Yurigahama, Japan's sandbar from beautiful delicate stars
Have you head of Yurigahama, Japan's very own sandbar? The sandbar appears and disappears depending on the water tides. The views on Yurigahama, which is located at Yoronjima, Kagoshima, will make you think of a walk in the clouds with its crystal clear water and white sand. You must not miss the spectacular landscape.
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Yurigahama, Japan's Sandbar
You can catch Japan's sandbar, Yurigahama appearing before your eyes at the end of every month. The views here are breathtaking but let's take a look on how the locals enjoy this beautiful paradise on earth.
Let your worries melt away here!
detsugu/FlickrBe mesmerized by the clear waters and the movement of the waves slowly and gently splashing.
imnakashima/FlickrLook at how the reflected sun rays on the water glitter, making you forget about your hectic daily schedule.
Yurigahama. So where is it?
Yurigahama is located 1.5 km off-island from the east coast of Kagoshima's Yoronjima's Ooganeku Beach.
It's a sandbar that makes its appearance once a month depending on the tides.
Yurigahama is known for its changing shapes every time it appears.
It disappears slowly under the waters when the tide flows in.
A bed of countless [stars] at Yurigahama
You'll begin to understand why people associate Yurigahama with stars, when you come and grab a handful of its sand.
Feature No. 1 : Star-shaped sand
The star-shaped sand on Yurigahama is actually the shells left behind by microscopic organisms called Foraminifera.
They say that if you collect the same number of star-shaped sand as your age, you'll be blessed with good luck but let's not rush to collect those sand by ourselves. Instead let's be a little more environmentally conscious and stick to buying souvenirs of star-shaped sand in a glass bottle.
The accompanying sand in the glass bottle souvenirs are colored to truly bring out the shape of the star-shaped sand.
Feature No. 2 : The clear blue sea
Undeniably, the water here is beautiful! It is not only a beautiful shade but it is crystal clear and so clear that you can see the bottom of the sea.
The beautiful sea is like a reflection of the sky in a mirror. So much so that it would seem like the boats on the sea are floating midair.
It is truly like heaven on earth here when you see the white creamy sand beneath the clear blue calm waters.
Feature No. 3 : Weddings and snorkeling
Naturally, with the beautiful landscape, this is a popular spot for couples to have their wedding ceremony here. You can approach wedding planners here and ask for a package that will help you create your perfect wedding day!
Celebrate this special moment in life with your family among the beautiful sea and sand.
While you have your wedding ceremony here too, you should take the opportunity to enjoy the underwater views with snorkeling. Of course, even if you aren't here for a wedding, you should still come out to snorkel.
At Yurigahama, not only the fishes will come out to greet you, but you might be lucky and have a turtle come meet you.
Access and ferry schedules
Hop onto a ferry from Kagoshima to Yoronjima
tsuda/FlickrBesides the ferry, there are also flights daily from Okinawa and Kagoshima bound for Yoronjima.
If you are planning to come in from the other main islands in Japan, you will still have to go through Kagoshima or Okinawa.
www.yorontou.info
The taxi is the most convenient way to get from Yoronjima to Ooganeku Beach's Yurigahama.
【Getting to Ooganeku Beach】
■Grab a taxi!(The most convenient way♪)
Taiyo Taxi 0997-97-2161
Minami Taxi 0997-97-3331
※Call the numbers above whenever you want to get a taxi.
※No extra call charges.
When's the best time?
You can catch Yurigahama every month but summer is the peak season, when the number of visitors are the highest.
Forecast schedule on the appearance of Yurigahama for 2015
www.yorontou.info
・22 - 25 January, 19 - 24 February
・7 - 10 and 19 - 25 March, 4 - 10 and 17 - 24 April
・3 - 10 and 15 - 23 May
・1 - 9, 12 - 22 and 29 - 30 June
・1 - 8, 12 - 21 and 29 - 31 July
・1 - 6, 10 - 19 and 26 - 31 August
・1 - 3, 8 - 16 and 24 - 30 September
・1 - 2 and 24 - 30 October
So has this article gotten you to include Yurigahama into your bucket list?
If you hadn't made plans yet for summer, you might want to think of heading to Yurigahama.
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.