Shimajiri: Coast, Nature and Traditional Village Scenery

Shimajiri features a variety of landscapes and village scenes. Along the bay, a continuous reef and the beach shape the coastline; Tokujimu Nature Park has walking paths and opportunities for birdwatching. At Tori-no-Kuchi, a walking path takes about 15 minutes from the parking lot to a viewpoint. The traditional village scenery, with Fukugi groves, stone walls and houses with tiled roofs, is another highlight.

Coast and Rocky Landscapes

A continuous reef stretches in front of Shimajiri Bay, largely enclosing the coast and creating calm coastal waters. Shimajiri Beach has slightly reddish sand, and wild Monpa trees grow around it. The reef accounts for the calm waters, while the sand color and Monpa trees offer a different perspective on the coastal landscape. A report by the Kumejima Tourism Association from July 2024 also mentions a cleanup at Shimajiri Beach.

Along the Tokujimu coast in the wider surrounding area are numerous andesite rocks, shaped into rounded stones by thousands of years of wave action. These rounded rocks create a different impression from the slightly reddish sand at Shimajiri Beach: here, the focus is on the effect of waves on rock, while there it is on the color of the sand. Together, the beach and rocky landscape offer different impressions of the coast.

Walking Paths and Nature Watching

Tokujimu Nature Park has walking paths and is suitable for birdwatching. These offer different focuses: the paths are for exploring on foot, while birdwatching turns your attention to birds. From a viewpoint in the park, you can see Tumbara, a rocky massif rising from the sea offshore. The view of Tumbara complements the walking paths and birdwatching with a specific landscape feature.

Tori-no-Kuchi and Its Viewpoint

Tori-no-Kuchi is a huge andesite rock on the coast at Shimajiri Cape, at the southern tip of Kumejima. A walking path from the Tori-no-Kuchi parking lot takes about 15 minutes to reach a viewpoint from which you can see the entire rock.

The viewpoint at Tori-no-Kuchi offers a different view from the one in Tokujimu Nature Park: here you can see the entire coastal rock, while there you can see the offshore rocky massif of Tumbara. If you choose between the two viewpoints, the main difference is what you look at: the rock on the coast or the formation rising from the sea.

Traditional Village Scenery

Many Fukugi groves, stone walls and houses with tiled roofs remain in Shimajiri’s traditional village landscape. Together, these features give the village a focus beyond its beach and rocks: here, attention turns to the traditional layout of the settlement. For travelers interested in village scenery as well as nature, these well-preserved features are a distinctive aspect of Shimajiri.

Discover more destinations: Yomitan, Kin, Ginowan, Nago, Nakijin, Fuchaku, Nakagami District, Tokashiki

For the main travel overview: Okinawa Prefecture.