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Kerama NP, Okinawa
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At the Furuzamami shell mound, a pit inside a former house held 22 large sea-snail shells. Their dates suggest they may have been gathered after the house was abandoned—an old home turned into a shell store.
Furuzamami’s white sand includes bits of “star sand”: the tiny, star-shaped limestone shells of foraminifera, single-celled sea creatures. The beach’s sand is made partly from the lives of reef organisms.
A storage pit in an ancient Furuzamami dwelling contained obsidian—black volcanic glass used to make tools. It’s a striking find from a beachside settlement, where people lived and stored things thousands of years ago.
Furuzamami’s seabed drops off relatively quickly, so large corals and the colorful fish gathered around them can be seen not far from the surf. Here, a short swim can bring you close to the reef.
Just south of Furuzamami, Okinawa Prefecture identifies a separate sandy shore as a sea-turtle nesting site. The beach’s wildlife story extends beyond its famous coral and fish.
In 2018, Zamami set swimming boundaries at Furuzamami after noting that some coral was under stress. Officials also asked visitors not to feed the fish, linking beach use with caring for the reef.
Furuzamami earned 2 stars in the Michelin Green Guide—one of the guide’s highest ratings for a place worth visiting. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment also highlights the beach’s scenery and nearshore coral.
Archaeological layers in the Furuzamami coastal dunes span roughly 4,000 to 1,700 years ago. Some of the earlier homes were dug into the sand and reinforced with upright stone slabs and smaller rocks.
