Kouri island is a small island about 8km in circumference (less than 5 miles). The draw to it is the color of the ocean around it which is a beautiful green color. When I visited the water was very beautiful but not the deep green that was mentioned. I think this was due to the weather. It was raining.
Kouri island is nicknamed the “Love Island” and is home to an Okinawan version of the Adam and Eve story.
The other thing we were told to do was go to the little snack/souvenir shop near parking and try a potato. However the potatoes were not being sold at that moment. I think their cooker/steamer wasn’t working. Instead I got a slice of watermelon.
The line to get the watermelon and the space of the shop was very busy. As was the line to the women’s restroom which did not have soap. They did have toilet paper though and a space to clean your shoes for 100 yen.
A big draw to the island is a heart shaped rock. This rock is called 心形石 and is located to the northern part of the island. I didn’t end up seeing it.
There is also an ocean tower that is like an observation tower that is 82 meters above sea level and that costs ¥800 to visit. It includes a collection of 10,000 shells from around the world and a 5 minute automated cart with an audio guide. This is towards the southern part of the island. The tower is open daily from 9am to 6pm with last entry at 5:30pm. The address for the tower is:
| 538 Kouri, Nakijin-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa Prefecture |
This is a part of the tour where because all I had planned to do was see the beach I was okay with it being only 30 minutes. If you want to visit the ocean tower or see the rock, while it is a small island I’m not sure how feasible these things are to do on the tour.
Warumi Bridge わるみ大橋
The joy of this bridge is that it’s suppose to (if you’re driving) feel like you’re driving on the ocean. It’s 2,000 meters and made from concrete. It’s the longest one in Okinawa and third longest in all of Japan. You have a gorgeous unobstructed view. This bridge connects the mainland to Yagaji island. (You have to drive through Yagaji island in order to get to Kouri island).