- There is no parking, restroom or shop, so sort out drinks and a toilet stop on the mainland side
- Roads on the island are narrow and partly unpaved. Drive carefully and watch for oncoming vehicles
- The rocks are slippery and sharp, so footwear that protects your feet, such as water shoes, is essential
- Part of the island is farmland. Please stay off the fields and farm tracks
- The area in front of the site is a sacred place of worship (uganju). Please do not make noise or take anything away
- Please take all rubbish home with you
Access & Parking
| Access | About 75 minutes by car from Naha Airport |
| Address | Yonashiro Yakena Higashi-Yabuchi, Uruma City, Okinawa |
| Parking | None |
| Restroom | None |
It is about 75 minutes by car from Naha Airport via the Okinawa Expressway, or about 37 minutes from Okinawa-minami IC.
Cross the Yabuchi Ohashi Bridge from Yakena onto the island, follow the single road, and the signboard for Janedo will appear.
The beach has no dedicated car park, but there is space to leave a car at the end of the road.
See the photo and Google map below for the location of Janedo Beach.
What’s nearby Janedo Beach
Activities in Uruma City
Uruma City offers all kinds of marine activities.
You can book diving, snorkeling, SUP and more.
If you would like to enjoy diving or snorkeling, why not see what is available on Viator or GetYourGuide?
Yabuchi Cave Site (Janedo)
A cave immediately behind the beach, designated a historic site by Uruma City.
Pottery from about 6,700 years ago and human bone fragments from roughly 10,000 years ago were found here, making it essential to any account of Okinawa’s history.
A rental car is the way to go in Okinawa
A rental car is by far the best way to get around the main island of Okinawa.
Shuri Castle in Naha, the beautiful beaches up north, American Village in Chatan and the rest are scattered all over the island, so having a car lets you explore at your own pace. Buses are infrequent and rarely run to time, so whether or not you have a car makes a real difference to the trip.
Popular seasons book up quickly, so reserve early once your dates are set.
In summary
This article introduced Janedo Beach.
It is a shore with completely untouched nature, on Yabuchi Island, an uninhabited island you can drive to.
There are no facilities at all, but with one of Okinawa’s oldest archaeological sites right there, it is a rare place to take in quiet water and history at once.
When you visit Yabuchi Island, do see Janedo Beach alongside the cave site.
Thank you for reading to the end.
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