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Yonaguni

Oceanic drift diving, seasonal hammerheads and a puzzling submerged rock formation at Japan's western edge.

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Destination Guide Sources For Yonaguni

Reference links used to build and maintain this guide.

39 sources • Updated Nov 3, 2026

Written by DiveJourney. Built from public sources and local operator knowledge. Last updated Nov 3, 2026.

Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau: Yonaguni Island - Official island scope, Irizaki winter hammerheads, ocean currents, land sights, horses, traditional weaving and access; its ferry weekday text is outdated and is not used for the current schedule.
Japan National Tourism Organization: Yonaguni Island - Official destination overview, winter hammerheads, island remoteness and experienced-diver emphasis; flight frequencies on this page may be stale.
Japan National Tourism Organization: Yonaguni Underwater Monument - Offshore underwater rock formation, currents, local guided diving; archaeological origin remains unproven.
Yonaguni Diving Service: dive styles and safety - First-party drift-only operational model, descent/ascent procedures, buddy and guide conduct, no-stop diving and SMB separation protocol.
Yonaguni Diving Service: named dive sites - First-party site descriptions for Irizaki, Monument, Palace of Light, Daiyati/Double Arch, Sabachi, Dannu Beach, Dannu Drop, Umahana W Arch, White World and other named local points; notes summer exposure.
Yonaguni Diving Service: Monument site - First-party site description, south/east wind limitation and current sensitivity, guide-only access planning.
Yonaguni Diving Service: current dive terms and equipment - Current operator pricing and conditions: certification, SMB, rental, age and introductory scuba dates; no same-day flight.
Yonaguni Diving Service: booking restrictions - First-party winter high-season conditions, 50 logged dives from December 20 through March 31, <=6 month recency, no sidemount; explicitly closed October 13 to November 11, 2026. Operator-specific.
Sou-Wes Yonaguni: dive service - First-party active local dive boats, tours, equipment, inquiry contacts and rates; no universal safety guarantee.
Sou-Wes Yonaguni: English diving and snorkel offering - Operator publishes a snorkeling program for the underwater monument, plus guided scuba and rentals; availability and older English prices require reconfirmation.
Sou-Wes Yonaguni: Jacques Dolphin underwater-view boat - First-party licensed sightseeing vessel, Kubura access, five-passenger minimum, late May-September south-coast route limitations, weather cancellation and no current hotel pickup.
La Mer Bleue: Kubura base and port closure policy - Current local dive provider serving Kubura Port; cannot sail on days Kubura is weather-closed.
La Mer Bleue: winter dive season - Operator describes winter hammerhead scuba focus December to April.
La Mer Bleue: summer dive season - Operator describes alternate rock, sand, arches and pelagic diving May to November, not a promise of benign conditions.
Yonaguni Town Tourism Association: access and island transport - March 2026 RAC route frequency snapshot; ferry service changed in 2026, April 2026 free community bus schedule, limited rental fleet.
Fukuyama Kaiun: Ferry Yonakuni official schedule - Current two weekly Ishigaki-Kubura ferries: Ishigaki Mon/Thu 10:00, Yonaguni Tue/Fri 09:00; four hours, sea-dependent, cash at departure, annual summer dock break.
JAL Group: domestic schedules and status - Current JAL/RAC schedules are date-specific and subject to change; recheck airline timetable rather than trusting older tourist frequencies.
JAL: Yonaguni to Ishigaki direct route - Current airline site displays Yonaguni OGN to Ishigaki ISG inventory for late 2026; fares are dynamic.
Japan Meteorological Agency: Yonagunijima climate - Japan Meteorological Agency confirms northeast winter monsoon winds, cloudy winter rainfall, seasonal summer winds, fronts and typhoons.
Japan Meteorological Agency: Yonagunijima monthly climate normals - Official monthly mean air temperatures and precipitation; does not establish daily underwater visibility or boat seaworthiness.
Yonaguni Town Tourism Association: beach and ocean safety - Municipality says island beaches are not patrolled swimming facilities; no jellyfish nets, rip currents and reef exits can be hazardous.
Yonaguni Town Tourism Association: restricted and dangerous places - Specific no-swimming/no-access cautions for Rokujo Beach/Ubuta nu Hamati and Ubudumai, landslide and cliff restrictions, unsafe deteriorating facilities at Dannu and Agarizaki.
Okinawa Story: Nama Beach site record (May 2026) - Official Okinawa tourism record for Nama beach: near a navigation lane, no lifeguards or jellyfish nets, viewing recommended without assuming safe swimming.
Yonaguni Town Tourism Association: Chimanma Hiroba pony tours - Local named pony ranch; guided riding, different summer vs non-summer activities and seasonal scheduling.
Yonaguni Town Tourism Association: Tokumi Kobo textile workshop - Local natural-dye and Yonaguni weaving experience in Sonai, by advance inquiry.
Yonaguni Town Tourism Association: Ayamihabiru Hall - Local museum of endemic giant moth and island natural history; published admission and hours may change.
Yonaguni Town Tourism Association: annual event calendar - Annual July marlin-fishing tournament and November island-run events; scheduled events can be canceled and dates move.
Yonaguni Town Clinic: current outpatient and emergency directions - Island clinic has weekday appointments, closes nights/weekends/holidays, instructs emergency callers to use 119; not a confirmed recompression chamber.
Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau: enjoying Okinawa safely - Emergency phone numbers 119/118/110, snorkel practices, downcurrents, May-October jellyfish risk, dive health advice and flight-day avoidance.
Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau: coral-conscious diving - Reef-aware buoyancy, no standing on coral, reef-conscious sunscreen; general regional advice.
Okinawa Prefecture: marine life collecting restrictions - Official restrictions on collecting corals, turtles, reef substrates, sand and fishery-protected species.
Divers Alert Network: flying after diving - Minimum suggested intervals 12 h single no-stop, 18 h repetitive/multi-day, at least 24 h after required decompression; longer is prudent.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan: visa exemption - Official current visa waiver country/nationality and conditions for short-term entry; island has no separate immigration system.
Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau: travel FAQ - Okinawa 100V/60Hz, two-pin sockets, no obligatory tipping and emergency contacts.
Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau: manners and customs - Respectful local norms, no usual tipping and avoid touching coral or sacred/restricted sites.
Japan Post: Yonaguni Post Office and ATM - Primary source for Yonaguni Post Office in Sonai, staffed service hours and limited ATM opening.
Japan Post: Kubura Post Office and ATM - Primary source for Kubura Post Office and weekday ATM, closed weekends.
Fukuyama Kaiun current arrival delay and November2026 event schedule notice - Checked2026-11-04. Temporary arrivals about40minutes late, departuretimes unchanged, recoverydate unspecified. Nov13Ishigaki outbound/Nov15Yonaguni return event exceptions and surrounding schedule changes, actualdatedcalendar required.
Destination hero photo by Nao Iizuka - 与那国島. CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). Cropped and resized for the cover.