Ishigakijima
Ishigakijima is the main island of the Yaeyama Islands, in Okinawa Prefecture in the Okinawa region, about 410 kilometres south-west of Okinawa Island and closer to Taiwan than to Naha, and the port from which Taketomi and Iriomote are reached.
A cove on the north coast of Ishigakijima
- Region
- Okinawa
- Journeys
- The Custom Tour of Japan
overview
Jade bays, forested hills and the outer islands of Japan a short crossing away.
Ishigakijima is hillier and greener than Miyakojima. Mount Omoto, at 526 metres the highest peak in Okinawa Prefecture, rises in the centre of the island, its slopes covered in subtropical forest, and the coast alternates between bays of white sand, mangrove estuaries and coral reef. Much of the island and its sea lies within Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, and its night skies are so dark that the park has been certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.
The Yaeyama Islands have a culture distinct even from Okinawa Island. Their songs, sung to the sanshin, are known across Japan; the minsa weave, a narrow sash of five and four squares meaning forever, was once given by a woman to the man she would marry; and the samurai house of Miyara Donchi and the temple of Torin-ji recall the islands' government under the Ryukyu court. The town of Ishigaki, on the south coast, is the centre of it all, with its port, its market and an evening life of small restaurants and music.
Ishigakijima is the hub of the southern islands: direct flights from Tokyo, resort hotels on its beaches, and a ferry terminal from which Taketomi is fifteen minutes away and Iriomote under an hour.
Our tours stay overnightOur tours visit for the dayOn a Custom Tour of Japan
see and do
What to see on Ishigakijima
Kabira Bay
A bay on the north-west coast of jade and turquoise water around small green islands, designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty. Black pearls are cultivated in its calm water, and glass-bottomed boats go out over the coral.
Shiraho reef
The reef off the east coast is home to one of the largest colonies of blue coral in the northern hemisphere, a wide underwater meadow seen from a glass-bottomed boat.
Tamatorizaki
A lookout on a ridge in the north-east, over the narrow Hirakubo Peninsula with the Pacific on one side and the East China Sea on the other.
Taketomi, a short crossing from Ishigaki Hirakubozaki
The northernmost point of the island, a white lighthouse on a headland above the reef, with the small island of Daijima offshore.
The Yonehara palm grove
A forest of Yaeyama palms, which grow only in the Yaeyama Islands, at the foot of Mount Omoto near the north coast, protected as a natural monument.
Miyara Donchi
The residence of a Yaeyama official, built in 1819 in the style of a samurai house of Shuri, with a garden of coral rock; the only one of its kind left in the islands.
Torin-ji and Gongen-do
A Zen temple founded in 1614 and the shrine beside it, with guardian statues at the gate that are among the oldest wooden carvings in the prefecture.
The Fukido River mangroves
A mangrove estuary on the west coast, where the trees stand on their roots in the tidal water and small crabs move across the mud.
The Yaeyama Museum
A small museum in the town, with dugout boats, textiles and festival masks of the islands.
Ishigaki City Public Market
The covered market of the town, its stalls of reef fish, island pork, Ishigaki beef, salt and island fruits, at the centre of the arcades.
experiences
The best of Ishigakijima
Kabira by glass-bottomed boat
The bay seen from a boat with a glass floor, over the coral, the giant clams and the fish of the bay, the small islands passing on either side.
The Yaeyama Islands by private boat
A boat with its own captain from the ferry terminal to Taketomi, Kohama or Iriomote, choosing the islands and the hours, with lunch ashore.
A night of stars
An evening with a guide in the darkest corner of the island, where most of the constellations of the sky can be seen and the Milky Way is plain to the eye.
Ishigaki beef
Wagyu raised on the island's pastures, grilled at the table or served as sushi, with Yaeyama songs and awamori to follow in the town.
plan your visit
Ishigakijima on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- Three nights on Ishigakijima, with a day for the island and a day for Taketomi or Iriomote by boat; add a night on Taketomi or Iriomote, or Miyakojima, for a longer stay.
- Getting there
- Direct flights from Tokyo Haneda reach New Ishigaki Airport in a little over three hours, and from Naha in about an hour. The airport is about thirty minutes by car from the town and its ferry terminal.
- Pairs well with
- Taketomi and Iriomote are short crossings from the ferry terminal, Yonaguni and Miyakojima short flights, and Okinawa Island and Naha an hour north by air.TaketomiIriomoteMiyakojimaYonaguniOkinawa IslandNaha
where to stay
Luxury hotels and ryokan on Ishigakijima
On Maesato Beach on the south coast, close to the town and the ferry terminal, a resort hotel has gardens running down to the sand, pools, a spa and several restaurants of its own. Its position makes it the easiest base for the outer islands.
For a quieter stay, the north-west coast around Kabira and Yonehara has smaller resorts and private villas facing the bays, a drive of about forty minutes from the town. Many guests also spend a night on Taketomi or Iriomote, where the evenings are quieter still.
journeys
Ishigakijima on a private journey
We bring guests to Ishigakijima on the Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director.
questions
Ishigakijima: questions answered
How many days do you need in Ishigaki?
Three nights: a day for the island and Kabira Bay, a day for Taketomi or Iriomote, and time for the sea. Add a night on Taketomi or Iriomote for a slower stay.
How do you get to Ishigaki from Tokyo?
By a direct flight from Haneda, a little over three hours. There are also flights from Naha, about an hour, and from Miyakojima, about thirty-five minutes.
Can you swim in Kabira Bay?
No. Swimming is not allowed in Kabira Bay, which has pearl farms and moorings; the bay is seen from the shore and from glass-bottomed boats.
Can you visit Taketomi and Iriomote from Ishigaki?
Yes. Taketomi is about fifteen minutes by boat from the ferry terminal in Ishigaki town, and Iriomote about forty to fifty minutes, so each makes an easy day.
Should you visit Ishigaki or Miyakojima?
Both, if there is time, since they are about thirty-five minutes apart by air. Ishigakijima is hillier and the gateway to Taketomi and Iriomote; Miyakojima has longer beaches and its bridges.
What is Ishigaki known for?
Kabira Bay, the coral of the Yaeyama Islands, Ishigaki beef, the starry skies of the national park, and its place as the gateway to Taketomi and Iriomote.
Can Ishigakijima be part of a private tour of Japan?
Yes. The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director, and it can go anywhere in the country, Ishigakijima included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
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Ishigakijima, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Ishigakijima, and we will answer with a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone, or, if you would rather travel independently, an Expert Japan Itinerary that plans every day for you.