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Directions and access to Miyako Island
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What is Miyako Island?
Miyako Island is the central island of the Miyako archipelago, which consists of eight islands including Irabu and Shimoji.
Irabu Island, Ikema Island, and Kurima Island can be crossed by bridge from Miyako Island.
Therefore, many tourists come to the Miyako Islands for sightseeing and leisure, with about 350,000 people coming to the islands each year.
The islands are rich in nature, with beautiful coral reefs, mangrove forests, and other natural features that remain intact, making them a remote island where visitors can enjoy such natural beauty.
Miyako Island is a wonderful resort destination, but what you may be wondering is how to get there.
In this article, we would like to look at how to access Miyako Island.
How to get to Miyako Island
In the past, a ferry called Hiryu 21 operated from Naha to Miyako Island.
However, the service was discontinued in June 2008 and is no longer in operation.
Therefore, if you want to go to Miyakojima, you can only access the island by air.
The only transportation to Miyako Island is by plane.
As mentioned above, the ferry service has been discontinued, so the only access to Miyako Island is by air.
Let's take a look at how to get to Miyako Island by plane.
Are there direct flights from the metropolitan area?
It would be very convenient to have direct flights that can go from various areas in Japan.
We would like to get a closer look at direct flights to Miyako Island that can be taken from the Tokyo metropolitan area.
From Kanto Area
If you want to go from Kanto, access from Haneda Airport is convenient to Miyako Island.Travel time is 180 minutes one way.It is.
One-way costs start at approximately 20,000 yen for both JAL and ANA with early booking discounts.
When it comes to regular fares, JAL is approximately 63,000 yen and ANA is approximately 58,000 yen.
Incidentally, direct flights from Haneda Airport depart early for JAL and noon for ANA.
The direct return flight from Miyakojima is around 7:30 p.m. for JAL and 3:30 p.m. for ANA.
If you want to leave early and return early, you can fly round trip on ANA, or if you want to have fun for a long time after arriving at Miyakojima, you can use JAL.
Also, if you want to save money, rather than taking a direct flight, use an LCC to Naha and fly JAL or ANA from Naha, or use Shimojishima Airport as your arrival point, Skymark offers a direct flight from Haneda.
From Kansai Area
If you are visiting Miyakojima from Osaka or other parts of Kansai, flying from Kansai International Airport is convenient.
ANA and Jetstar offer flights to Miyako Island, which will take about 2.5 hours.
An early-bird discount on ANA can be booked for about 20,000 yen, but the regular fare is about 60,000 yen one way.
Incidentally, ANA's direct flights may have a boarding rate of 90% during the peak summer season, so early booking is recommended.
In the case of Jetstar, the service is suspended during the winter season and only operates during the year-end and New Year's holidays.
There are flights departing from Kansai International Airport and arriving at Shimojishima Airport, and the schedule is one round trip only on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays (one round trip per day during summer vacation).
In addition, Skymark will operate from Kobe Airport to Shimojishima Airport from October 25, 2020.
If you use it, departing from Kobe at 10:40 a.m., you would arrive at Shimojishima Airport at around 1:20 p.m.
Therefore, flights from Kansai to Miyakojima are expected to become more convenient in the future.
There is also Itami Airport, but there are no direct flights to Miyako Island from this airport, and visitors must go through Naha Airport.
Also, there are no LCCs flying from Itami Airport to Naha Airport, so use JAL or ANA.
However, it should be noted that the method via Naha Airport may be more expensive.
From Chubu Area
If you are visiting Miyakojima from the Chubu area, it is convenient to fly from Chubu International Airport located in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture.
For example, if you depart from Central Japan International Airport at 11:15 a.m., you can arrive at Miyako Airport at 2:05 p.m. The flight time is about 2 hours and 50 minutes.
The fee would cost approximately 32,000 yen.
However, the amount may be in the 20,000 yen range, and it is important to check each time as the amount varies depending on the time of year.
From Kyushu Area
For those coming from the Kyushu area, there are no direct flights from Fukuoka Airport to Miyako Airport.
However, it is possible to connect via Naha.
For example, with Peach and Japan Transocean Airlines, a 10:30 a.m. departure would allow a 3:20 p.m. arrival.
In the case of ANA, passengers can depart Fukuoka Airport at 6:00 p.m. and arrive at Miyako Airport at 9:30 p.m.
Miyako Island has two airports.
In addition to Miyako Airport, Shimojijima Airport is located on Miyako Island, making it possible to use two airports.
Finally, we would like to introduce these airports.
Miyako Airport
Miyako Airport is the second busiest airport in Okinawa Prefecture after Naha Airport and Shin-Ishigaki Airport.
In 2020, JAL Group's Japan Transocean, Ryukyu Air Commuter, and ANA are operating flights to Miyakojima Airport.
Check-in counters are located on the first and second floors of the terminal building, with the arrival lobby on the first floor and the departure lobby on the second floor.
There is also a store and restaurant on the second floor, where you can spend a pleasant time until your flight.
In addition, a pick-up deck on the third floor is available for drop-offs.
As of May 2017, there are six routes operating from Miyako Island, and from Honshu, there are flights from Haneda Airport, Kansai International Airport, and Central Japan International Airport.
And from various parts of Okinawa, there are flights from Naha, Ishigaki Island, and Tarama Island.
Shimojishima Airport
Shimojijima Airport is the second airport on Miyako Island, which opened in March 2019 and is located on the west side of Shimojijima Island.
Shimoji Island and Miyako Island are connected by a bridge, and a local bus service runs from Shimojijima Airport to downtown Miyakojima.
Besides, there is a car rental counter and a cab stand, which are very convenient.
The city center may be reached in about 30 minutes by car.
The parking lot is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and is free of charge and allows parking across the street for the day.
summary
In this issue, we introduced how to access Miyako Island.
Miyako Island is a resort area in Okinawa with beautiful ocean.
As a remote island in Okinawa, access is a concern when visiting, but air travel is convenient.
Direct flights from Haneda Airport, Kansai International Airport, and Central Japan International Airport are also available without connections, so there is no need to worry about waiting time.
Furthermore, direct flights from Kobe Airport to Shimojishima Airport will start, making it easier for people in the Kansai region to visit.
Thank you very much for your interest.
This article was written by.
