A pool on the beachfront at Rosewood Miyakojima. Courtesy of Rosewood Miyakojima
Give Us the Skinny
On an intimate peninsula embraced by the dreamily aquamarine seascape signature to the Blue Zone of Okinawa, Rosewood Miyakojima opened in March 2025 to discreetly claim the mantle of most sumptuous stay on Miyako. Rosewood’s debut property in Japan, on the “Island of Prayers,” is a meditative exhale from the moment of arrival in the hilltop lobby, which opens up to gentle sea breezes and previews the low-slung limestone-clad resort below.
The Vibe
Quiet luxury is the overarching attitude, but not without a splash of fun. Rosewood Miyakojima is barefoot opulence at its finest—a place without pretense or pressure on guests to impress, and where romance is most definitely in the air but, still, children are heartily welcomed. It’s a fine line to walk and Rosewood does it beautifully here, somehow adding subtle sparkle to each and every moment. The Asaya Spa’s Okinawan-tinged treatments certainly only enhance the idyllic vibe.
Beachfront living
Island views
NAGI restaurant
The Location
Rosewood Miyakojima occupies a private peninsula that juts northward on the top end of Miyako, meaning it’s surrounded on three sides by the famous and endlessly captivating “Miyako Blue” waters I felt compelled to photograph endlessly. It captures sunrise on the Daya side, where we slumbered peacefully, and sunset on the opposite for lovely luminous light all day long and a liberal sprinkling of stars each night. It’s a smooth 2-minute drive to the Miyako Airport (MMY), past sugarcane fields and modest homes, and not far from exceptionally beautiful beaches, snorkeling and diving spots accessed via catamaran, and a fifth-generation togei pottery studio, where I had a phenomenal time making a clay shisa lion mask à la Okinawa’s protective amulet with the youngest working member of the talented Kinjo family.
The Crowd
Guests during my stay were primarily from Japan, elegant and well-traveled folks—couples escaping their kids, young families, and multi-gen groups—on relaxing holidays in a place of supreme beauty. Forthcoming nonstop flights from Hong Kong and Taipei this summer guarantee an influx of guests from those destinations, which is going to make it a far easier—and more direct, since it’s only 410 kilometers from the latter—and more appealing trip than transiting through Okinawa.
Kamii room king bed
Kuura room living area
Kuura room dining area
The Rooms
It was just a few hours into my stay that I began pondering whether I could live permanently in my 60-square-meter, one-bedroom Studio Piet Boon–designed villa, and I quickly decided that yes, it would be delightful. It’d be a bit of a squeeze for my family of four, but we’d make do, especially considering the small but comprehensive kitchen, spacious living space and powder room providing a second Toto toilet.
Every one of the 52 villas and three homes in the walkable, compact and chic Rosewood Miyakojima compound faces the East China Sea, and each has its own swimming pool with a view and outdoor dining, loungers and comfy seating for a double dose of the divine wellbeing that comes from being near water. As quiet and serene as the entire place is, thanks to sandy toned interiors laced with hand-textured wood, smooth stone, and pops of blues in the woven artworks and bespoke handmade ceramics, it’s also designed for good times. The bar is bountifully stocked with delicious local spirits and snacks along with imported wines and Champagne that act as invitations to indulge in sake or Japanese whisky in the evening and herbal teas and juices like liquified mango by day.
Ocean View Villa living area and pool
I love a clear, well-labeled lighting scheme and found my villa’s to be happily user friendly, with dimmers in the living room and easily operated sheers and blackout shades, though with the view outside we left those open to better take in the surroundings. A generous closet, double vanity and wet room containing a bath that cannot be missed were highlights of the bathroom, where amenities in paper boxes acted as reminders of the resort-wide commitment to reducing single-use plastic. I’d be remiss to not call out the idiosyncratically Japanese touches, too, such as the shoe rack at the villa’s entry, and absolutely delectable welcome treat, a pineapple- and fruit custard–laden wafer-like pastry sandwich called Fruits Monaka.
The Food and Drink
As I firmly believe should be a given at a beach resort, the four dining concepts are all as close as they could possibly be to the sea. The main restaurant at Rosewood Miyakojima, NAGI (meaning “silent sea”) sits behind the fresh, flawless infinity pools and swimmable beach and offers three meals a day celebrating Japanese techniques translated for Italian recipes. Breakfast was luscious and included sets incorporating fantastic miso soup and grilled salmon but also a selection of absurdly great pastries and quite possibly the best just-squeezed orange juice of my several decades. I’m still thinking about the ravioli stuffed with king crab in a lemony brown butter sauce I savored there for dinner one night after prosciutto with sweet, soft island cantaloupe, but also the quintessential Miyako soba and tonkatsu from lunch.
Poolside bar YUKUU, whose aptly descriptive name in Miyako dialect means “relax by the beach,” delivers enticing spritzes with Japanese botanical aromas and locally inspired tiki drinks to the loungers and daybeds with presentations worthy of the artistic destination. My favorite bites were the addictive black pork gyoza and bright Spaghetti San Marzano with stracciatella cheese and lemon zest.
MAAS counter
YUKUU poolside bar
From the intimate bar and outdoor tables of MAAS, meaning “salt” in the local dialect, I was delighted by the creamy, almost burrata-like texture of Miyako island tofu and wowed by the freshness of bluefin tuna plus more sashimi and ceviche. It’s all caught by Miyako-bred spearfisherman, Mr. Takada, who brings his bounty directly to the resort daily; the vibrant selection is carefully arranged in a glass case every day and nothing is wasted. A cocktail masterclass there also brought insight to the Japanese traditions of highballs and sours, and made the pineapple-yellow MAAS Sour cocktail full of grown-on-the-island ingredients I later enthusiastically sipped even more tantalizing.
The fourth outlet, CHOMA, was not yet open during my visit as, in true Japanese form, I was told they want to make sure it’s perfect first. Expected later in 2025, the concept will include separate teppanyaki and eight-seat omakase sushi counters, plus yakitori and tempura offerings all a step or two off the sand by the resort’s second virginal beach, with the jewel-like expanse as the backdrop to every dinner.
The Service
In addition to Okinawan natives and staff from other parts of Japan, the team at Rosewood Miyakojima includes a global array of friendly, smiling people who, in my experience, connected easily with guests. I spoke Bahasa Indonesia with gals from the archipelago where I reside, chatted about Buenos Aires with Argentinian servers, and learned more about Japan from the locals who transmitted so much passion in their stories and descriptions. Housekeeping was on top of things, if a bit too fastidious about replacing our half-consumed spirits, and the restaurant staff were quick to assist with our baby stroller, even carrying it and my daughter up a flight of stairs with a wide smile.
Would We Visit Again?
In a literal heartbeat. But I’d have to bring my older daughter and husband along, too, since she’d swoon over the Rosewood Explorers Club playground and many hands-on activities, and he’d dig the minimalist Ryukyu-referencing architecture, not to mention endless parade of extraordinary seafood. In my dreams we’d have a recommitment ceremony in the seaside wedding pavilion and bring our nearest and dearest for a healthy dose of Miyako Blue— that’s how heavenly this place is.
rosewoodhotels.com; doubles from JPY 202,400 per night
Photos courtesy of Rosewood Miyakojima
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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Written By
Kathryn Romeyn
Kathryn Romeyn is an American writer, editor and podcast host based in Bali, Indonesia. A travel journalist ..Read Moresince 2006, much of her work is devoted to exploring culture, design and nature, typically with her two young daughters and architect husband in tow. Kathryn has traveled on six continents and through more than 60 countries, writing more than 1,000 articles for such publications as Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, AFAR, The Hollywood Reporter, and Conde Nast Traveler. Whether it’s trekking through Rwanda in search of mountain gorillas, immersing in the unique cultures of Indonesia or reporting on the latest biophilic resort, Kathryn delights in telling stories that marry beautiful places and aesthetics with singular experiences. Read Less
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