Kaichu-doro Self-Drive Route: How to Drive Henza, Hamahiga, Miyagi and Ikei Islands in One Day

Kaichu-doro Self-Drive Route: How to Drive Henza, Hamahiga, Miyagi and Ikei Islands in One Day

First, one correction: "Kaichu-doro" is not a name for the four islands. Japan's land ministry and Okinawa Prefecture both define it as the road from the Katsuren Peninsula to Henza Island, about 4.7 km long. Past Henza, the roads south to Hamahiga and northeast to Miyagi and Ikei are no longer Kaichu-doro. GoodCars starts here because this shapes the whole day: the four islands form a Y, both branches are dead ends, and everything is reached through this one road.

Why Kaichu-doro does not fit into the same day as Churaumi Aquarium is already covered in our northern Okinawa self-drive route, so we will not repeat it here. General rental advice is in the Okinawa car rental guide. This article stays on the islands: how to drive each one, where to park, which beaches charge, and when to leave.

Driving over the sea feels great, but this is the only way in and out (illustrative image)

The map first: Kaichu-doro ends at Henza, and the islands form a Y

About 1 km after Kaichu-doro ends, turn right onto Road 238 for Hamahiga, or continue straight on Road 10 for Miyagi and Ikei. The two branches do not connect, so going from Ikei to Hamahiga means driving back to Henza first.

Two more common mix-ups. The Uruma City Tourism Association points out that despite the name, which means "undersea road", it runs over the sea and is not a tunnel. And the English pages of the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB) use "Kaichu-doro Drive" for the road on to Miyagi and Ikei as well, which is why sources disagree on the scope. This article uses the narrow definition throughout.

Leaving Naha and ordering the day: go furthest first

OCVB's reference times from Naha Airport by expressway are about 70 to 80 minutes to the four islands, with Ikei, the furthest, at about 80; Miyagi takes about 90 minutes on non-toll roads. Ikei Beach's own FAQ is more cautious at about 2 hours from Naha by expressway and warns of heavy congestion at certain times. The tourism association suggests getting on at Tomigusuku-Nakachi IC and leaving at Okinawa-Kita IC, about 30 minutes. The junction at Okinawa-Kita IC is listed by the prefecture as a major congestion point, so do not plan this tightly.

One-way tolls for a standard car from NEXCO's official search (Drive Plaza): Haebaru-Kita to Okinawa-Kita is 460 yen with ETC or 720 yen in cash, and Naha to Okinawa-Kita is 500 yen with ETC or 780 yen in cash. Whether the car has ETC and a card depends on the supplier and vehicle, so check when booking. See our expressway and ETC guide.

On order, GoodCars suggests going to Ikei, the furthest island, first and taking Hamahiga on the way back. The longest drive falls in the morning, and by late afternoon you are already on the side nearest the main island. Our map-based estimate is about 120 km and 3 hours of pure driving for the full loop. The rest is stops:

This table assumes you picked up the car the day before. On weekdays, 08:30 is still in the morning commute, so allow a little extra driving time. If you collect the car that morning, our Naha city guide suggests booking around 10:00, which puts you on the road after about 10:30. In that case skip Ikei, the furthest island, and move the other stops later, still leaving at 15:30.

If low tide falls in the morning, reverse it: Hamahiga first, then on to Ikei. With only half a day, skip Ikei and do Kaichu-doro plus either Miyagi or Hamahiga. We do not recommend the full loop on arrival day, because picking up the car alone takes 60 to 90 minutes. See our Naha Airport pickup guide.

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Kaichu-doro and Henza: take your photos at the Road Park

Midway along the road is Umi-no-Eki Ayahashi-kan (海の駅あやはし館; 9:00–17:30, no closing day, navigation phone 098-978-8830), with the Road Park (ロードパーク) right beside it. Uruma City lists about 300 spaces, and the tourism association says parking is free 24 hours with toilets. The Sea Culture Museum upstairs opens 9:00–17:00 and closes on Mondays.

The road runs right beside the shallow sea: if you want to stop, use the car park (illustrative image)

GoodCars has four reminders for this stretch:

• Stop at the Road Park: this is the islanders' everyday road and a supply route for the oil terminal, with plenty of large vehicles, so do not pull over on the shoulder.
• The tide decides the view: the association notes the sea looks completely different at high and low tide, and low tide is good for a walk on the flats. Its website has a tide table (Ishikawa and Heshikiya).
• Not a place to swim: the association states that swimming at beaches near Kaichu-doro is not recommended for safety management reasons. Save it for Ikei.
• Ask before flying a drone: Kaichu-doro is a prefectural road, so confirm or apply in advance with the prefecture's Chubu Civil Engineering Office. For the Road Park, ask Uruma City.

Then comes Henza Island. Prefectural material says its northern half is an oil storage base. It is the gateway to the other three islands, so treat it as a drive-through. On the way to Miyagi, local students' paintings line the seawall, and a glance from the car is enough.

Miyagi Island: Kafu Banta is inside a factory and closes with it

Miyagi is the largest of the four and rises to about 120 m. Its best-known cliff viewpoint, Kafu Banta (果報バンタ), sits inside the grounds of the Nuchi Masu salt factory (ぬちまーす観光製塩ファクトリー), so it is not a public lookout open around the clock. The association gives about 15 minutes by car from Kaichu-doro.

Enjoy the view from the top. The beach below is not an easy detour (illustrative image)

The white sand below looks tempting, but OCVB is clear: Miyagi's wild beaches have no facilities or lifeguards, are best viewed from afar and often cannot be reached. On the north side there is a beach with full facilities. Third-party sources list Tonnaha Beach at 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for children, open until the end of October. We found no official notice, so treat this as a guide only.

On road conditions, the prefecture is improving Road 10 on Miyagi (about 4.3 km from Ikemi to Tobaru) and rebuilding Tobaru Bridge. Its page is not recent, so follow the signs on site.

Ikei Island: the only place you pay, so check it is open

Cross the red Ikei Ohashi Bridge to reach the last island. More than 80 percent of it is farmland, and the beaches are the point. Kaichu-doro, the Road Park and Kafu Banta are all free, so apart from tolls, the beaches are the only thing you pay for today, and their prices are exactly where guides go wrong:

Beautiful water, but whether you can swim is decided on the day (illustrative image)

So we do not print a current price. A phone call before you leave is the surest check, and bring some extra cash. Ikei Beach's site says it opens all year except for typhoons, but its notices show what actually happens: closing on typhoon days, opening late after storms until washed-up seaweed and rubbish are cleared, and stopping marine activities and glass-bottom boats in strong wind. A sunny sky does not mean the beach is open. The association also warns that currents around Ikei are fast, so stay inside the marked swimming area.

If time allows, the Nakabaru Site in the middle of the island is a national historic site where you can walk among reconstructed pit dwellings. It makes an easy short stop.

Hamahiga Island: slow down off the bridge, then check the tide

Hamahiga is about 7 km around, with two villages, Hama and Higa, and is the setting of the Ryukyu creation myth. Back on Henza, take Road 238 and cross the Hamahiga Ohashi Bridge.

A short way to the right is Hama Fishing Port Green Park, whose viewing platform the association recommends for bridge views, and third-party sources mention free parking and toilets to the right after the bridge. Village lanes are narrow, so GoodCars suggests parking first and walking. People live and pray here: do not block the road, keep your voice down, and stay out of homes and prayer sites. Convenience stores and ATMs are scarce, so bring cash and water from the main island.

Red tiles and shisa are everyday life here. Treat it as someone's home (illustrative image)

Islanders come to both sites to pray at events such as Lunar New Year, so give way if someone is praying. As for beaches, we found no official fee notice for Muruku Beach or Hamahiga Beach. Third-party sources give 500 yen parking at Muruku and free at Hamahiga, so we leave this open and ask you to follow the signs on site. We also found nothing on lifeguards at either, so if you want to swim, choose Ikei Beach.

Strong wind and closures: one road in, so check before you cross

The biggest risk here is not hard driving but the road closing. The prefecture's Chubu Civil Engineering Office states that when a typhoon approaches and a storm warning is issued, Kaichu-doro and the Hamahiga Ohashi Bridge may be closed. Planned closing times are posted on the prefecture's website, and you should also watch TV and radio. They reopen after the warning is lifted and safety is confirmed. The office's documents add that Kaichu-doro is closed with chains at both ends over about 4 km from Yakena to Henza, and that the Hamahiga bridge closes at wind speeds of 25 m/s or more, with only emergency vehicles allowed through.

On rough days a road across the sea may simply close (illustrative image)

• Once it closes, you cannot get back: all four islands depend on Kaichu-doro, and there is no other road. Do not cross when a typhoon is approaching, and if you are already on the islands, leave early.
• No wind threshold is published for Kaichu-doro: officially it only says the road may close under a storm warning, so do not judge by wind speed yourself. Check the notice or ask the office (098-894-6510).
• Crosswinds even when open: there is open sea on both sides and no official crosswind standard. In strong wind, slow down, keep both hands on the wheel and avoid changing lanes.
• Road race day brings traffic control: the Ayahashi Kaichu Road Race has been held on a Sunday between January and March in recent years. Past reports put traffic control at about 8:30 to 13:30, and the official guidelines warn of congestion nearby. For the next race date and controlled sections, see Uruma City's notices.

Driving back, pickup and documents

From Hamahiga, retrace your way over Kaichu-doro. OCVB gives about 35 minutes to Okinawa-Kita IC and about 70 minutes to Naha Airport, but that is in clear traffic. Traffic around Naha is heavy on weekday evenings from about 16:30 to 19:30. GoodCars suggests leaving by 15:30, but you will probably still reach Naha in the rush, so allow a full 2 hours. Winter sunset in Naha is around 17:40, and the drive is easiest if you are off Kaichu-doro by then. If you return the car the same day, you will be back in Naha in the evening, so check the supplier's hours first. If you have a flight to catch, work back from your departure time using the evening figures in our Naha Airport pickup guide. Refuelling is covered in our gas station guide.

Crossing back before sunset is easiest, so skip extra stops (illustrative image)

If you want one more stop, Katsuren Castle Ruins are on the main-island side of Kaichu-doro: 9:00–18:00 (tickets until 17:30), free parking and 40 to 50 minutes on average. Adding it means dropping an island. The southern Okinawa route is a full day of its own, so do not combine them.

GoodCars picks up at Naha Airport Station in Okinawa and has no city branch. If you are staying on Kokusai-dori, you can ride the monorail back to the airport, as explained in our Naha city guide. For insurance, go by what the booking page shows.

Most visitors need an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format, plus their home license and passport. Japan accepts only the Geneva format; permits in the Vienna Convention format are not valid. You may drive for up to 1 year from entry, within the validity of your license.

FAQ

Q1. Is Kaichu-doro free, and is parking free?

Yes. The road is free and so is parking at the Road Park. What costs money is the Okinawa Expressway toll and the beach fees on Ikei.

Q2. How long is the drive from Naha Airport to Kaichu-doro?

OCVB's reference time is about 75 minutes by expressway to Henza Island. Allow more at peak times and on holidays, and 1.5 to 2 hours to Ikei, the furthest island.

Q3. Can I see all four islands in one day?

Yes, with about 3 hours of pure driving. If you want to swim, something else has to give. GoodCars suggests making either Ikei's beach or Hamahiga's villages the main stop and keeping the other short.

Q4. How much is Ikei Beach now?

The official price list shows 400 yen for adults, but the site says these are old prices. Check its Instagram or call 098-977-8464. We do not print unconfirmed figures.

Q5. Can I go in the water at Kaichu-doro?

Walking on the flats is fine, but swimming is not recommended. The association says so for beaches near Kaichu-doro. To swim, go to Ikei Beach, which has lifeguards and a jellyfish net.

Q6. Does the road close in typhoons or strong wind?

Yes. Kaichu-doro and the Hamahiga bridge may close under a storm warning, and the bridge closes at 25 m/s or more. A closure cuts all four islands off from the main island, so check the prefecture's website first.

Q7. I am staying on Kokusai-dori. Where do I pick up the car?

At Naha Airport Station. GoodCars has no city branch in Okinawa, so ride the monorail to the airport and start from there. ETC, child seats and other equipment depend on the supplier, so confirm when booking.

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