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Kaiji Beach, Taketomi-jima

3.8
#3 of 28 in Beaches in Taketomi-cho
Beach · Outdoor Activity
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Head to Kaiji Beach, a small beach located on the northern tip of the island. With its name translating as "Star Sand Beach," the stretch of coastline has become known for its many tiny, star-shaped forms, which look like sand. In fact, those forms are the exoskeletons of one-celled organisms called Baclogypsina sphaerulata, a kind of coral that lives in sea grass. Washed up in large numbers onto the beach, the strikingly shaped forms have long been the subject of myths among the local populace, who believe the star shells to be the tiny children of the Southern Cross and the North Star, slain by a serpent offshore. Use our Taketomi-jima trip planner to add Kaiji Beach and other attractions to your Taketomi-jima vacation plans.
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Kaiji Beach reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.0
508 reviews
Google
4.2
TripAdvisor
  • This is the famous beach with the star-shaped sand. They are really tiny and it takes good eyesight and fine motor dexterity of the fingers to pick up. But there are plenty of them. Fun to try to... 
    This is the famous beach with the star-shaped sand. They are really tiny and it takes good eyesight and fine motor dexterity of the fingers to pick up. But there are plenty of them. Fun to try to...  more »
  • This is an ok beach. Not too crowded. But you can’t really swim here. It’s known for star-shaped sand. I didn’t find any but I didn’t look very hard. There are several swing sets around and a vendor.....  more
    This is an ok beach. Not too crowded. But you can’t really swim here. It’s known for star-shaped sand. I didn’t find any but I didn’t look very hard. There are several swing sets around and a vendor.....  more »
Google
  • Amazing place to just relax and walk around. It’s famous for its star shaped sand. Def should visit!
  • I have never visited such a beautiful beach before. I was even able to find star sand.

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