Japan · JP

Funase Beach

Funase Beach is a wide, sandy shore on Ojika Island in Japan's remote northern Goto Islands, a 20-minute walk from the island's ferry terminal. Completed in 2003 and managed by the town, it opens each summer (late July through August) with a 300-metre shoreline and 150-metre beach width, offering the kind of spacious, uncrowded seaside time that mainland beaches rarely provide anymore. What makes Funase special is not just the beach itself but the island behind it: Ojika has no resorts, no convenience stores, no crowds—just volcanic red earth, grazing cattle, and waters so clear that even seasoned Japanese travellers are moved. It's a place where swimming, beach volleyball, and shaved ice at a simple seaside stall feel like the whole day's plan, and the whole day's joy.