Kaiji Beach (Star Sand Beach)
カイジ浜
A beach on the southwest of Taketomi Island. You can find star-shaped foraminifera shells, known as hoshizuna or star sand, in the damp sand. It is also a good spot for watching the sunset on the island.
Kaiji Beach is famous for its star sand. The grains are actually the shells of foraminifera, shaped like five-pointed stars. Press your palm into the wet sand, lift it and shake the sand off, and a few tiny stars will remain in your hand. Under the shade of the trees along the beach, small stalls sell bottles of star sand. The currents here are strong and swimming is prohibited, so the beach suits walking, photography and watching the sunset. Entry is free. It is about 15 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port, and about 5 minutes from the nearer beach, so the two are usually visited together. Please do not take large amounts of star sand, in order to protect the beach ecosystem.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Kondoi Beach
- Taketomi Island Village & Water Buffalo Cart
- Hamajima (Phantom Island)
- Tojin-baka (Chinese Tomb)
- Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal
- Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory
- Ishigaki Public Market
- Miyara Dunchi