Aoshima Island — Tropical Island Shrine
Aoshima is a small island (1.5km circumference) connected to the mainland by a walking bridge, famous for two features: Aoshima Shrine (dedicated to matchmaking and marriage) and the 'Devil's Washboard' (鬼の洗濯板) — a geological formation of wave-eroded sandstone creating rippled platforms that circle the island. The island is covered in subtropical jungle plants including Japanese fan palms, giving it a tropical atmosphere unusual in Japan.
The washboard formations are exposed at low tide, creating dramatic striped patterns when viewed from above.
Essential Information
Opening Hours
Bridge access 24/7. Aoshima Shrine hours 6:00–18:00.
Closed: Open daily year-round
Entrance Fee
Free
Best Season
Low tide for Devil's Washboard exploration; weekday mornings (8:00–10:00) for peaceful shrine visit without crowds
Visit Duration
90 minutes for shrine visit, washboard exploration, and island circuit walk
Getting There
Access Information
Insider Guide
Book Your Stay Nearby
Find accommodation close to Aoshima Island — Tropical Island Shrine on these trusted booking platforms:
Nearby Spots
The closest hidden gems to Aoshima Island — Tropical Island Shrine, by straight-line distance.
Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo — Flamingo Paradise
Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo is set on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean, housing 1,200 animals with particular focu…
Ogura Honten — Birthplace of Chicken Nanban
Ogura Honten is the legendary restaurant that invented Chicken Nanban with tartar sauce — one of Japan's most beloved co…
Fruits Garden Nagano — Miyazaki Mango Parfait
Miyazaki produces over 60% of Japan's premium Taiyo no Tamago mangoes. Fruits Garden Nagano is a family-run greengrocer-…
Suisen — Binchotan Charcoal Chicken Bar
Suisen is an intimate yakitori bar that seats only 20 guests and revolves entirely around Miyazaki chicken grilled over…
Miyazaki Beef — Premium Wagyu Experience
Miyazaki cattle are born from specific bloodlines traced back to a prize bull named Monjiro (foaled 1989). Calves spend…
Gunkei Kakushigura — Hidden Jidori Chicken Den
Tucked inside a narrow alley off Chuo-dori, Gunkei Kakushigura is one of Miyazaki City's most celebrated specialists in…
More in Miyazaki
Udo Jingu Shrine — Cliffside Cave Sanctuary
Udo Jingu is one of Japan's most dramatically sited shrines — built inside a seaside cave carved into volcanic cliffs, w…
Sun Messe Nichinan — Moai Statues Overlooking Pacific
Sun Messe Nichinan is a hillside park featuring seven full-scale Moai statues — officially licensed replicas of Easter I…
Takachiho Yokagura — All-Night Sacred Dance
Between mid-November and early February, 20 villages across Takachiho hold all-night kagura ceremonies in private homes…
