A Tour of Breathtaking
Places in Okinawa

Flagellaria that grows by wrapping its leaves with curly tips to other plants

Iriomote Guide Walk is an introductory course that can be enjoyed immediately after check-in without the need to change clothes. The Jungle Course is a 45-minute exploration of the jungle right in front of the hotel. There, guests can encounter 30 well-known species of island flora, such as the Japanese sea fig and Asplenium antiquum ferns, as well as a variety of creatures such as rare species of frogs and butterflies, wild birds, and insects.

Iriomote Guide Walk – Mangrove Course

The Mangrove Course is a walk along the Tsukigahama beach just behind the hotel, where guests can find marine life such as sand crabs and southern Japanese mudskippers, as well as plants and seeds which have drifted ashore and the footprints of hermit crabs and coconut crabs. As the mangrove trees and jungle spreads out, guests can admire the unique terrain of Iriomote Island, such as Atook Island, which is said to be a sacred place. The salty sea breeze, the sound of the waves, the colors of the sea and mountains will delight all five senses during these guided walking courses.

An easy-to-understand explanation using diagrams and photos on biodiversity and the food chain

Every night in the lobby, we host the Iriomote wildcat school. Updated in August 2021, the class introduces the wildcat’s ecology, behavior, and history, using photos, videos, and graphs to make it accessible. The new version of the class also contains images provided by the Ministry of the Environment. The Iriomote wildcat is a wild feline that lives only on Iriomote Island and is a natural national monument. There are only 100 cats on the island, and they are most likely to become extinct amongst existing species, categorized as an endangered species category IA on the Ministry of the Environment’s Red List.

Our hotel staff cutting grass to prevent roadkill

We also talk about the traffic accidents involving Iriomote wildcats, which have been on the rise in recent years. Cubs are very curious and will chase frogs and other animals onto the road without being aware of their surroundings. Therefore, we inform guests about the caution signs, zebra-striped road markings, preventive fencing, island-wide speed limit of 40km/h, and wildcat tunnels (underpasses). At Iriomote Hotel, we cut the grass along the roads to improve visibility and prevent roadkill as part of our contribution to the protection of the Iriomote wildcat.