Niijima: Things To Do

Habushiura Beach

It is located at the eastern side of the island and stretches 6.5km. With its white sand and big waves, this beach serves as a venue for surfing and body boarding competitions.

Maehama Beach

This beach is a 4km arc-shaped beach located in the western side of the island. The peaceful waves makes it the most popular place for beach-goers and wind surfers. With clear skies, Mt. Fuji (富士山 Fuji-san) can be seen from this beach.

Kurone Beach

Located in the western part of the island this beach is the first sight to welcome the visitors arriving by ship as it lies just beside the Niijima port. Barbecue pits have been built near the coast. Use of the pit is free but reservation/registration needs to be done at the counter of Niijima Tourism Association.

Mamashita Beach

It lies on the southwest side of the island. There is a small mountain rock that provides a breathtaking view from the top.

Wakago-Maehama

It is the main beach in the northern part of the island but is known to few people as it is not as accessible as the other beaches. This beach is located after the tunnel exit and can only be reached by car or shuttle bus.

Yunohama Onsen

An ancient-Greek ruins styled open-air hot bath that lies on the west side of the island. It is about 10 minutes away from the port by foot. This free bath which is open 24 hours a day has 6 different pools and provides a gorgeous panoramic view of the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Lockers are also available in the shower room for ¥100.

Niijima-mura Spa Lodge

A hot spring inn that includes a lodge of 10 rooms and a restaurant. The onsen is open for pubic for a fee of ¥400 but is restricted to only hotel guests during the summer season.

Mamashita Hot Spring

A public hot spring that contains a wide range of facilities including an open-air hot spring, sauna, bathing room, and a sand bath heated by natural hot spring water. Adult onsen fee is ¥300 while sand bath is ¥700.

Niijima Glass Art Center

The art center is located at the southwest of the island and produces sparkling olive green glass art works made from rhyolite. Visitors can also take part in creating their own glass work for souvenirs (reservation and admission fee applies).

Niijima Contemporary Glass Art Museum

It is located just adjacent to the art center which houses exhibits of modern glass craftsmanship.

Niijimamura Museum

A folk museum that introduces the nature, history and culture of the island. The pavilion exhibits a reproduction of fishing vessels and traditional houses while a collection of the surfboards in the 1960s from world special exhibits are displayed in the second floor.

Moyai Hill

One of Niijima’s most interesting features are the moyai sculptures which outline its terrains. The Moyai Hill which is overlooking the Maeyama and Yunohama beaches contains more than 100 stone cravings. These sculptures are molded from rhyolite, a fine-grained igneous rock rich in silica: the volcanic equivalent of granite, which is indigenous to the island.

Doubutsuen

Situated in the eastern part of the island, this park displays Koga stone animals. The campsite registration office is also located very close to the park.

Water Park

An ancient Greek designed park with Koga (rhyolite) stone sculptures surrounded by pools of water. The park was built to the of harmony between stone and water.

Secret Point

A small path with “secret” sign lies on the Southeast side of the island, few kilometers from the Niijima airport. The road slowly narrows down where no vehicle nor bicycle can pass through and thus walking is needed. Upon reaching the end of the path, a normal view of the sea seems to welcome the visitors but wait until the shore is reached. A wonderful landscape of the mountain together with clear blue water and waves awaits.

Temples

Choei Temple is dedicated to Nichiren Buddhism and in front of it lies a Shinto shrine which is also important to the people in the island. A short walk from the temple is the Exile cemetery which is dominated by gravestones of the exiles banished to Niijima by the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo era.

Overlook

Located near the Kurone Beach lies a scenic overlook to view Jinai island.