Sukuji Beach

Sukuji beach, located on the north west coast of Ishigaki, and not far from Kabira Bay, is a lovely spot which should be on any beach fan's checklist. The beach is set in a bay surrounded by a mountainous landscape, and on a clear day the lighthouse at Uganzaki is clearly visible in the distance. The thing that distinguishes this beach from most others is the depth of the water, which is very shallow. The seabed also consists of smooth sand rather than coral or rocks, making it great if you simply want to wander out into the luke-warm water and enjoy the sight of small fish darting around your ankles.

Sukuji Beach, Ishigaki Island, Japan

The beach itself is a large one which extends round to the west of the bay from the entrance and to the east there is a small private beach which is owned by a hotel. Another great aspect of this location is the line of trees positioned at the back of the beach which provide shade from the sun throughout much of the day, although particularly during the mornings. Although the quality of sand isn't the best to be found on the island, it is good enough, and you'll find that there are plenty of smooth areas to be found if you walk down the shoreline to the east of the entrance.

Sukuji Beach. Ishigakijima, Japan

Family friendly

Families with small children will be particularly fond of this beach due to the depth of the water. Also, during certain times of the year a net is placed in the ocean to protect swimmers (or paddlers in this case) from jellyfish. For this reason sukuji beach offers parents a great opportunity to relax in the sun while their children paddle in the shallow water.

Overall this is a great destination for beach lovers, but not one for those who's main objective is to swim or snorkel in the sea (you could try, but expect a mouthful of sand). The beach is located just a couple of kilometers from Kabira Bay and as such a couple of hours here would fit well into a sight seeing schedule which includes Kabira, or even Uganzaki.

Location

If you enter the town of Kabira from the south you'll eventually see a sign indicating that you should turn left for Sukuji beach. Follow signs for Club Med until you get to the turning for the Ishigaki Seaside Hotel. The pictures below should help.

Turn left here for the Ishigaki Seaside Hotel. This road leads to the beach.

Turn right at this fork in the road (signposted Club Med)

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