Miyako Island (or Miyakojima) is a place of profound calm, where vivid turquoise waters — referred to as “Miyako blue” — meet untouched stretches of white sand and lush subtropical nature. Located about 300 kilometers southwest of Okinawa’s capital, Naha, it is the fourth largest island in the prefecture, long revered for its natural beauty and quiet spirituality.

Amid this tranquil setting stands a new sanctuary of modern elegance: Rosewood Miyakojima, the brand’s first destination in Japan. Thoughtfully attuned to its surroundings, the resort mirrors the island’s quiet spirit in both design and sensibility, inviting guests to move at the island’s unhurried pace. Here, sweeping coastal vistas and refined comfort come together in harmony, offering a retreat that feels both elevated and deeply connected to place.

From this serene base, guests can explore the island’s many wonders: its pristine beaches, vibrant coral reefs and rich cultural heritage.

A Series of Seaside Villas

Each building at Rosewood Miyakojima is designed to harmonize with its surroundings, blending sustainability with subtle elegance. Local materials, including the island’s distinctive Ryukyu limestone, are thoughtfully woven into the architecture, and the lodgings draw on classic Japanese minimalism, offering a serene counterpoint to the exuberant greenery that surrounds them.  The result is a resort that feels intimately tied to Miyako Island’s landscape.

The resort overlooks Oura Bay, with panoramic views of the beachfront. Its 55 accommodations — sumptuous villas and three private guest houses — are dispersed across a quiet peninsula divided into five zones, each with an Okinawan name to reflect its distinctive location or view: Daya (cliffside), Mui (hills), Miji (water), Uru (sand) and Isu (rocky shore).

The three largest residences — Upra, Kuura, and Kamii — command the cliffside, rocky beach and peninsula tip, respectively, and feature expansive terraces, private pools and elegantly appointed bedrooms that open to the ocean breeze. With soaring 3-meter ceilings and attentive butler service, each villa exudes a sense of effortless, refined luxury.

Exceptional Amenities

In addition to elegant private lodgings, Rosewood Miyakojima offers world-class dining and wellness facilities. The resort’s dining options employ an earth-to-table philosophy that delivers fresh ingredients and an unmatched depth of flavor — from locally distilled Ryukyu awamori, an alcoholic spirit native to Okinawa, to handpicked seafood caught by fishermen that same morning.

The all-day dining concept Nagi serves authentic Italian cuisine infused with Japanese techniques that emphasize health and longevity, while the oceanside restaurant Maas showcases the simple pleasures of premium ingredients enhanced with salt, regarded in Okinawan culture as a gift from the sea. Yukuu, the poolside bar, offers carefully crafted cocktails to enjoy alongside the gentle rhythm of the water.

Okinawa prides itself as the home of some of the longest-living people on Earth thanks to an innately healthy and peaceful lifestyle; this culture of wellness and balance is reflected in the resort’s Asaya Spa. Guests can unwind from accumulated stress with restorative therapies offered in the spa’s six private treatment rooms, or in the sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy facility and skincare atelier.

Venture Into an Underwater Kingdom

The Miyako archipelago, made up of Miyako Island and several smaller islands, is celebrated for having some of Japan’s most stunning beaches and reefs. Stretching roughly 17 kilometers, the colorful Yabiji coral reef — often called the “Great Barrier Reef of Japan” — is one of the largest coral groups in the country. A world-class snorkeling destination, Yabiji enchants visitors with its underwater gardens of vivid coral and ocean flora; tropical fish, manta rays and even sea turtles may make an appearance. The waters here are remarkably clear, with visibility extending up to 30 meters, allowing sunlight to penetrate the surface and illuminate a glittering underwater spectacle.

Guests at Rosewood Miyakojima can explore this marine world with guidance from the hotel’s diving concierge after consulting with Noriko Nakayama, the resort’s managing director and in-house environmental scientist.

Other prime snorkeling locations include Imgya Marine Garden on Miyako Island’s south coast, where abundant marine life — tomato clownfish, trumpet fish, teardrop butterfly fish and emperor angelfish, among others — can be observed just a few meters below the surface, making it accessible even for children and novice divers.

The Miyako archipelago is also known for its cavernous formations. Beneath the waters of Irabu Island, connected to Miyako Island via the Irabu Bridge, lies the popular Blue Cave, a striking grotto overlaid with a deep sapphire hue that highlights the island’s dramatic underwater topography. Above water and back on Miyako Island, Yonaha Maehama Beach — or simply Maehama Beach to locals — routinely ranks among Japan’s finest. Its pristine white sands, contrasted with the blue gradient of the shoreline, create a picture-perfect vision of paradise.

More Info

To book a stay at Rosewood Miyakojima, click here.