Made from 100% natural flowers, this hotel's original honey is packed with the bounty of Yanbaru.

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As a hotel located in the northern part of Okinawa Prefecture, an area known as "Yanbaru," we want to convey the depth and charm of Yanbaru together with the people of Yanbaru. With this in mind, in 2022 we started beekeeping on Yagaji Island, a small remote island in Nago City. We asked for cooperation from Daiki Miura, head of the beekeeping farm "Okinawa Bee Happy." Miura is a person who knows the "natural blessings of Yanbaru" inside and out, making honey from only flowers that bloom in nature, mainly on Yagaji Island. Miura and Oriental Hotel Okinawa are partners in the "Yanbaru Farmer Project," a project that brings together farmers, restaurants, accommodation facilities, and processing companies to promote regional revitalization centered on Yanbaru food.

Many people who have eaten Miura's honey have praised it, saying, "It's like tasting real nectar." How can he produce honey that has the flavor and aroma of nectar? To find out the secret, we visited his beekeeping site.

Daiki Miura is the organizer of Okinawa Bee Happy, a beekeeping organization based on Yagaji Island. He started beekeeping in 2012 after switching careers from being a nature guide. Currently, in addition to beekeeping, he also holds honey squeezing experiences and beeswax workshops from time to time.

• Table of Contents
• Nago is the best place in Okinawa for bees to live.
• Making honeybees stress-free
• Don't miss the harvest time when the fruit is at its most fragrant and flavorful
• More than just honey: gifts from bees

Nago is the best place in Okinawa for bees to live.

A wide variety of flowers bloom throughout the year, attracting bees

It was a warm, warm autumn day with a dazzling blue sky. In the two hives placed in the garden of the cafe CALiN on Yagaji Island, bees were constantly coming and going. "The bees are in a good mood on sunny days." Beekeeper Daiki Miura told us the surprising fact that bees also have good and bad moods. He started beekeeping on Yagaji Island about 10 years ago, and installed the two hives here at CALiN. He raises bees together with the hotel.

"It's true that during typhoons, the bees are unable to move, which reduces honey yields significantly, and the effects continue for some time after the typhoon has finished. But Okinawa, and Nago in particular, is so well suited to beekeeping that it more than makes up for that," he said, pointing to the flowers blooming around the hives, explaining the reason for this.

"Honeybees stop being active when the temperature drops below 15 degrees, but in warm Okinawa they are able to be active all year round. What's more, the flowers from which nectar can be collected bloom all year round, making it the perfect environment for honeybees. Nago, where Yagaji Island is located, is particularly rich in satoyama and deep mountains, so a wide variety of flowers bloom in every season. This is the reason why beekeeping has become so popular. We now have the most beehives per unit area in Japan."

Yagaji Island is home to an abundance of wild flowers, including Bidens frondosa and Cajeput, that grow throughout the year. Honey made by bees that grow by feeding on the nectar and pollen of these 100% natural flowers is only natural for the honey to have a rich, floral scent.

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With Miura's cooperation, the Oriental Hotel Okinawa's beehive was installed in the garden of the cafe "CALiN" in 2022.

When harvesting honey, they wear protective masks made from handmade straw hats. They have wide brims and are highly breathable, allowing them to work in a cool environment.

Bidens frondosa grows abundantly on Yagaji Island. It is an important food source for honeybees and the main source of nectar for the honey that Miura produces.

About 10,000 bees live in one hive, with only one queen bee among them becoming the mother.

Making honeybees stress-free

The placement, number and method of beehive placement. Making high-quality honey with unique ideas.

Rather than relying on the geographical advantage of Yagaji Island, Miura devotes himself to producing high-quality honey, using his own ingenuity. Many of his ingenuity is based on the theme of "how to keep the bees stress-free," and the most prominent example of this is his beekeeping method.

Beekeeping can be broadly divided into two methods: mobile beekeeping and fixed beekeeping. In the former, professional beekeepers move around with their bees in search of seasonal flowers. In the latter, the beekeepers stay in one place and collect nectar from the various flowers that bloom there. Miura says that fixed beekeeping puts less stress on the bees.

"It is said that the range of a bee's activity is basically a radius of 1km, but with fixed beekeeping, that range is expanded, and the variety and number of flowers that can be harvested increases. I think this is because continuing to live in the same place puts less strain on the bees' bodies and makes them healthier." When bees fly around energetically, they can collect more and more diverse nectar from flowers, which gives the honey a more complex and rich flavor.

Miura also pays attention to the location and number of beehives.

"If we place too many hives within the limited range of the bees' movement, it will become saturated and there will be a shortage of nectar from the flowers within that area. To prevent this, we reduce the number of hives per location and instead disperse them around Yagaji Island."

Japanese beekeeping facilities often have dozens of hives in one location, and artificially feed the bees with sugar water and other foods to make up for the lack of nectar. Although this is an efficient method, it is easy to imagine that it affects the quality of the taste. On the other hand, Miura is committed to feeding the bees only with natural nectar in pursuit of a more delicious, natural taste, and places hives all over the island, sparing no effort in looking after them.

All bees except the queen are worker bees. They are divided into two groups, one for collecting nectar and one for collecting pollen, and fly from flower to flower during the sunny day.

Honeybees build combs using beeswax secreted from their bodies on top of frames inside the hive, and store nectar and pollen in them.

Miura recently installed the latest hive, which allows him to collect honey without squeezing it out of the frames, minimizing the discomfort to the bees.

Don't miss the harvest time when the fruit is at its most fragrant and flavorful

Aiming for greater heights with the support of chefs

The timing of the harvest is also important for honey, which is made with a great deal of ingenuity and love. If the honey is not harvested when it reaches an optimal sugar content of 78 to 80 degrees and the aroma is at its best, all the hard work will be for nothing. "The best time to harvest depends on the season and the weather, but I managed to get the hang of it through experience."

Miura says that the taste has been further refined thanks to his tireless efforts and the advice of his client's chefs, who have a discerning palate. "The more requests we receive, such as 'I want this flavor,' or 'This aroma is not enough,' the more I want to respond to their requests, and it motivates me." It is moving to think that Oriental Hotel Okinawa's original honey was created through Miura's sincere passion, which does not allow for compromise.

The honey made by Miura is less viscous than regular honey, has a smooth texture, and melts quickly on the tongue.

More than just honey: gifts from bees

A teaspoon of honey conveys the life of Yanbaru

Honey is not the only thing you can get from raising bees. Many of them, such as royal jelly, propolis, and beeswax, are highly nutritious and have antibacterial properties, and are used for a wide range of purposes, from food to cosmetics. Miura is active in conveying the charms of bees and honey, as well as the richness of the nature of Yagaji Island and Yanbaru, through workshops such as making beeswax candles and holding honey harvesting classes with children.

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The pollen balls that bees roll into balls using their own enzymes are highly nutritious and are valued as a superfood. Miura calls what bees produce "gifts" and conveys their profound appeal in workshops and other activities.

Another gift from bees is beeswax. It is a wax secreted by bees to build their hives, and has a high moisturizing effect, so it is used as an ingredient in cosmetics.

"Because Yagaji Island is a small island, most of the children leave the island when they become adults. That's why I want them to remember the beautiful nature of their hometown. Even if they live far away, if they remember the taste of this honey, they will be able to recall the scenery of Yagaji Island, just for that moment. The memory of the taste will awaken their 'pride as people of Yagaji Island.' I think that is the hope behind making the honey here."

Honey, which is completed only when the forest, flowers, and insects are all connected, is harvested as early as May or mid-June, around the end of the rainy season, and can be enjoyed in the hotel lounge. Why not take this opportunity to experience the magnificent story woven by the nature of Yagaji Island through a teaspoon of honey? This will be the true joy of a unique trip that we at Yanbaru Hotels can offer.

Okinawa Happy

A natural beekeeping project by beekeeper Daiki Miura. Originally from Tokyo, Miura moved to Okinawa and worked as a nature guide before producing honey from the nectar of flowers in the Yanbaru area, mainly on Yagaji Island. His activities go beyond beekeeping; he also actively holds educational programs for elementary school students on Yagaji Island, as well as workshops, lectures, and event stalls in various places both inside and outside the prefecture. His special honey is on sale at hotels and cafes in Okinawa.

Okinawa Bee Happy Instagram (For inquiries, please click here)