Miyakejima Travel Guide: An Easily Accessible Volcanic Island with Distinctive Natural Landscapes

Miyakejima is so well suited to birdwatching that it is known as Bird Island. Spring, when migratory birds arrive, is particularly good, with May considered the best month.
Birds are active early in the morning, so if birdwatching is your main purpose, take the Tokai Kisen passenger ferry that arrives on Miyakejima at dawn.

For swimming, the best time is July and August, when schools are on summer vacation. Some beaches have lifeguards on duty from mid-July to mid-August.
July and August are the island's busiest months, and peak-season accommodation rates apply.
Book your accommodations, ferry, or flight well in advance.

Tokai Kisen operates a large passenger ferry to Miyakejima from Tokyo's Takeshiba Pier, about a 10-minute walk from JR Hamamatsucho Station. The trip takes 6 hours and 30 minutes.
The outbound ferry leaves Tokyo at 10:30 p.m. and arrives on Miyakejima at 5:00 a.m. the next day. On the return trip, the ferry from Hachijojima arrives at 1:35 p.m., departs Miyakejima at 1:45 p.m., and reaches Tokyo at 7:50 p.m. the same day.
From Miyakejima, the ferry continues to Mikurajima and Hachijojima. It then turns around at Hachijojima, returns via Mikurajima and Miyakejima, and heads back to Tokyo.

Whether a ferry operates depends on conditions at sea and at its ports of call, and services are canceled when severe weather is expected.
Three ports are used on Miyakejima: Miike Port in the east, Igaya Port in the west, and Sabigahama Port in the southwest.
The port used is selected according to conditions when the ferry reaches Miyakejima, so you will not know which one it will be until the day of travel.
The outbound ferry's port is decided late at night, while the return ferry's port is decided at 11:00 a.m. The morning arrival and afternoon departure may use different ports.

Even on a day trip, you must confirm which port the Tokyo-bound ferry will depart from.
If you have booked an early-morning rest plan with transportation, the facility's shuttle will meet you at the arrival port, so there is no need to contact it yourself.
The municipal bus also operates one clockwise and one counterclockwise service to coincide with the early-morning arrival of the passenger ferry from Tokyo.

You can book passenger ferry tickets to Miyakejima through the Tokai Kisen website, but free advance membership registration is required.
Cancellations and booking changes cannot be made online; you must contact the company by phone or email.

The ferry offers everything from first-class cabins resembling hotel rooms to bunk-bed cabins and shared sleeping rooms where passengers can lie down. A restaurant and showers also make the overnight voyage comfortable.

During typhoon season from June to October and in winter, when seas are often rough, check Tokai Kisen's operating status right up until departure.
If conditions are judged suitable, “○ In Service” appears on the operating status list. If the ferry may not be able to dock locally, a “★” is displayed.
In this case, the ferry may approach Miyakejima but be unable to dock, continuing to Mikurajima and Hachijojima before returning to Tokyo.
Service beyond Miyakejima may also be canceled. On August 5, 2026, a typhoon caused the ferry to turn around at Miyakejima, and its departure was moved forward to 6:00 a.m.

If you are planning a day trip, you may be unable to disembark and have to return directly to Tokyo.
When traveling during typhoon season, winter, or another period likely to affect sea travel, plan for the possibility that your ferry may be canceled.

New Central Airservice operates small aircraft from Chofu Airport to Miyakejima, with a flight time of about 50 minutes.
There is usually one round-trip flight each in the morning, around noon, and in the afternoon—though only two may operate at certain times of year—making a day trip to Miyakejima possible.

Chofu Airport is in Chofu, western Tokyo, but it is some distance from a train station. Reaching it by train and local bus takes more than 1 hour even from Shinjuku.
Odakyu buses run to Chofu Airport from the north exit of Chofu Station on the Keio Line and from Mitaka Station. However, service from Mitaka is infrequent and connects only with the third afternoon flight to Miyakejima.
To save time and effort, consider taking a taxi from JR Mitaka Station or Chofu Station on the Keio Line.

Scenic viewpoints are scattered along the coast from the southeast to the northeast of the island.
Nippana Shinzan near Lake Tairo was formed in just 1 day by a steam explosion.
The 1983 and 2000 eruptions had a major impact on the island's environment, but greenery is returning to forests that once withered, and plants are gradually taking root on hills of accumulated volcanic material.

The Izu thrush, a thrush endemic to Japan, is the bird most closely associated with Miyakejima. It lives year-round only in the Izu Islands and the Tokara Islands of Kyushu.
Other birds seen on Miyakejima that, like the Izu thrush, are designated National Natural Monuments include the Japanese wood pigeon, Ijima's leaf warbler, Owston's tit, and Japanese murrelet.

This nature exhibition center offers insight into Miyakejima's environment and is staffed by rangers from the Wild Bird Society of Japan.
If you are interested in the Izu thrush, make this your first stop and learn about its ecology.
The exhibition room also has a birdwatching area where you can observe birds that come down to the ground at eye level.

Believed to have formed during an eruption 2,500 years ago, this freshwater crater lake is the largest in the Izu Islands and serves as a water source for island residents.
Many birds inhabit the surrounding forest. In the early morning, the area is filled with birdsong, earning it the nickname “Japan's finest birdsong trail.”
A park area with benches and restrooms on the north side of the lake provides a relaxing place to spend time.

Standing beside the road west of Lake Tairo, this giant tree is said to be several centuries old and is a symbol of Miyakejima.
It came to be called Maigojii, or “the lost child's chinquapin,” because legend says that anyone lost in the forest could escape its depths by heading toward this tree.

A mountain formed in just 1 day during the 1983 eruption was eroded into its present shape.
Viewed from the sea, its resemblance to a human nose is easy to see.
This hill of accumulated volcanic material, known as a scoria cone, creates a landscape that resembles another planet.
The footing is poor and winds are strong, so take care not to approach the cliff edge.

This natural tide pool was formed by lava flowing into the sea.
At low tide, even children can play safely, and snorkeling offers views of a variety of fish.
During summer vacation, events are also held where participants can snorkel with a ranger.

Lava flows from the 1983 eruption covered the Ako district, formerly a hot-spring area in western Miyakejima.
On the Volcano Experience Trail, you can walk along a wooden boardwalk over the lava and sense the tremendous force of the eruption.
Nearly 400 homes were engulfed by lava almost 2 m thick. However, partly because an evacuation drill had been conducted in August, 2 months before the eruption, none of the nearly 1,300 residents were killed or injured.

Ako Elementary and Junior High School stood near the coast. The lava flow stopped here after covering the school building up to the second floor.
The third floor housed a music room and library, and the grand piano and books reportedly survived intact.

This rock arch can be seen on the Imazaki Coast, southeast of the Volcano Experience Trail.
It is called Meganewa, or “Eyeglasses Rock,” because there was once another arch on the right, but that section has since collapsed.
It is also known as a diving site and is open to divers only on Saturdays and Sundays in June and October.
Visitor numbers are limited and a certain skill level is required, but divers can see an underwater arch and dense schools of fish.

Located in the northwest of the island, this open area has broad views of both land and sea.
It is home to the oldest lighthouse in the Izu Islands. Although far from the island's other attractions, its views make it a popular place to watch sunsets and stars.
Benches overlooking the sea also make it a good place for a picnic lunch.

A day trip is possible, but visiting the attractions using only municipal buses is difficult.
This itinerary uses the ferry both ways, along with a taxi and rental bicycle on the island.

This sample itinerary uses the passenger ferry both ways and mainly municipal buses to visit attractions around the island.
It is arranged so that you can see most of the attractions on the first day.
A rental car makes travel smoother and lets you spend longer at places you particularly like.