The name Hateruma comes from the Okinawan dialect word “uruma” meaning “coral.” The island has a circumference of 14.8 km and a population of 580. It is famous as the southernmost point of Japan. To this day much of the island remains as it was in days gone by, a beautiful natural island of sugar cane fields and crystal clear waters. It can be reached by a commuter plane, which operates a 25-minute flight from Ishigaki once a day. Or you can take a ferry, which runs three times a day and takes about an hour.