Photo: 663highland / CC BY 2.5Shallow water over white coral sand, with granite islets scattered across it. The colour is not a filter — it is what happens when sunlight passes through two metres of clear water and comes back off white sand.
You cannot swim. The tidal current through the bay is genuinely dangerous, and black pearls are cultivated in the shallows. The glass-bottom boats are the intended way to see it, they run every fifteen minutes or so, and they are worth the fare.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Fix your return before you get out of the car. There is no taxi rank at Kabira.
- The glass-bottom boat is the point. Standing on the viewpoint and leaving is half a visit.
- Light is best from late morning to early afternoon, when the sun is high enough to reach the sand.
- For actual swimming, Sukuji and Yonehara beaches are nearby and permitted.
- The black pearls sold here are farmed in this bay and are the one souvenir genuinely from the spot.
The glass-bottom boats are the intended way to see it, they run every fifteen minutes or so, and they are worth the fare.
Guided days from Ishigaki
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
More in Ishigaki
Spot guideTaketomi
Sand lanes raked by hand every morning
Open the guide →
Spot guideThe town
The whole Yaeyama larder in one covered block
Open the guide →
Spot guideMiyara Dunchi
An 1819 official's house the Ryukyu court ordered pulled down five times, ten minutes' walk from the ferry terminal
Open the guide →Questions people ask here
Why can’t you swim at Kabira Bay?
The tidal current through the bay is strong enough to be dangerous, and black pearls are cultivated in the shallows. Glass-bottom boats run instead and are the intended way to see the water. For swimming, Sukuji and Yonehara beaches on the same coast are permitted and close.
How do I get to Kabira Bay from the cruise berth?
By taxi or tour, about thirty-five minutes each way. On a 9–10 hour call the Azuma Route 9 bus also works: 9:45 from the bus terminal next to the ferry terminal, arriving 10:28. Back at 12:53 (arrives 13:45) or 13:59 (arrives 14:45). ¥770 each way or a ¥1,000 day pass. Fix your return before you get out of the car, because there is no taxi rank at the bay. Budget about three hours door to door.