Tokashiki Island is the biggest of the Kerama Islands and is just a 35 minute boat ride away from Okinawa. Tokashiki Island is famous for its crystal clear water and for its great snorkeling conditions. I was staying at Aharen Beach in the south of the island, a really relaxed area with a few streets, hotels, restaurants and houses.
High season is in August so I would not recommend to go there in this month, because it can get crowded really fast. I stayed there in September from Monday to Thursday and besides a few tourists that came there for a day trip and a few other tourists that were staying on Tokashiki, the atmosphere was really relaxed and i had a lot of space for myself on the beach. Especially in the morning and in the evening I was alone in the water, which was perfect for seeing a lot of fish while snorkeling.
I was surprised to find this kind of island in Japan, because the water was so clear and calm that I could see the varieties of colorful fish just by looking into the water, without even using a mask. Also the fact that during my stay almost all the tourists on the island were Asians created a special atmosphere, not like on some islands were you almost feel like at home. All in all I was happy to discover this beautiful Japanese Island, because it showed me another side of Japan, one that I didn’t expect to find in this country.
