Taketomi
Taketomi is a small coral island of the Yaeyama Islands, in Okinawa Prefecture in the Okinawa region, about fifteen minutes by boat from Ishigakijima, whose single village of red-tiled houses is protected as a whole.
Sekisei Lagoon, Okinawa
- Region
- Okinawa
- Journeys
- The Custom Tour of Japan
overview
Red roofs, coral walls and white sand lanes, swept smooth each morning.
Taketomi is flat and small, about nine kilometres around, with a few hundred people living in one village at its centre. The village houses are low, built against the wind, with roofs of red tile bedded in white plaster and a shisa lion on the ridge; around each one runs a wall of piled coral stone, and the lanes between them are of white coral sand, swept by the islanders in the morning. Hibiscus and bougainvillea spill over the walls.
The islanders have chosen to keep it this way. In 1986 they adopted a charter of their own, promising not to sell, not to soil, not to disorder and not to destroy their island, and to make good use of it, and the village was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1987. Their festivals keep the island's culture alive, above all the Tanadui, a seed-sowing festival of dances and plays kept up for centuries; and the island is the home of Asadoya Yunta, the best known of the Yaeyama songs.
By day, visitors come over from Ishigaki for a few hours; by evening they have gone, the village belongs to the island again, and that quiet is the reason to stay a night.
Our tours stay overnightOur tours visit for the dayOn a Custom Tour of Japan
see and do
What to see on Taketomi
The village
The red-tiled houses, coral walls and sand lanes of the three hamlets at the centre of the island, an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
The water-buffalo carts
Carts drawn by water buffalo through the sand lanes of the village at walking pace, the driver singing Yaeyama songs to the sanshin.
Kondoi Beach
The beach on the west coast, a long shallow lagoon of pale blue water over white sand, with Kohama and Iriomote on the horizon.
Kaiji Beach
A beach in the south-west where the sand is mixed with star sand, the tiny star-shaped shells of foraminifera, found by pressing a palm into the shore.
Nishi Sanbashi
The old west pier, a stone jetty running out into the sea, where the island gathers to watch the sun go down behind Kohama and Iriomote.
Taketomi Mingei-kan
The island's weaving workshop, where minsa sashes and Yaeyama jofu are woven on hand looms and the craft can be watched.
Yugafukan
The visitor centre near the harbour, telling the story of the island, its festivals and the way its village has been kept.
experiences
The best of Taketomi
A night on the island
An evening in the village after the last boat has left, the lanes quiet, the stars bright over the red roofs, and the island as its people know it.
The village by buffalo cart
A slow ride through the sand lanes behind a water buffalo, the driver pointing out the village houses and singing Asadoya Yunta as the cart turns the corners.
Minsa at the loom
An hour at the weaving workshop with a weaver of minsa, the sash of five and four squares that was once a pledge of marriage.
Sunset at Nishi Sanbashi
The walk to the old pier at the end of the day, to watch the light go down over Kohama and Iriomote across the water.
plan your visit
Taketomi on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- One night lets Taketomi be seen at its quietest, in the evening and the morning; two lets the island's slow pace settle in.
- Getting there
- By boat from the ferry terminal in Ishigaki town, about fifteen minutes, with frequent crossings through the day. New Ishigaki Airport is about thirty minutes from the ferry terminal by car.
- Pairs well with
- Taketomi sits a short crossing from Ishigakijima, with Iriomote further west by boat and Miyakojima or Yonaguni a short flight from Ishigaki's airport.IshigakijimaIriomoteMiyakojimaYonaguni
where to stay
Luxury hotels and ryokan on Taketomi
On the edge of the island stands a village of its own, its pavilions built in Taketomi's manner of red tile and coral stone walls, each set apart behind its own wall, around a pool and lanes of white sand. It is a short ride from the old village and the beaches, and the evening there is very still.
Within the village itself, a few small family inns offer simple rooms behind the coral walls, for those who want to wake among the islanders' homes.
journeys
Taketomi on a private journey
We bring guests to Taketomi on the Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director.
questions
Taketomi: questions answered
How do you get to Taketomi Island?
By boat from the ferry terminal in Ishigaki town, about fifteen minutes. Boats run frequently through the day.
How long do you need on Taketomi?
A few hours are enough to see the village and a beach, but a night is far better, since the day visitors leave in the evening and the island grows quiet.
Can you stay overnight on Taketomi?
Yes, in a resort of walled pavilions on the edge of the village, or at one of the small family inns within it.
What is star sand?
Star sand is made of the tiny star-shaped shells of foraminifera, single-celled sea creatures, and is found on Kaiji Beach and other shores of the Yaeyama Islands.
How do you get around Taketomi?
On foot, by bicycle or by water-buffalo cart. The island is about nine kilometres around and flat, and the village is small enough to walk.
Can Taketomi 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, Taketomi included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
okinawa
More in Okinawa
Taketomi, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Taketomi, 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.