Zamami and the Kerama Islands
Two village-run boats from Naha's Tomari Port are the only public way in, both stop with wind and swell in typhoon season; once ashore, a village bus meets the boats and bikes or scooters cover the rest.
- Researched
- 28 September 2026
- Reviewed
- 29 September 2026
- Ways of moving
- 12, 19 sources
- Not confirmed
- 6
- Fares seen
- 2015–2026
12 ways of moving, each with its rule
We confirmed eleven ways of moving to, from or around Zamami: six by water, one by road, one under your own steam, two hired or on demand and one by rail and cable, from 19 sources. One entry is not a service at all but a rule that decides whether travel happens: a permit, a closure, a border, a season or an authority's say-so. Three of them run only on demand or when the seats are full, so there is no timetable to show; the rule is written where the timetable would be. Five need a phone call or a message before you turn up.
The fares were seen in 2015 to 2026; a fare from an older year is a floor, not a price. Two fares carry no year, because they could not be confirmed and the field says so. We rate 5 of the 12 high confidence, our own judgement of the sources. The entry was checked on 28 September 2026, and ends with six things we could not confirm.
By water
Queen Zamami (high-speed ferry)
Naha Tomari Port (north bank) to Zamami Port and Aka Port
Ticket window at Tomari Port's north bank (hokugan), about a 7-minute walk from the main Tomarin terminal building
- When
- 2 sailings a day each way as of September 2026 (09:00 and 16:00 from Naha), more in peak season
- Takes
- About 50-70 minutes to Zamami depending on which port it calls at first
- Fare 2026
- Adult one-way ¥3,950, round-trip ¥7,510, effective from 1 January 2026; plus a ¥100 island entry tax (churashima tax) on arrival
SeasonYear-round; cancels in rough seas and during typhoons (roughly May-October). BookingPhone (Zamami Village Naha office, 098-868-4567) from 1 month ahead, online web reservation, or buy at the north-bank ticket window on the day; queue full sailings out during peak weeks. Run byZamami Village (village-run ferry service).
Ferry Zamami (slow ferry)
Naha Tomari Port (south bank) to Zamami Port via Aka Port, carries vehicles and cargo
Ticket office in the main Tomarin terminal building, Tomari Port south bank
- When
- 1 round trip a day as of September 2026 (departs Naha 10:00, Zamami 15:30), sometimes two in peak season
- Takes
- About 2 hours to Zamami, roughly 1.5 hours to Aka
- Fare 2026
- Adult one-way ¥2,900, round-trip ¥5,510, effective from 1 January 2026; vehicle passage priced separately by length
SeasonYear-round; the larger, heavier ferry tolerates more swell than the Queen but still cancels in bad weather. BookingPhone, online web reservation, or buy at Tomari Port on the day; vehicle passage must be arranged in advance with the ticket office. Run byZamami Village (village-run ferry service).
Mitsushima inter-island ferry (Zamami-Aka)
Zamami Port to Aka Port, a shuttle within the village that links Zamami, Aka and Geruma islands
Board at the Queen Zamami floating pier at either Zamami or Aka port; no reservations taken for this route, buy on the day
- When
- 4 round trips a day, timed around the Naha ferries; slightly different last departure in the Nov-Feb timetable
- Takes
- 15 minutes Zamami to Aka
- Fare 2025
- Adult one-way ¥500 (non-resident); island residents pay ¥150
SeasonYear-round. BookingNo reservation on the Zamami-Aka route; pay at the port on the day. Run byZamami Village.
Mitsushima on-demand route to Tokashiki (Aharen)
Zamami or Aka port to Aharen Port on Tokashiki Island, a different village's territory
Book through the Zamami Island ferry office; arrival port is Aharen, not Tokashiki's main port, so check which one a hotel means
- When
- on demand, runs only if someone has booked
- Takes
- Not stated by the operator
- Fare 2025
- ¥1,100 one-way (¥1,000 fare plus a ¥100 environmental tax for Tokashiki), no child fare on this route
SeasonYear-round, subject to sea conditions. BookingCompulsory advance order, from 1 month ahead up to 17:00 the day before, by phone to the Zamami ship office 098-987-2614. Run byZamami Village.
Winter whale-watching boats
Depart Zamami port, cruise the Kerama waters where humpback whales winter
Book through the Whale Watching Association or a dive shop in the village
- When
- End of December to beginning of April
- Takes
- Not stated by the source
- Fare
- Not confirmed
SeasonEnd of December to beginning of April. BookingBy email/phone to the Whale Watching Association in advance. Run byZamami Village Whale Watching Association and local dive/tour operators.
Chartered boat to Naha when ferries are cancelled (Oscamintol)
Zamami Village to Naha, a private last-resort charter used when the scheduled ferries stop running
Have your accommodation call Oscamintol directly; the tourist information centre cannot book it for you
- When
- On demand only
- Takes
- Not stated by the source
- Fare 2015
- About ¥80,000 for the whole boat, up to 12 passengers; the only source is a 2015 tourist-association page and neither the price nor the operator could be re-confirmed in 2026Seen in 2015: a floor, not a price.
SeasonUsed mainly as a typhoon-season workaround; also stops if waves are too high. BookingCompulsory advance call, 098-987-2356. Run byOscamintol (Kerama Pearl).
By road
Zamami village-run bus
Two routes from Zamami Port: Ama-Campground to the west, Furuzamami-Asa beach to the east
Buses wait at the port; pick up a printed schedule at the Information Center in the port building
- When
- Timed to meet ferry arrivals and departures
- Takes
- About 5 minutes to either beach
- Fare 2025
- ¥300 per person one-way
SeasonYear-round. BookingNone, pay on board. Run byZamami Village.
On foot, by bike, or otherwise
Bicycle and electric bicycle hire
Shops near Zamami and Ama ports; flattest riding is the port-to-Ama Beach road, Furuzamami side has a steep hill
Oki Rental at Ama Beach and other shops near the port; stop at the Information Center for the current list
- When
- Walk-in, daily opening hours
- Takes
- n/a
- Fare 2026
- Regular bikes from about ¥1,500 per day at Oki Rental, ¥1,000 per day for 3+ days; other Zamami-town shops cost more
SeasonYear-round. BookingNone, walk in. Run byIndependent rental shops (Oki Rental and others).
Hired, booked and on demand
Scooter and car hire
Rental shops near the port on Zamami; scooter-only rental on Aka (no cars there)
Multiple rental shops near Zamami port; an International Driving Permit is generally required for foreign licence holders
- When
- Walk-in, daily opening hours
- Takes
- n/a
- Fare 2025
- Scooters around ¥2,500 for three hours, cars around ¥3,600 for two hours (undated, tourist-association estimate)
SeasonYear-round. BookingRecommended in advance during peak season. Run byIndependent rental shops.
Taxi, Naha Airport to Tomari Port
Naha Airport to Tomari Port terminal, or ask for "Tomari hokugan" for the Queen Zamami's north-bank dock
Taxi rank outside the airport terminal
- When
- On demand
- Takes
- About 10 minutes outside rush hour
- Fare 2025
- Around ¥1,200 (undated, tourist-association estimate)
SeasonYear-round; Naha traffic adds time at rush hour. BookingNone, hail at the rank. Run byIndependent taxi drivers.
By rail and cable
Okinawa Monorail (Yui-Rail) to Tomari Port
Naha Airport Station to Miebashi Station, then a 10-minute walk to the Tomari Port ferry terminal
Board the monorail at Naha Airport; exit Miebashi, follow Route 58 to the Tomarin terminal building
- When
- Regular monorail service through the day
- Takes
- A few minutes on the monorail plus a 10-minute walk
- Fare 2025
- ¥300 fare to Miebashi from the airport (undated, tourist-association page)
SeasonYear-round. BookingNone, buy a ticket at the station. Run byOkinawa Urban Monorail.
Rules, permits and closures
Typhoon and swell cancellations
Naha-Zamami crossing (both ferries)
Check the Zamami Village ferry page and JMA typhoon bulletins before travelling in typhoon season
- When
- Season runs roughly May to October, but typhoons can occur outside that window
- Takes
- n/a
- Fare
- n/a
SeasonTyphoon season, roughly May-October. Run byZamami Village (decides sailings) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (issues warnings).
What we could not find out
6 things the researcher looked for and did not find, in their own words, with where to ask instead. None of this goes into the planner; it stays here until someone confirms it.
- 01
Whether Oscamintol (Kerama Pearl) still runs the emergency charter to Naha could not be confirmed: the only source is a 2015 tourist-association page, the operator has no findable website, and web search was unavailable. Phone 098-987-2356 or ask a Zamami guesthouse before relying on it.
- 02
Chartered helicopter (Ilas Air, Kerama Airport on Fukaji Island) as a typhoon-season alternative is described only on a tourist-association page last confirmed updated in 2015; current price, operator status and whether the service still runs could not be verified and are not included as an option.
- 03
The brief's claim that the Aka-Geruma bridge links let travellers move between those islands by road is consistent with Wikivoyage's description of Kerama Airport as reachable via Aka and Geruma, but no fare or transport service specific to walking or driving that bridge link could be confirmed; ask a Zamami or Aka guesthouse.
- 04
Scooter, car and taxi fares in this file come from a tourist-association page with no reliable publication date for those specific figures (site-wide lastmod only, 2025-07-26) and should be treated as approximate; confirm current prices with a rental shop or the visit-zamami.com tourism association site directly.
- 05
Kerama Islands National Park entry rules beyond the ¥100 churashima (island entry) tax collected on the ferry ticket could not be confirmed from an official Ministry of the Environment page (env.go.jp returned 404 for the pages checked); ask the National Park visitor centre at Zamami port.
- 06
The Mitsushima inter-island timetable's Nov-Feb variant differs only in the last Zamami departure (17:20 instead of 17:30); both are current as published in November 2025.
What the planner can route today
The options above live on the place page, not in the departure board: a boat that comes when you phone has no time to show. What the board can do for Zamami is this.
- Y
- Scheduled flightsNaha (OKA), 34 km
- Y
- Trains and coachesTransitous carries 515 timetable feeds for this country, 99 with real-time
- Y
- Ferries座間味, 0 km, 座間味村; sailings estimated
- Y
- Driving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
- N
- Bike and scooter shareno share feed known
- N
- Cruisesno open itinerary source anywhere
Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known.