Nagata Inakahama Beach
Nagata Inakahama Beach is one of Yakushima’s most beautiful beaches. Despite its granite-rich soft sand and stunning views of nearby Kuchinoerabu Island, the beach is relatively quiet throughout the year. It is busiest from May to July when thousands of green and loggerhead sea turtles visit the beach to nest. On some nights, up to about forty turtles come ashore to lay 60–100 eggs in the sands. Visitors wishing to view the turtles laying eggs need to make a reservation with an organized tour. This rule helps to protect and preserve the sea turtles’ nesting grounds. From May 1 to August 31, the beach is out of bounds for visitors during the night between 7:30 pm and 5:00 am in the morning.