The Star Sands of Hoshizuna-no-hama

Look closely, and you’ll see that the sands of this beach are very special. In fact, only two places on Earth are known to produce the tiny star-shaped grains of sand that make up Hoshizuna-no-hama (Star Sand Beach).

These unique grains are actually the pointy husks of millions of tiny protists known as Foraminifera. Hoshizuna-no-hama is found on the north shore of the island of Iriomote, within the greater Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. Star sand beaches can also be found on the neighboring island of Hatoma, as well as the Kaijihama and Aiyaruhama beaches on the island of Taketomi.

Iriomote Island is also known for its vast jungles, and a rare subspecies of the leopard cat, the Iriomote-yamaneko. It is part of the Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park.