Kuroshima - Kuroshima Post Office -
Early reservations are recommended as they fill up quickly.
◆Tuk-tuks and electric trikes are also popular!
About the Kuroshima Post Office
The only post office on Kuroshima with a stylish red-tiled roof.
We are open only on weekdays, and we have an ATM (the ATM is available on Saturdays only).
When you visit Kuroshima, it’s a good idea to get a Kuroshima postmark on your mail.
We also recommend visiting post offices on remote islands, such as Taketomi Island.
Click here to book a ferry to Kuroshima
Directions to Kuroshima Post Office
The Kuroshima Post Office is located about a 28-minute walk or a 5-minute drive from Kuroshima Port.
From Kuroshima Port, head straight toward the village along Prefectural Road 213 (Kuroshima Port Line).
As you enter the village, there is a post office on the left at the first intersection.
How to Have Fun at Kuroshima Post Office
Not only on Kuroshima, but throughout the Yaeyama Islands, there are many charming, old-fashioned post offices.
It's fun to collect postmarks from each of the remote islands, isn't it?
Details about the Kuroshima Post Office
The Kuroshima Post Office is the island’s only post office, located in the Higashisuji settlement—the heart of Kuroshima—along the Kuroshima Port Prefectural Road, which has been selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Roads.
It used to retain much of Okinawa’s original landscape and was full of unpaved roads, but in recent years, those roads have been paved.
That said, the post office is surrounded by red-brick roofs and stone walls, and with bougainvillea blooming profusely along the eaves, it’s a building that truly embodies the spirit of Okinawa.
In front of the Kuroshima Post Office, the mailbox is the square type commonly seen these days, rather than the traditional round ones like those on Taketomi Island.
The post office features universal design, including a ramp, making it accessible and convenient for parents with strollers and senior citizens.
In addition, the parking lot can accommodate up to four cars, so you can visit by rental car.
On the remote islands of the Yaeyama archipelago, each island offers its own unique postmark.
For that reason, many people stop by to get a stamp as a souvenir.
You can get a postmark unique to Kuroshima at the Kuroshima Post Office, so be sure to stop by.
When people think of postmarks, they tend to think of the area where stamps are affixed on postcards or envelopes, but as long as a stamp worth 62 yen or more is affixed, you can get a postmark even on a notebook or autograph book.
Collectors often bring their own notebooks, but if you’d like to take something home as a souvenir, you might want to buy a postcard and have it stamped.
Of course, since scenic postmarks are also postmarks, postcards bearing them cannot be dropped into a mailbox, so please keep that in mind.
Just like post offices on the mainland, the Kuroshima Post Office is open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., so if you’d like to have a scenic postmark stamped on your mail, be sure to visit during these hours.
The scenic postmark for Kuroshima features Kuroshima Cathedral.
Kuroshima Cathedral is also known as one of the component sites of the “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki and Amakusa Regions,” which was inscribed on the World Heritage List (Cultural Heritage) on June 30, 2018.
Recommended Sightseeing Spots Near Kuroshima Post Office
Monument to the "100 Selected Roads"
To reach the "100 Selected Roads" monument from the Kuroshima Post Office, exit the post office and turn left.
It's on your right as you head east on Prefectural Road 213.
The "100 Best Roads in Japan" monument was erected to commemorate the selection of Prefectural Road 213 (Kuroshima Port Line) by the Ministry of Construction as one of Japan’s 100 Best Roads.
In 1986, when it was selected as one of the “100 Best Roads,” it was an unpaved road covered entirely in white sand; beyond the village, a beautiful rural landscape of ranches and pastures stretches out.
Although the roads have been paved and the landscape has changed compared to the past, there are still many houses typical of the Yaeyama Islands, and the scenery that is so characteristic of Okinawa remains unchanged.
It's right next to the Kuroshima Community Center, so you'll spot it right away.
Address: 1474 Kuroshima, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture
Directions: About a 30-minute walk or a 5-minute drive from Kuroshima Port
Parking: None
Meals (nearby): Available
Toilet: Yes
Kuroshima Observatory
To get to the Kuroshima Observation Deck from the Kuroshima Post Office, exit the post office and turn right. Follow Prefectural Road 213 toward the port for a short while, then turn right at the Y-intersection; the observation deck will be on your left. It’s right next to Kuroshima Elementary and Junior High School, so you’ll spot it right away. The observation deck has a spiral shape, and its design allows you to take in a panoramic view of the entire island.
Although the observation deck is only about 10 meters high, Kuroshima’s flat terrain allows you to take in a panoramic view of the entire island. On clear days, you can see not only the island itself but also Iriomote Island, Taketomi Island, and Ishigaki Island across the sea. There’s a gazebo next to the observation deck where you can relax and unwind.
Address: 1463 Kuroshima, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture
Directions: About a 21-minute walk or a 4-minute drive from Kuroshima Port
Parking: None
Meals (nearby): None
Toilet: None
Kitakamemawan (Nishahame-mawan, Nishikame-mawan)
To reach Kitakamemawan (Nishahame-mawan or Nishikame-mawan) from the Kuroshima Post Office, leave the post office, turn left, and then turn left again at the intersection marked by the “100 Selected Roads” monument.
If you continue straight along the road, you'll see Kitakamiyama Gokoku on your right.
As its name suggests, Kitakamiyama Ontake is a sacred site located in the northeastern part of the island.
There are also legends associated with this sacred mountain.
Once upon a time, three siblings lived on Kuroshima: the eldest brother was called Karama Kana, the younger brother was called Karajibouji, and the younger sister was called Kakirachimachi.
The brothers were sailors renowned for their skill at navigating ships; after successfully completing numerous voyages, they were given the name "Funado."
His descendant, Funamichi Taru, was also an accomplished sailor and successfully completed 37 voyages between the Yaeyama Islands and Okinawa without a single accident.
Actually, behind the scenes of his voyage, his highly intuitive younger sister had been praying for her brother’s safe return.
This place of prayer came to be revered as a sacred site of God and a shrine dedicated to safe voyages, eventually becoming the present-day Kitakamiyama Shrine.
Address: 1938 Kuroshima, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture
Directions: About a 27-minute walk or an 8-minute drive from Kuroshima Port
Parking: None
Meals (nearby): None
Toilet: None
Details about the Kuroshima Post Office
| Location | 1032-1 Kuroshima, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture (View in MAP) |
| Access | A 23-minute walk from Kuroshima Port |
| parking lot | ant |
| toilet | ant |
| Business Hours | - |
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Ishigaki Island Tours
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