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Miyako Island, Okinawa — where to start?

Today's weather in Miyako Island
Tue Oct 27, 14:54 Japan now
27° Average temperature
Average October high
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From the airport to Miyako Island
Car Miyako Airport → Central Hirara About 15 min
Taxi·Rental car
Plane Naha Airport → Miyako Airport About 50 min
Domestic Terminal
Direct, no transfers
Transit cards
OKICAOkinawa
Yui Rail station ticket machines and offices of Okinawa's main bus companies
More on transit cards ↓
Getting around Miyako Island

Rental carThere are almost no buses, so a rental car is a must; Irabu and Kurima islands are linked by bridges

BusOnly a few buses a day — taxis and tours are the alternative

Nearby station map ↗
Couldn't load live weather, so average values are shown.

Transport

How to get from the airport to town, and around the city

Okinawa沖縄
Naha Airport → Kencho-mae (Kokusai-dori)About 12 minYui Rail
Naha Airport → ShuriAbout 27 minYui Rail
Naha → Churaumi AquariumAbout 2 hoursRental car · Highway bus
Central Okinawa (Chatan·Urasoe) · Naha Airport → Chatan American VillageAbout 1 hour Route bus·Airport limousine
Northern Okinawa (Motobu·Nago) · Naha Airport → MotobuAbout 2 hours Yanbaru Express Bus
Ishigaki Island · Ishigaki Airport → Ishigaki Bus TerminalAbout 30 minAirport bus
Miyako Island · Miyako Airport → Central HiraraAbout 15 minTaxi·Rental car
Transit cards OKICAA rental car is handiest for the northern sights. Be sure to bring an International Driving Permit and your passport.

Transit card guide

Names differ by region, but apart from Okinawa's OKICA and Shikoku's local cards they're all interchangeable. One card works on subways, buses and in convenience stores nationwide.

OKICA
Okinawa

OKICA

  • Yui Rail station ticket machines and offices of Okinawa's main bus companies

Suica and other nationwide IC cards work on the Yui Rail. Route buses mainly use OKICA, so check in advance whether nationwide cards are accepted.

Suica
Tokyo · Greater Tokyo (JR East)

Suica

  • JR East station ticket machines (unregistered cards back on sale since March 2025; includes a ¥500 deposit)
  • 'Welcome Suica' for visitors: sold at Narita and Haneda airports and elsewhere. No deposit; valid for 28 days after purchase
  • You can create one instantly in the iPhone Wallet app, and there's also a 'Welcome Suica Mobile' app (iOS) for visitors

Works on Tokyo's JR, subways, private railways and buses, and even at convenience stores.

Photo: Welcome Suica card photo · Ravi Dwivedi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original ↗
PASMO
Tokyo · Greater Tokyo (subways and private railways)

PASMO

  • Ticket machines at Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway and private railway stations (unregistered cards back on sale since March 2025)
  • The 'PASMO PASSPORT' for visitors is no longer sold

Works just like Suica. You only need one of the two.

Photo: PASMO card image · Public domain · Original ↗
ICOCA
Osaka · Kyoto · Kobe · Nara (JR West)

ICOCA

  • JR ticket machines and counters at Kansai Airport Sta., and JR West station machines (includes a ¥500 deposit)
  • You can also create one in the iPhone Wallet app

Also works on the Osaka subway, Hankyu, Hanshin, Kintetsu, Nankai and Kyoto city buses.

Photo: ICOCA logo · Public domain · Original ↗
Hayakaken · SUGOCA · nimoca
Fukuoka · Kyushu

Hayakaken · SUGOCA · nimoca

  • Hayakaken: Fukuoka subway station ticket machines (including Airport Sta.)
  • SUGOCA: JR Kyushu station ticket machines (Hakata Sta., etc.)
  • nimoca: Nishitetsu train stations and bus offices (the line to Dazaifu)

All three are interchangeable. Hayakaken is easiest to buy right at the airport.

Photo: Hayakaken logo · Public domain · Original ↗
Kitaca
Hokkaido (JR Hokkaido)

Kitaca

  • JR Hokkaido station ticket machines such as New Chitose Airport and Sapporo (includes a ¥500 deposit)

Nationwide transit IC cards also work on Sapporo's subway and streetcar. For Hakodate and Asahikawa city buses, check whether cards are accepted.

Photo: Kitaca logo · Public domain · Original ↗
manaca · TOICA
Nagoya (subway & Meitetsu / JR Central)

manaca · TOICA

  • Ticket machines at Centrair and Nagoya stations (manaca for subway and Meitetsu, TOICA for JR)

Other regions' cards such as Suica and ICOCA work here too.

IruCa · ICい～カード
Shikoku (Kotoden in Takamatsu / Iyotetsu in Matsuyama)

IruCa · ICい～カード

  • Kotoden and Iyotetsu station counters

These are local-only cards, and Suica-type cards mostly don't work on these lines. Visitors are better off with cash or a day pass.

Top-up & balance

You can top up with cash at station machines and convenience-store registers. Most allow up to ¥20,000 per top-up.

Getting your balance back

The deposit and balance can be refunded at the issuing company's counter, possibly with a fee. With an iPhone Wallet card, you can just keep the balance for your next trip.

Some places don't accept them

They can't be used on some rural buses and lines, or to buy shinkansen reserved seats. Buy separate tickets for long-distance trains.

One transit card works nationwide

Major transit IC cards like Suica, PASMO and ICOCA are interchangeable. You can also create a Suica in the iPhone Wallet app.

Do the math on a JR Pass

If you're staying in only one or two cities, a regional pass or IC card is often cheaper than the nationwide JR Pass.

Check last-train times

Most subways stop around midnight. If you'll be out late, check the last train near your lodging in advance.