A natural pool appears
At low tide, at Nakamoto Beach on Kuroshima, the inside of the reef becomes like a natural pool (Okinawa Story) — a quiet lagoon revealed as the water draws back.
- Twice a daySemidiurnal — rising and falling about twice
- Spring tideAround new and full moon, the range is large
- Neap tideAround the half moons, the range is small
The tides follow the turning of the moon and sun. For the year the moon's phases weave, see the island calendar; for the breathing of the real moon on the water, UMI's sea. Whether a given day is a spring or neap tide, confirm with the official calendar and tide table.
AT LOW TIDE
Low tide's
joys and promises.
When the tide draws back, the sea shows another face. The exposed lagoon is calm, but the sea is still the sea. For every joy, there is a promise to keep.
Swim around low tide
The time to swim at Nakamoto Beach is about two hours around low tide, and wearing a life jacket is advised (Taketomi Town Tourism Association). Confirm the exact low-tide time with the official tide table.
The drawn-back sea has depths too
Even at low tide the reef has sudden depths and currents, and the tide rises again. Check the times and the sea, and do not overreach. This page does not recommend how or where to swim.
OFFICIAL TIDE TABLE
For the exact times,
the JMA tide table.
High- and low-tide times are published by the Japan Meteorological Agency as the tide table for Ishigaki (tide station). These are astronomical predictions; the actual level shifts with typhoons, air pressure and wind. For exact confirmation, always use the official tide table.
Today's prediction (JMA · Ishigaki)
High tide
Low tide
Astronomical prediction for the Ishigaki tide station. The actual tide shifts with typhoons, pressure and wind, and each island differs a little. For exact confirmation, use the official tide table below.
UMI's sea, too, breathes with the tide — but that is a staging, not a measured time. For the real tide, go from this page to the JMA tide table. To turn back toward the sea, start from UMI YAIMA COMPASS.
Confirmed information and sources for this page
This page is an unofficial, independent work. The rhythm of the tides and their link to the moon are general astronomy. Today's predicted high- and low-tide times are shown only when the Japan Meteorological Agency's tide-table data for Ishigaki (tide station; astronomical prediction) is available, and only as a guide; tide heights (cm) and spring/neap designations for a specific day are not given. Exact confirmation is left to the official tide table. The Nakamoto Beach facts are sourced from the Taketomi Town Tourism Association and Okinawa Story.