2026 Iriomote Island (Sonai/Hoshidate) Harvest Festival: A Full-Day Course
This full-day course lets you fully enjoy the 'Iriomote Island (Sonai/Hoshidate) Harvest Festival' (held July 28-29, 2026, with the first day as the highlight), a tradition passed down in the villages of Sonai and Hoshidate on Iriomote Island, Taketomi Town. On Iriomote's west coast, registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, spend time at the shore of Todomari Beach (Tsukigahama), known for its singing sand, paddle a canoe along a mangrove river, and gaze out at the sea from a quiet beach near the village. After strolling through the village's old townscape, head to the villages of Sonai and Hoshidate as evening approaches. The Harvest Festival is one of the island's most important rituals of the year, giving thanks for the five grains and praying for a bountiful harvest the following year. Enjoy a relaxed island-time experience with your family, immersed in the nature and traditional culture of the Yaeyama Islands.
Schedule
On your tour around the island, take in the crescent-shaped shore of a beach with 'singing sand' that squeaks as you walk
A quiet nature experience paddling a canoe through primeval mangrove forest
Take a break at a quiet beach near Sonai village
An early dinner while strolling through the old townscape
The island's most important ritual of the year, giving thanks for the five grains and praying for next year's bountiful harvest
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