Ishigaki is one of Japan’s most southern islands, located almost 2000km from Tokyo. It is actually closer to Taiwan (270km) than anywhere else in Japan. A new airport opened on the island in 2013 and there are now frequent flights to Ishigaki, both domestic and international.
Direct flights operate from major cities including Tokyo (3.5 hours), Osaka (2 hours) and Naha Okinawa (1 hour). There are also seasonal international flights, primarily from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Visitors arriving from other locations can transfer via Naha or mainland Japan.
The airport is located on the eastern coast of the island and it takes around 40 minutes by bus to the city centre (¥540) and 50 minutes to Kabira (¥700), a popular bay. There are also multi-day bus passes available. Buses leave for the city centre every 15 minutes from 07:00 to 21:00. A taxi costs about ¥3000 to the city centre and ¥4500 to Kabira.
There are no passenger ferry services to Ishigaki from mainland Japan or Okinawa, but cruise ships call there and that’s how we arrived, spending the day exploring this interesting subtropical island that, in many ways, doesn’t seem like Japan at all.
Ishigaki-jima, to give it its full Japanese name, is the main island of Yaeyama archipelago in Okinawa prefecture, at the south-westernmost end of Japan. Long a favourite of Japanese in springtime, Ishigaki has become increasingly popular among foreign tourists over the past few years.
Ishigaki has a tropical rainforest climate with long summers and mild winters. It’s humid all year round, but the rainy season is one of the shortest in Japan, lasting only two to four weeks in May/June. The most popular season to visit is summer and early autumn—June to October—although this is also the typhoon season. We were there in October and it was still very hot.
Ishigaki has some interesting food that is unique to the region. Ishigaki beef is renowned for its rich marbling and tender texture. It is best enjoyed as yakiniku (grilled beef) or steak at specialised restaurants.
Then there is Yaeyama soba. Unlike traditional buckwheat soba, Yaeyama soba noodles are made from wheat flour and served in a light bonito-based broth. It is a staple dish on the island and often topped with pork and green onions.
Finally, described as a fusion of Mexican and Okinawan flavours, taco rice consists of seasoned ground beef, lettuce, cheese, and salsa served over rice. There is also an abundance of fresh seafood, including tuna, marlin and locally caught shellfish.
Ishigaki offers several nice beaches and snorkelling can be enjoyed at almost every beach on the island. The beaches usually have public facilities such as showers, restrooms and rental shops, but there are no lifeguards and the facilities may be closed outside of summer.
Diving is offered through the numerous dive shops with tours available for all experience levels. A diving highlight is Manta Scramble near Kabira Bay, where manta rays congregate in large numbers. Most of the photos here were taken in or around Kabira Bay.
Here are some of the best beaches:
Yonehara Beach
Admission free, 500 yen for parking
This is one of Ishigaki’s nicest beaches with some of the best snorkelling on the island. The beach is mostly covered in pieces of white coral, and its reef offers great snorkelling and diving. There are shower, restroom and changing facilities, and snorkelling equipment can be rented at the camping site nearby.
Sukuji Beach
Admission free, no parking fees
The one-kilometre-long Sukuji Beach, near Kabira Bay, is one of Ishigaki Island’s most pleasant sand beaches. The waters are shallow with a sandy bottom and offer swimming and snorkelling with a portion of the beach netted off to protect swimmers from habu jellyfish. Showers, restrooms and changing rooms are located near the parking area. The Club Med Kabira Ishigaki resort is located at one end of the beach.
Sunset Beach
Admission 500 yen for facilities and 500 yen for parking
Sunset Beach is a sand beach located in a cove along the western side of Ishigaki’s tail shaped north-eastern peninsula. The beach is a short walk down from the parking lot and offers swimming and snorkelling that is good even at low tide. Most of the beach is surrounded by a net to protect swimmers from habu jellyfish. Next to the parking lot are picnic areas and paid showers and restrooms.
Kabira Bay
Boat departures: 09:00 to 17:00
Boat fee: 1300 yen
Emerald blue Kabira Bay (Kabirawan) is considered Ishigaki Island’s most scenic view. However, swimming, snorkelling and diving are not allowed, but a glass bottom boat takes tourists on a 30-minute ride to look at the bay’s underwater world. Kabira Bay, along with Iriomote, are the only two cultivation sites of black pearls in Japan, hence the ban on water sports.
On top of the hill nearby the observation point is Kabira Kannon Temple, which we walked around. It was built in the 17th century when Kabira Bay was one of the primary ports for Okinawa main island.
The statue below of a mermaid holding a child was apparently built by the Ryukyu Pearl store, but we couldn’t find out what it depicted.
The gleaming white Oganzaki lighthouse looms over the ocean on the westernmost cape of Ishigaki island. You can’t enter the lighthouse but you can admire stunning views from the surrounding area. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Iriomote island from here.
The lighthouse is also one of the most popular spots for watching the sunset in Ishigaki. During spring, the lighthouse is surrounded by blooming Easter lilies, adding to its charm.
While Ishigaki Island is the most populous of the Yaeyama Islands, there is still a lot of nature to experience. In addition to the island’s beaches and coral reefs, the interior of Ishigaki has palm forests, mangrove-lined rivers and jungle-covered mountains where you can hike and camp.
Ishigaki’s rivers, while not quite as wild as those of nearby Iriomote, are surrounded by jungle-like scenery and are ideal to explore by kayak. Ishigaki also has the highest mountain in Okinawa Prefecture – Mount Omoto at 525.5 metres (1,724 feet) above sea level – as well as various hiking trails throughout the island’s hilly interior.
Photos © Judy Barford except where otherwise credited
I love exploring the world via cruise ships. You found a beautiful gem! The photos are brilliant!
Yes, you get to visit places you’d probably never see otherwise. Thanks Marilyn.