Story Okinawa: Yonaguni Sport Fishing by JNTO on 04 January 2018

Yonaguni is the furthest island from mainland Japan, and is actually a lot closer to Taiwan, therefore it’s also the last place in Japan to experience sunset. To add to the frontier feel, there are no hospitals, banks, high school or even book stores. The island is known for its diving scene, its remoteness, its cliffs, its miniature horses, and most especially for its marlins.

Being so close to the cold underwater currents, fishermen here haul the largest catch of kajiki (marlin) in Japan, making this tiny island the country’s authority on the big fish. There is even a large marlin statue at Cape Irizaki on the westernmost tip of the island to affirm their position.

Not surprisingly, you can dine on everything marlin here – from marlin sashimi to marlin hotpot and everything in between. You can check out the Kabura Fish Dock to see the morning auction to see freshly-caught marlins (and other fish).

Not surprisingly, you can dine on everything marlin here – from marlin sashimi to marlin hotpot and everything in between. You can check out the Kabura Fish Dock to see the morning auction to see freshly-caught marlins (and other fish).

However, if you’re in the mood to catch your own fish, there are also deep-sea sport fishing tours where you can try and haul your own monster catch. There are live bait fishing tours where you have to first catch bonito and tuna as bait, and then float them while trawling for your predatory marlin. As marlins are likely to be huge, you can use 2 rods; most operators can also fillet and pack your catch for an extra fee. The marlin season is from February to November.

Yonaguni is also famous for its dive scene. Hammerhead sharks are a draw for experienced divers, as this is one of the best places in the region to see hundreds of hammerhead sharks when they cruise along the underwater currents in winter from January to February. However, the biggest underwater attraction lies just offshore: ruins thought by many to be proof of an ancient advanced civilisation – dubbed ‘Atlantis’ or ‘Yonaguni Pyramid’, a debate is ongoing to determine whether they’re natural or manmade. Due to strong currents and waves, only experienced divers can see these ruins – with their angular blocks and stair-like structure – up close, but even non-divers can have a brief peek these structures from a glass-bottomed boat.

In addition to its ocean attractions, the island is surrounded by picturesque cliffs and rolling grassland which are home to rare Yonaguni horses. Barely 4 feet tall, there are only about 100 of these free-roaming horses on the island.