The Iheya-Izena Islands (伊平屋伊是名諸島 Iheya-Izena shotō) are a small group of the islands to the north of Okinawa Island.

Map of Iheya-Izena Islands

The Iheya-Izena Islands are the northernmost part of Okinawa, nearly as close to Yoron in the Amami Islands as they are to the Okinawan mainland. There are 7 islands in the group, but the only inhabited ones are:

• 27.0392127.9691 Iheya (伊平屋, Okinawan 後地 Kushiji), population 1,200
• 26.933889127.9363892 Izena (伊是名, Okinawan 前地 Meeji), population 1,700
• Noho (野甫), population 90, a flyspeck of an island connected to Iheya by a short bridge.

The islands have been inhabited for thousands of years and the first king of Okinawa's Second Shō Dynasty, Shō En (1415–1476), is said to have been born on Izena. Bypassed by the US Army during the Battle of Okinawa, they were largely spared the devastation wreaked on the mainland. Today they subsist off agriculture and a trickle of tourism.

There are two ferries a day to each island, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, both leaving from 26.677778127.9969441 Unten Port (運天港) in Nakijin, northern Okinawa. Unten Port can in turn be reached from Naha via Yanbaru Express Bus in around 2:30.

Ferries to Izena take 55 min and cost ¥1,840, while those to Iheya's 27.03692127.968492 Maedomari Port (前泊港) take 80 min and cost ¥2,480 one-way. You can also bring a car, but it will cost you around ¥10,000 return.

An airport on Iheya has been planned since 2005 and as of 2025 seems to be slowly lurching towards possibly actually starting construction some day. Izena already has a small airstrip, but it has no scheduled services.

Izena and Iheya are only about 4 km apart, but there are no scheduled services between the islands.

Izena has no public transport, while Iheya has a ¥100 community bus that runs up and down the island 6 times a day, but it's intended for residents and does not venture to the northern end of the island.

Both are just a little too large to walk comfortably, so you'll likely want to rent a bike or something larger. Fortunately both islands have rental agencies right next to the ferry terminal.

• 26.92904127.951323 Izena Rent-a-car (伊是名レンタカー) (next to Izena ferry wharf). Rents out bicycles, motorcycles, cars and even a minibus. (updated Aug 2025)

There are a few historical sites of minor interest on Izena.

• 26.9147127.9521 Izena Castle (伊是名城 Izena-gusuku). Ruins of a 14th-century Okinawan gusuku castle. (updated Aug 2025)
• 26.91569127.951672 Izena Tamaudun (伊是名玉陵). One of only three royal mausoleums in Okinawa, where much of the Shō family is buried. (The kings, though, are at the main Tamaudun near Naha.) (updated Aug 2025)

• Beaches
• Diving
• Snorkeling

• 26.99429127.922911 Club Noho Salt (倶楽部 野甫の塩). Daily 9:00-17:00. Small cafe, museum and shop selling hand-kneaded Noho salt, which is also available in flavors including curry, yuzu, and chilli. (updated Aug 2025)

There are no large resort hotels or even small business hotels on the islands, just minshukus.

The only way out is back to Okinawa Island.