Ishigaki & Yaeyama Islands

Gateway to the Yaeyama Islands: the multicolored waters of Kabira Bay, with water-buffalo carts on Taketomi, mangroves on Iriomote and Hateruma, Japan's southernmost island, all a boat ride away.

Ishigaki Island lies about 410 km southwest of the main island of Okinawa and is the central island of the Yaeyama Islands, only about 270 km from Taiwan. It preserves a Yaeyama culture distinct from that of the main island of Okinawa (folk songs, red-tiled stone-walled houses and festivals). With the offshore-island ferry terminal in Ishigaki city as the hub, high-speed boats reach Taketomi, Iriomote, Kohama, Kuroshima, Hateruma and others in 10–50 minutes; "stay on Ishigaki, hop to the outer islands" is the standard approach. On Ishigaki itself: the city has the public market, Miyara Donchi and a food street; the north has, in order, Kabira Bay, Yonehara Beach, Sokoji Beach, Mt. Nosoko, the Tamatorizaki Observatory and the northernmost Hirakubozaki; the central part has the Ishigaki Island Stalactite Cave, Manna Park and Yaeyama Village. Outer islands: on Taketomi, take a water-buffalo cart past red-tiled villages and star-sand beaches; Iriomote is mostly covered in subtropical primeval forest, where you can take a boat or paddle a canoe through mangroves on the Nakama and Urauchi rivers, hike to waterfalls, and ride a water-buffalo cart across the sea to Yubu Island; Hateruma is Japan's southernmost inhabited island, whose Nishihama Beach is known as "Hateruma Blue" and is also a place to see the Southern Cross. The climate is subtropical maritime, averaging about 24°C year-round; April–October is suitable for swimming, March–May is when you may see manta rays at Kabira Ishizaki, and July–September is typhoon season, with frequent ferry and flight cancellations. Getting there: Ishigaki Airport has direct flights from Tokyo, Osaka, Naha and elsewhere, about 1 hour from Naha, with seasonal direct flights from Hong Kong and Taipei; renting a car on the island is recommended, and it is about 30 minutes from the city to Kabira. Allow 4–5 days: 1–2 days on Ishigaki itself, half a day to 1 day on Taketomi, and 1–2 days on Iriomote. Notes: outer-island ferries are heavily affected by wind and waves, so don't schedule an outer-island trip the day before you leave; watch for rip currents and box jellyfish at beaches, and beaches such as Yonehara have no lifeguards; Iriomote is home to the Iriomote wildcat, a Special Natural Monument, so slow down when driving at night.

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