Tatami-ishi
畳石
Roughly a thousand five- and six-sided rocks cover the beach on the south coast of Oujima Island, looking like a giant tortoise shell. It is a designated National Natural Monument.
Tatami-ishi is located on the south beach of Oujima Island. It is the top surface of columnar joints formed when lava cooled and contracted. About 1,000 pentagonal and hexagonal rocks, each 1–1.5 meters in diameter, are tightly packed together, like a tortoise shell laid out on the ground. It has been designated a national natural monument. At low tide you can walk out onto the rock surface to observe it. At high tide, parts of it are underwater, so check the tide tables. Admission is free. You can drive there from Kumejima by crossing the bridge, and the Sea Turtle Museum is right next door, so the two are easy to combine. The rock surface is slippery, so watch your step.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Ou Island & Kumejima Sea Turtle Museum
- Eef Beach
- Tonnaha Castle Ruins
- Hatenohama Sandbar
- Hiyajo Banta Viewpoint
- Kumejima Tsumugi Village (Yuimaru-kan)
- Kumejima Museum
- Uegusuku Castle Ruins