Yubanta Beach lies in Yomitan Village, in the central part of Okinawa’s main island.
Soft sand and beautifully clear water are its main draw.
Yubanta Park and Sobe Beach are both nearby, and there were families and children out playing happily when we visited.
There are almost no tourists here — it is mainly local families with young children.
Yubanta Beach ratings
*Ratings are the subjective assessment of the Okinawa Bookmark editor, compared with other beaches in Okinawa Prefecture.
Yubanta Beach essentials
| Swimming season | None in particular |
| Hours | None in particular |
| Swimming fee | Free |
| Safety net | None |
| Lifeguard | None |
| Shower room | None |
| Lockers | None |
| Swim gear rental | None |
| Marine activities | None |
| Shop | None |
| Restroom | Available |
| Official website | None |
Yubanta Beach has no safety net and no lifeguards on duty.
Rather than a place to swim, it suits anyone who wants to spend unhurried time by the water with family or friends.
Yubanta Park is nearby, with play equipment, benches and restrooms.
What Makes It Worth Visiting
Wonderfully clear water
Water this clear really is a draw.
Rocks are scattered here and there, and they are lovely too.
You can tell from the photos how clear the water is, but in person it is even more striking.
You can snorkel here
Snorkeling is on offer at Yubanta Beach.
Yomitan Village has snorkeling, diving and plenty of other activities, so take a look on Activity Japan or Jalan.
White, Beautiful Sand
The sand is spotlessly clean and wonderfully soft.
There are a few stones, but the sand is soft enough that walking barefoot does not hurt.
A beautiful stone wall
There is a section of stacked stone wall on the beach — large and quite striking.
Attractive Rocky Areas
The rocks are beautiful, and though photos make it hard to tell, they are very large.
From the sand up to the rocks above is roughly five to seven metres.
A superb sunset
The sunset here is beautiful too.
In the photo the sun has not yet dropped low enough to call it sunset, but it gets far more beautiful as it sinks further.
Please note
There are a few rules posted at nearby Yubanta Park, so please follow them during your visit.
Yubanta Beach YouTube Short
Here is a short video of Yubanta Beach. Do take a look!
Access and parking
| Access | About 50 minutes by car from Naha Airport |
| Address | Sobe, Yomitan Village, Okinawa |
| Parking | None |
| Restroom | Available |
Around Yubanta Beach
Yubanta Park
Yubanta Park is very new, and there were people out walking as well as families on the play equipment.
The park is spacious, with plenty of room for children to play.
The restrooms are new too, and the whole place has a welcoming feel for families.
The “Kanpou nu Kwee Nukusaa” monument
“Kanpou nu Kwee Nukusaa” — roughly, “those the naval shelling left behind” — is an Okinawan folk song expressing the hardship people faced during and after the war, and mourning for those who died.
Press the button and the song plays, so do give it a listen.
Source: https://www.tsunagaru-map.com/chiikiguidemap/map.html?point=2795
Activities in Yomitan Village
Yomitan Village offers a variety of marine activities.
You can book diving, snorkeling, SUP and more.
If you would like to try diving or snorkeling, why not take a look at the activities available in Yomitan Village?
Umi no Terrace Yomitan Toya
Umi no Terrace Yomitan Toya is a hotel with ocean views.
Sobe Beach and Toya Fishing Port are both close by.
The rooms are generously sized, and the whole place has a stylish feel.
A rental car is the way to go in Okinawa
For sightseeing on Okinawa’s main island, a rental car is by far the best option.
The places worth visiting are scattered across the island, from Shuri Castle in Naha to the beautiful beaches up north and American Village in Chatan, and with a car you can work through them at your own pace. Local buses are infrequent and rarely run to schedule, so having a rental car makes an enormous difference to how much you get out of the trip.
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.
Summary
In this article we introduced Yubanta Beach.
Yubanta Beach sits in a quiet residential area and is very much a gathering place for local families and children.
You will hardly see any tourists.
Yubanta Park looks recently built and is very new, and it struck me as a genuinely good place for children to play.
When you are in Yomitan Village, do stop by Yubanta Beach.
Thank you for reading to the end.
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