On the way back from a Miyako Island trip, I once had over two hours to spare before my flight. There was time to head back to Miyako Airport, but not quite enough to go out sightseeing — a somewhat awkward gap. At such a time, strolling around inside Miyako Shimojishima Airport, before I knew it the time had passed in a flash.
This airport really is "un-airport-like." There's a café, there are shops, and even photo spots are provided. On top of that, within a 10–15-minute drive, spectacular spots like 17END and Toriike Pond are all there too.
For those struggling with how to kill time at Miyako Shimojishima Airport, I've gathered this from the airport-interior facilities to the nearby sightseeing, based on my own experience of visiting.
Miyako Shimojishima Airport Is Itself a "Highlight"
The Miyako Shimojishima Airport Terminal, which opened in 2019, became a talking point for a level of completion you wouldn't expect from a regional remote-island airport. Okinawa-produced high-grade timber "terihaboku" (Alexandrian laurel) is used in the interior, an open space where blue sky streams in through a wide atrium. The first time I came, I was a little confused — "did I come to an airport, or a resort hotel?"
Here, not only people taking flights but also the area you can enter for sightseeing purposes is wide. Coming in person, you can see the reputation of "Japan's most stylish airport" is true.
Ways to Kill Time Before the Security Check
When you've finished check-in and have time before boarding, there are several places you can enjoy even before passing the security check.
The Airport Café "coral port Grab&Go"
A café inside the check-in building, you can enter even without taking a flight. It has sandwiches using island ingredients, original coffee supervised by a famous barista, seasonal fruit smoothies and more.
Opening hours are 8:00–18:00 (until 18:30 on Thursdays and Sundays). It being open even before a morning flight is appreciated.
I personally like the basque cheesecake here, and ended up buying it every return flight. The limited menu using Miyako Island ingredients changes a little each time, so it never gets old.
The Souvenir Shop "coral port the Shop"
A shop next to the café, where about 300 good things from Miyako Island are lined up. There are about 100 kinds of here-only limited and collaboration products, and not just the standard chinsuko and beni-imo (purple sweet potato) items but a wide range, from local honey "Shima-no-Mitsu" to general goods and cosmetics.
Since it has an atmosphere where you can choose more calmly than at Miyako Airport's souvenir counter, choosing here first is wiser than buying in a fluster right before boarding.
3 Photo Spots Inside the Airport
On the passage from the car park to the check-in building, there are two photo spots.
One is the "Sashiba Photo Spot." A mural modelled on the "sashiba," the migratory bird that comes to Miyako Island every autumn, made together with local primary-school children. It's a warm place where many tourists take commemorative photos at the start or end of their trip.
The other is "POKEGENIC." A colourful spot modelled on Growlithe, the Okinawa-supporting Pokémon, especially popular with those bringing children.
Beside the front entrance of the check-in building there's also a stone "building nameplate." A simple but picturesque place where you can take a photo with the airport name and blue sky as the backdrop.
How to Spend Time After Passing the Security Check
The lounge area after the security check has a view of the runway through wide windows. You can enjoy food and drink while watching planes take off and land. This is personally where I can relax most.
The Restaurant "coral port LOUNGE the Kitchen"
Miyako soba, Okinawa-arranged dandan noodles, plate menus using prefecture-produced wagyu beef and more — a full-fledged lineup you wouldn't think was inside an airport. It's often rated as "hotel quality." Many people make it a routine to eat their last meal in Okinawa here, so in busy periods it's better to go in early.
The Bar "coral port LOUNGE Cafe&Bar"
Alcohol is plentiful, with Orion Beer, awamori cocktails, craft beer and more. Coffee and soft drinks are abundant too, so it's easy to use even for non-drinkers. The interior using Okinawa's high-grade timber has a calm atmosphere, and you can easily stay 1–2 hours.
Both are open to match flight operation times, so it's safest to go in with leeway 1–2 hours before boarding.
If You Have Time, Head to the Spectacular Spots Around the Airport
If you have over two hours to spare before your flight, heading out to the sights around the airport is, I think, the best answer. Shimojishima is a small island, but moving by car you can go round several spots within 30 minutes.
17END (About 10 Minutes by Car from the Airport)
A beach located at the north end of the Miyako Shimojishima Airport runway. At low tide cobalt-blue shallows spread out, and you can take photos combined with the bridge of approach lights jutting out into the sea. It's one of Miyakojima's most photogenic spots, and if the timing's right you can also see the moment a landing plane passes right overhead.
5–10 minutes on foot from the parking space. It's good to check the low-tide time on the Japan Meteorological Agency site.
35END and Nakanoshima Beach (About 10–15 Minutes by Car from the Airport)
Opposite 17END, at the south end of the runway, is 35END. Here fewer people come than 17END, and it's a hidden spot where you can gaze at the sea quietly. The neighbouring Nakanoshima Beach is known as a snorkelling spot, with high clarity and abundant fish. With marine shoes you can get in right away.
Toriike Pond (About 15–20 Minutes by Car from the Airport)
A spot on the west side of Shimojishima worth seeing once. Two ponds connect underground, and beyond that they connect to the sea — a mysterious landform, with a mermaid legend remaining too. You can walk a loop around the pond in 10–15 minutes, so it's easy to drop by even without much time.
General sightseeing information for Miyako Island can also be checked at the Miyakojima City Tourism Association (miyako-guide.net).
Access Information for Miyako Shimojishima Airport
From central Hirara on Miyako Island or from Miyako Airport to Miyako Shimojishima Airport is about 15–20 minutes, crossing the Irabu Bridge. The bridge toll is free.
The car park has about 100 spaces, and this too is free. Even parking across multiple days incurs no charge. For a remote-island airport, these facilities are quite blessed, I think.
The tourist information desk also has bicycle rental (from ¥1,500, or about US$10, for 2 hours), so you can go round the nearby area even without a rental car. For public transport there's a limousine bus, but the frequency is low, so I recommend acting with time to spare.
FAQ Section
Q: Can the cafés and restaurants at Miyako Shimojishima Airport be used even by people not taking a flight?
A: The "coral port Grab&Go" and the shop inside the check-in building can be used by non-passengers too. The restaurant and bar after the security check are for passengers only.
Q: How much time should I allow for 17END?
A: About 10 minutes by car from the airport, and 5–10 minutes on foot from the parking space. Including viewing time, an hour round trip lets you go round with leeway. Matching the low-tide time spreads out an even more spectacular view.
Q: Can you rent a car at Miyako Shimojishima Airport?
A: There's a rental-car counter at the airport terminal. Major companies like Orix Rent A Car have outlets, and you can use them right after arrival. A rental car is the easiest way to move to the nearby spots.
Summary
Miyako Shimojishima Airport isn't a place to "kill time at the airport" but closer to a resort facility. Just enjoying the café and shop, 1–2 hours pass, and with a car you can extend your steps as far as 17END and Toriike Pond. Do drop by at the end of your Miyako Island trip.
