Ishigaki Island Travel Experience

24_08

Day 1

Depart from Itami Airport: 14:55 (JAL2087)

Arrive at Naha Airport: 17:05

Depart from Naha Airport: 17:35 (JTA621)

Arrive at Ishigaki Airport: 18:35

Ishigaki Island is the third largest island in Okinawa Prefecture, after Okinawa Main Island and Iriomote Island. It is approximately 2,252 km from Tokyo, 1,447 km from Fukuoka, and 420 km from Naha, but only about 277 km from Taiwan. Located at 24°23′N latitude and 124°9′E longitude, it is nearly at the same latitude as Honolulu, Hawaii, and has an average temperature of 23.8°C, making it a subtropical island. About 90% of the population of the Yaeyama Islands (including Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, and Yonaguni Island) is concentrated here, making it the economic, administrative, and transportation hub.

Approximately 30 minutes from New Ishigaki Airport, there is the Ishigaki Island Limestone Cave, believed to have been formed from coral reefs over 200,000 years ago. After enjoying dinner at the nearby restaurant "Ishigaki Island Shokudo," I visited the cave. The cave is a one-way route and takes about 30 minutes to exit, but the humidity and heat inside were quite overwhelming. Typically, caves get cooler as you

go deeper, but this one was different. The cave itself was illuminated and had its attractions, but the unexpected heat was surprising. By the time I exited, my underwear was soaked. Tonight, I am staying at a general hotel newly built in 2019.

【Hotel: WBF PORTO Ishigaki】

Day 2

The hotel breakfast was a luxurious seafood bowl. The options were: ① Chef's choice seafood bowl, ② Seafood bowl with over 10 types of seafood for self-topping, and ③ Ishigaki Island set meal. This morning, I chose the chef’s choice, and it was outstanding.

Today, we are heading to Iriomote Island, located to the west of Ishigaki Island. We will depart from the Euglena Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal at 8:30 AM. At the port, there is a statue of "Yoko Gushiken," a famous figure in the boxing world, and there were also five coast guard patrol boats docked at the port.

Iriomote Island is the second largest island in Okinawa Prefecture, with mountains covering most of the island and over 90% of it covered in tropical and subtropical primary forests. The annual rainfall is over 2,600 mm, giving it a tropical rainforest appearance.

At 9:15 AM, we arrived at the Ohara Port on Iriomote Island, where we transferred to a small boat for a one-hour mangrove cruise on the Nakamagawa River (an estuary). Due to the low tide at this time, the cruise was limited to the middle reaches of the river. With shallow water depths of about 50 cm in some places, the tour guide had to move guests to the front and prioritize the rear propeller for advancing. The mangrove forests offer entirely different views depending on the tide.

Afterward, we took a 30-minute bus ride to Yubu Island, a small island about 400 meters offshore from Iriomote Island, with a circumference of about 2 km. Even at high tide, the water level doesn’t rise much, and the island’s tourist attraction is crossing it by water buffalo cart. The island is a subtropical botanical garden with Bougainvillea Garden, Manta Beach, Butterfly Garden, and Water Buffalo Pond, where you can relax. I was particularly impressed to photograph the "Oogomadara," one of Japan's largest butterflies. After dinner at "Ajisai Ishigaki," we returned to the hotel.

【Hotel: WBF PORTO Ishigaki】

Day 3

For breakfast, I chose the seafood bowl with over 10 types of seafood to add as toppings. It was exquisite.

In the morning, we had free time, so I rented a car and started exploring Ishigaki Island. Initially, I planned to circle the island from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, but after receiving advice from a tour bus driver the previous night that "simply circling the island might be possible, but stopping along the way could be challenging," I decided to change the plan to focus on photography.

First, we headed to the Tamatorizaki Observation Deck in the northern part of Ishigaki Island. This spot offers a view of both the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea across the narrowest part of the island. The view from the walking path leading up to the observation deck was also fantastic, and the panoramic view of the coral reefs from the deck was majestic. However, it was a bit disappointing that it was windy and cloudy.

Next, we continued north and reached the northernmost point of Ishigaki Island, Hirakubo Cape, after passing through serene pasturelands. The white lighthouse stands out against the cobalt blue sea. The coastline that arcs from the northern Hirakubo Peninsula to the Sakieda Peninsula, where Kabira Bay is located, was breathtaking, although it was also windy here.

After the morning's activities, I joined other tour guests in the afternoon and headed to Kabira Bay. Located in the northwest part of Ishigaki Island, Kabira Bay is a scenic bay with a depth of 2 km. The view of the blue-glowing Kabira Bay from the high ground of Kabira Park was spectacular. It started to rain around this time, but we quickly boarded a glass-bottom boat (paid) and enjoyed about 30 minutes of coral reef sightseeing. The glass-bottom boat allowed us to easily view around 300 types of coral reefs and numerous colorful tropical fish. Kabira Bay is highly recommended for sightseeing.

【Hotel: WBF PORTO Ishigaki】