A Pocket Guide
to utdoor
Activities in theki Islands

Published by the Oki Islands
UNESCO Global Geopark Promotion Committee(March 2021)

Please help us conserve andprotect the preciousnature and geological heritageof the Oki Islands!
The Oki Islands are a part of Daisen-Oki National Park, andare also designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The
area is composed of an environment which includes
endemic species and geological features of global value.
In order to pass on the precious natural environment tofuture generations, we highly appreciate your understanding and cooperation in following the rules and manners of the Oki Islands.

Learn more about
the Oki Islands
UNESCO Global
Geopark here!

Check out theRules and Manners
in National Parks
booklet here!
01

Cherish the environment andminimize your ecological impact
when visiting the Oki Islands. Do
not collect or disturb the animals,
plants and rocks.

Take your litter away with you.
Prepare a garbage bag and bringit with you before heading out.

Do not wander of f the hiking
tracks and designated routes.
Such actions may destroy thehabitats of animals and plants.

Please put your dog on a leash. Itis prohibited by law to let yourpets loose in Special Protection
Zones and some of the Special
Zones of the Daisen-Oki National
Park. The following areas are special protected zones on the Oki
Islands: Kuniga Coast (Nishinoshima Town), area near Sekiheki(Chibu Village), Mt. Daimanji,
Shirashima Coast and Jōdogaura
Coast (Okinoshima Town).

Fishery rights are established inthe waters of the Oki Islands. Do
not collect abalone, sazae turban
shells, sea urchins, etc. If you
violate t he rules, you may bepunished for breaking the law.
Please also refrain from swimmingin a wetsuit, as you could be mistaken for a poacher.

Swimming outside beaches ordesignated swimming areas is
not recommended. There are no
surveillance staffs at the beaches
outside swimming season. Therear e no sur veillance s t af f s atbeaches in Chibu Village evenduring swimming season.

Fishing is allowed in most areas
on the islands. However, pleaseavoid fishing at ports and zones
where vessels enter or exit.

Camping and use of fire outside
designated areas are strictly
prohibited. Please note that theopening dates for campgrounds
differ.
02tesaGsaxe
T le Grid)(Cat tTexas gates are installed at theentrance of the pasture to preventthe entry and exit of cattle andhorses. Please drive slowly whencrossing the Texas gates. Cyclists
should alight from their bicycles
and walk across the grid. If the tire
get s caught in the gap, it may
cause a flat tire or a fall. Please be
careful when crossing the gates.

Festivari)ls(matsu

Numerous festivals of the Oki Islands have been passed
down from ancient times, and they reflect the uniqueculture of the islands. A lot of the festivals have a religious
background, therefore visitors should be careful whenparticipating. Another characteristic of the festivals isthat compared to urban areas, there are fewer visitors
and participants are mostly local residents.

Yurahime Shrine Festival
Nishinoshima Town

Please keep in mind the following

B i cy cl i n goadon the R

It could become dangerous if you stay too close to the parade or other participants. Pleasebe careful of the situation around you.
Please refrain from cheering or making noises that interfere with the procession or rituals.
Do not cross the procession or parade troupe.
Do not touch the mikoshi (portable shrine), the carriers of the mikoshi and animals of theritual.

03

Keep to the left.

Do not ride
under the influenceof alcohol.

Do not ridedouble.

Do not ride
side by side.

Do not ride
while carrying
an umbrella.

Do not talkon the phone
or listen to music.

Do not stand behind the sacred horses, as you may get injured.
Please refrain from using excessive flash when taking pictures.

Shinto rituals before Mina-ichi Dance
Chibu Village

Uma-ire-shinji ritual
Tamawakasu-mikoto Shrine, Okinoshima Town

04

Prepare before your outdoor adventure!
While there is no need for heavy equipment when
hiking in the Oki Islands, please make sure to wear
adequate clothing and bring some food and drink

Hiking and walking
Hat
Wear a light-coloured hat. It
is good to avoid dark colours
as wasps and hornet s are
sensitive to them.

Some trails are steep. Put
your supplies in a backpack to have both hands
free when hiking.

Long-sleeved
shirt

Hiking gloves

Cover your skin to protect
yo u r s e l f f r o m p o t e n t i a labrasions or dangerous
plants and insects. Wasps
and hornets are sensitive todark colours so choose
light-coloured clothing.

Long trousers
Cover your skin toprotect yourself
from potential
abrasions or
dangerous plants
and insects.

05

Backpack

Water sports
Rash guard
Cover your skin to protect
yourself from potential
scrapes, sunburn anddangerous sea animals orplants.

Water shoes
Swimming season

Protect your feet fromthe rocky sea bottom,
or potent ial t hreat ssuch as marine litteror sharp shells.

The best season for marine
sp or t s is f r om mid-Julythrough August.

Necessary when hiking
the Mt. Daimanji andWashigamine Ridge trails.

Hiking shoes
and long socks
There are some steep
trails in the Oki Islands so
we recommend wearing
light hiking shoes. Put onsome long socks too, inorder to protect yourself
from insects or dangerous
plants.

What to bring- Rain gear
- Warm clothingor windbreaker- Snacks- Water or other drinks- Emergency medical kit- Insect repellent- Sunscreen

Attention!
Make sure to check the weather forecast before
setting out on your excursion. Do not hike or takepart in water sports when a thunderstorm advisory
is in effect.
Please inquire about the latest information on thehiking trails and sea bathing conditions at the local
tourism offices.
In order to protect yourself and the others from
infectious diseases, please wear a mask, and washand sanitize your hands frequently.

06

NishinoshimaTown
Co u r s e 1

Nishinoshima Town

DATA

Area: 55.96 km²
Population: around 2,800
No. of cattle: 600

Co u r s e 2No. of horses: 50
Campgrounds:1 ) Shimane-banaAuto Campground2 ) Mimiura CampgroundCo u r s e 1

Co u r s e 1

Kuniga Coast Hiking Trail

Kuniga Bay Car Park – Matengai Cliff: 1.5 hrs round trip

Elevation: 257 m

The Kuniga Coast is one of the mostscenic spots of the Oki Islands. Thehiking trail is a part of the farmland soyou can also see cows and hor sesl e isur e l y gr azin g al o n g t h e t r a c k
blending in with nature.

Route4NPoints to consider when hiking Kuniga Coast Hiking Trail100m

1. Keep a safe distance from animals: Cattle and horses are kept on the western area of the island.
Do not approach, touch, frighten or feed the animals. The animals might become aggressive ifthey feel irritated by human actions.
2. Keep hydrated: Beware that there is no vending machine on the trail. The nearest one is atKuniga Bay Car Park.
3. Access: The town bus to Kuniga Bay is very limited and only operates from April to October andit goes to Kuniga Bay Car Park only. There is only one bus stop at Kuniga Bay Car Park, so onceyou get to the top of Matengai Cliff, you will need to walk down the same way to catch the bus.
Since the bus is not frequent, using the bus one way and taxi the other is recommended.

31 Kuniga BayCar Park

22 TsūtenkyōArch1

3 Matengai Cliff

Co u r s e 2

Lookout Point

Points to consider when hiking Takuhi Shrine Hiking Trail
1. To get to the top of the mountain, the point to turn is signposted in front of the bronze torii gate.
However, the trail to the top is not well maintained. We recommend climbing to the top with a guide.
2. Mamushi: Mt. Takuhi is a habitat for venomous pit vipers. Please use the bamboo hiking sticks, stored
near the entrance of the hiking trail. Do not approach the pit viper if you see one.
3. Keep hydrated: There are no vending machines nearby. Please have a drink bottle prepared.

4 Matengai CliffTop

Elevation Guide

4Altitude(m)
250200

3150

1100

250
00200

400600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
Distance(m)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

4. Access: The town bus does not go to this shrine. Taxi or rent-a-car is recommended. The closest bus
stop is 30 min away on foot from Reso Oki Rosage Hotel.

07

08

Co u r s e 2Takuhi Shrine Hiking Trail

Reso Oki Rosage Hotel - Takuhi Shrine: 3 hrs round trip

Elevation: 300 m

T he cur r ent main hall of Takuhi
Shrine was built in 1732. The shrine
is dedicated to the deity of safe sea
voyages since ancient times. On thehiking trail you can observe someinteres t ing f lor a and f auna andenjoy a few lookout spots looking
out to Dōzen Caldera.

Chibu Village

Chibu Village

DATAArea: 13.7 km²
Population: around 640
No. of cattle: 540
No. of raccoon dogs: 2,000

Co u r s e 1
Co u r s e 2Campground:

Shimazushima Campground

RouteN100m

2

4 56

3

1 Reso Oki

1Rosage Hotel

2 Takuhi Shrine
Car Park

3 Bronze ToriiGate

4 Takuhi Shrine
Office5 Takuhi Shrine

Co u r s e 1

Elevation Guide

6Altitude(m)
450

4400

3 5350300

2250200

3 Bronze ToriiGate

6 Mt. Takuhi
Summit09150

110050004509001350

18002250270031503600 4050
Distance(m)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

Co u r s e 2

Points to consider when hiking in Chibu Village
1. Keep a safe distance from animals: Cattle and horses are kept on the island. Do not approach,touch, frighten and feed the animals. The animals might become aggressive if they feel irritated by human actions.
2. Keep hydrated: There are no shops or vending machines near Mt. Akahage, Sekiheki andShimazushima Island. Please have a drink bottle prepared.
3. Access: The public bus on Chibu runs between the residential areas only and service is notfrequent. We recommended thorough planning when using it for sightseeing.

10

Co u r s e 1

Co u r s e 2

Mt. Akahage & Sekiheki Trail

5-6 hrs round trip

Shimazushima Walking Trail

Elevation: 325 m

3 hrs round trip

The summit of Mt. Akahage is a lookout which
provides a panoramic view and a sense of openness. When the weather is nice, you can see all
four main islands of Oki and mainland Japan. Sekiheki, a designated Natural Monument of Japan, is a crimson cliff formed by a volcano that erupted 6.5 million years ago, and later shaped by waves, wind and rain. It isalso fun to observe the grazing cattle and racoon dogs you meet along the way.

RouteAfter passing Shiomi Bridge and going uphill
for a while, you will see the picturesque scenery of Kanjima Island, Asajima Island and themainland. Shimazushima Island is located in
the southernmost part of the Oki Islands and is warm, with a beautiful contrast
between the highly transparent sea and green vegetation. You can also enjoy
observing the mosaic-like rocks on the trail, which are nature’s creations.

Route

11N

4200m

2235

1 Kurii Port
2 Kawai Guardian
3 Hotel

5 Sekiheki
3 HotelChibu-no-sato

2 Kawai Guardian

Deity Water Spring

1 Kurii Port

111 Kurii PortN200m

Chibu-no-sato

4 Mt. Akahage

43

Deity Water Spring

52 Kawai Guardian

Elevation Guide

Deity Water Spring

Altitude
(m)
400

4350

3 Ikkū Shrine

300
250

150
100

00

53

250

Elevation Guide

Altitude(m)

1200

2468101231416

2

4 Shiomi Bridge
118Distance(km)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

200150100505 ShimazushimaIsland0123450 300 600 900 1200 1500 1800 2100 2400 2700 3000 3300 3600
Distance(m)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

12

Ama Town

Ama Town

DATA

Co u r s e 1

Area: 33.44 km²
Population: around 2,200
No. of cattle: 540
Campground:

Akiya CampgroundCo u r s e 1

Mt. Kinkō-ji & Akiya Coast Trail
1.5-2 hrs

Elevation: 164 m

The walk from the bus stop at the entrance toMt. Kinkō-ji to the summit of the mountain is apleasant walk in a green tunnel of trees. Thesummit of Mt. Kinkō-ji is 164 m above sea levelwith a superb view, and you can enjoy theextensive view of Ama Town from the observation deck. You can also see theother islands when the weather is fine. There is a campground at Akiya Coast,and during summer you can enjoy both camping and swimming there.

RouteN100m

341

1 Kinkō-ji Iri-guchi
Bus Stop

Co u r s e 1

Points to consider when hiking in Ama Town

2 Mt. Kinkō-jiSummit

1. Keep a safe distance from animals: Cattle and horses are kept on the island. Do not
approach, touch, frighten or feed the animals. The animals might become aggressive ifthey feel irritated by human actions.

1 Kinkō-ji Iri-guchi

2. Keep hydrated: There are no vending machines along the trail.

3 Akiya Coast

3. Access: Please use the following suggested buses.
09:55 Oki Kisen Noriba Bus Stop → 10:21 Kinkō-ji Iri-guchi Bus Stop → Hiking & Picnic →13:46 Akiya Coast Bus Stop → 14:15 Oki Kisen Noriba Bus StopBus Stop

2Elevation GuideAltitude(m)20011501004 Akiya CoastBus Stop13450020300 600 900 1200 1500 1800 2100 2400 2700 3000 3300
Distance(m)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

*The bus timetable changes depending on the seasons. Please make sure to check the timetable
before departure.

13

14

OkinoshimaTown
Co u r s e 2

Okinoshima Town

DATA

Area: 242.82 km²

Co u r s e 4

Jōdogaura Coast &Sakiyama-misaki Cape Trail
1-2 hrs round trip

Population: around 13,800
No. of cattle: 540

Co u r s e 1

Co u r s e 1

Campgrounds:1) Tatsugi 2) Nakamura
3) Kichiura 4) Mimoza
5) Geo Resort Symphony
6) Kaiyō Sports CenterCo u r s e 3

Co u r s e 1

The name of this coast refers to Pure
Land Buddhism paradise, which in Japanese is called Jōdo. Here you can enjoy aragged coastal landscape and a diversityof geological features. The area is a
designated National Place of Scenic
Beauty and is within a marine park.

Route2
3

Co u r s e 2

1

Co u r s e 4

4

Points to consider when hiking in Okinoshima Town
1. Keep hydrated: There are no shops or vending machines along the trails or at the entrance,apart from Jōdogaura Coast (shop available only in summer).
2. Access: The town bus services are not frequent, so please check the time tables and departearly for your excursion.
3. Public toilets are located only at the car parks.

N
100m

Jōdogaura

1 CoastCar Park

2 Kashiwa-zaki
Cape

Co u r s e 3

Points to consider when hiking Mt. Daimanji and Washigamine
1. Bring water. There are no shops or vending machines along the trails or at the entrances.
2. Access: There are no town buses to these trails. If you plan on using the bus to go to thenearby area, please depart early and make sure not to miss the last bus.

5 min

Jōdogaura

Jōdogaura

1 Coast1 Coast

3 Torige Coast

4 Sakiyama-misaki
CapeCar Park

15 minCar Park

25 min*Due to a fallen tree and landslide
this part of the trail is currently
closed (March 2021). Pleaseinquire at the Okinoshima Town
Tourism A ssociat ion for t henewest information.

3. Public toilets: The only toilet is in Nakadani Car Park.

1516

Co u r s e 2

Co u r s e 3

Shirashima Coast Trail
2 hrs round trip

Mt. Daimanji Trail

2.5 hrs round trip

Elevation: 608 m

Mt. Daimanji is the highest mountain on the Oki
Islands. Along the trail you can see Oki rhododendron and Ō-iwa-kagami Schizocodon flowers. Nearby there is a Japanese cedar tree thatis estimated to be around 800 years old and isknown for its unique shape. The area is designated as a special zone of the Daisen-Oki
National Park.

Marvel at the breath-taking views andcontrasting colours of white rocks,
blue sea and green trees from an upper
lookout point, or hike down to have acloser look at the small islets. It is a designated National Place of Scenic Beauty
and Natural Monument of Japan.

RouteN

2100m* This trail is steep.
We recommend going witha guide.

Route31211 Mt. Daimanji

Shirashima Coast
Car Park

2 Shirashima-zaki
Lookout Point

Trail Entrance

12 Mt. Daimanji

100m

Summit3 Chichi-sugi

Elevation Guide

Japanese Cedar

Altitude(m)1 Mt. Daimanji

2001502500

Trail Entrance

1100

17N

0300 600 900 1200 1500 1800 2100 2400 2700 3000 3300
Distance(km)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

*The road to this trail is currently
closed (March 2021). Pleaseinquire at the Okinoshima Town
Tourism A ssociat ion for t henewest information.

Elevation GuideAltitude
(m)
600
550

31500

2450

1400350300

0200400600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200
Distance(km)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

18

Dang
er

2–2.5 hrs round tripDanger

Washigamine Ridge Trailusing your own judgment!

Washigamine Ridge is a ridge with steep cliffs onthree sides. Byōbu-iwa (Folding Screen Rock), an80-meter-high rock formed of columnar joints, isvisible from the lookout point at the end of the trail.
According to legend, a hole in the side of the cliff face is aplace of tengu (legendary creature in Japanese folklore) worship. An unexplored natural forest featuring around 800
giant Japanese cedar trees stretches over the nearby area.

Route

1

Yama-urushi

1

When it tur

The height of the shrub ranges from 2 - 3 m to 8 m.
Their sap contains the allergic irritant, urushiol.

n.
ns red in autumLacquerTree2Poison IvyN(tsuta-urushi)

100mThis plant contains both urushiol and laccol, andhas strong toxic components. It could cause
skin rash just by getting close to the plant.
21 Nakadani
Car Park

2 Kanbara
Plateau3

LacquerTree3

Elevation Guide

Altitude
(m)
550

1400

When it tur ns

red in autumn.

Japanese Wax Tree(haze-no-ki)

A deciduous tall tree which sap contains toxic components, and can cause irritation when touched. If you
have been exposed to the plant, wash the affected area
and apply steroid antihistamine ointments to cool.

32500450

ou s .

(Toxicodendron trichocarpum)

Lacquer
Tree*In some places you will have to use ropes and climb a steep rock face.
*The trail has many junctures so please take care not to get lost whenhiking.
*This is a difficult trail. We recommend going with a guide.

poisonWatch out for these
dangerous plants

Elevation: 555 m

DangerCo u r s e 4r
ange
Dr
e c au s eangee r ou s bg
DnadDo not forage and consume It isr o om sr
es , mu s hg
iturfneDaplants or creatures soamnd sea creatures are350

Lookout Point

19200

0100200300
400500600
700
800Distance(km)Based on data from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

Lacquer
Tree

The sap of the lacquer trees contain “urushiol” and “laccol”,
which are allergic irritants, and can cause irritation whentouched. It can cause contact dermatitis to a passerby whois highly sensitive to urushiol.

er
Dang

Der
Dang

Dang
er

250

3 Byōbu-iwaDang

30020