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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Yoron
与論島
Go for 2 nights if you want empty beaches and a slow village; skip if you need nightlife, English menus or a car without an IDP.
Yoron is a 20 km² island in the Amami chain, about 6,000 people, with Chabana village as its only real centre. Beaches and diving are the point; there is almost no nightlife and little English. Two nights covers the island; three lets you wait out a windy day for the Yurigahama sandbar.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 与論島
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (typhoon season), Jan–Feb (cool and windy)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Yoron hospital 0997-97-2511 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at a café | ¥300–500 |
| Lunch set or curry rice | ¥700–1,200 |
| Pasta or risotto at lunch | ¥1,000+ |
| Izakaya dinner with a drink | ¥2,500–4,000 |
| Southern Cross Center entry | ¥300 adult, ¥150 child |
| Campground pitch, per tent per night | ¥350 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥1,500–2,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- RNJ · Yoron Airport
- Flights to Amami Oshima, Okinoerabujima, Naha and Kagoshima; fares run higher than ferry travel. About 10 min by taxi to Chabana.
Typical fares
- Ferry Kagoshima → Yoron
- about ¥13,000 one way, overnight sailing
- Yurigahama boat ride
- about ¥2,000
- Taxi airport → Chabana
- about ¥1,000–1,500 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A rental car or scooter is the practical choice; bring an IDP (1949 Convention) because agencies here check it strictly. A circuit bus runs several times daily in each direction, and the island is small enough that short walks between village and beach work.
See and do
Known for
- Yurigahama sandbar
- Quiet beaches and snorkelling
- Southern Cross Center
- Brown sugar shochu
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Okinoerabujima | Flight from Yoron Airport, about 20 min; ferries also run between the islands | About 2–3 h |
| Kikai | Ferry or connecting flight via Amami Oshima | 3 h+ |
| Tokunoshima | Flight via Amami Oshima, or ferry | 4 h+ |
Sleep
- Chabana
- West side, walkable to the ferry port, airport and most restaurants; the default for a first visit.
- East coast near the campground
- Quieter, closer to Yurigahama beach; you need a car, scooter or the circuit bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the beach? | ビーチはどこですか？bīchi wa doko desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Rental agencies are strict about the international driving permit: no IDP, no car.
- English is rare outside a few guesthouses; the tourist association site is Japanese-only.
- Yurigahama appears only at the right tide: check the day's boat schedule before you plan around it.
- Typhoons can cancel ferries and flights in late summer and autumn.
Very low crime; the real risks are sun, coral cuts, strong currents at the sandbar and typhoon-season travel disruption. There is a small hospital in Chabana.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yoron yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yurigahama sandbar
- Quiet beaches and snorkelling
- Southern Cross Center
- Brown sugar shochu
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yoron Tourist Association (Japanese, Google Translate): www.yorontou.info/
- Wikivoyage: Yoron, revision 5131059 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5131059
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yoron与論島
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Yoron hospital0997-97-2511
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies on the island; the US consulate is in Naha and most embassies are in Tokyo.
Ferry and flight times change with the season: confirm the day before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yoron). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.