4 Days Exploring around Ishigaki, Taketomi, and Iriomote Islands

Painushima Ishigaki Airport is located in the southeastern area of Ishigaki Island, connecting travelers with the surrounding islands and major cities in Japan. It also has international routes from multiple cities in Asia. While you can rent a car from the airport, visitors can skip the car rental lines and easily opt for the bus lines that connect the airport to Ishigaki’s city center to all of its centrally located sights and activities.

The Ishigaki city center is the only urban center within the Yaeyama islands. Although the archipelago's highlights are nature related, it’s an excellent opportunity to take a stroll downtown to pick up a few Ishigaki souvenirs and handmade crafts from local favorites like Euglena Mall for friends and family. There are also plenty of restaurant and bar options, some with live performances with local bands or traditional Okinawan music.

THIRD Ishigaki is a stylish hotel with all-inclusive services included in the room’s rate with a great location right next to Ishigaki Port and close to the Southern Gate Bridge. Here you can enjoy a light meal or snack before resting after your day of activity. One of its best features is a rooftop terrace overlooking the turquoise sea, where you can enjoy drinks while taking in the sunset or a delicious breakfast basking under the Okinawan sun.

Purchase your boarding tickets and tour packages for each remote island at the Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal. As you wait for your ferry, browse through the terminal’s gift shops or pick up a lunch box as you watch your ferry glide from turquoise waters into the port.

Iriomote’s lush subtropical rainforest is a haven for natural biodiversity, which is why most of the area is designated as Iriomote Ishigaki National Park. Urauchi River offers the opportunity to immerse yourselves in this unique ecosystem in the company of a veteran guide that will take you to discover the untamed beauty of these lands. The trekking tour starts in the morning, and includes a scenic boat ride and an outdoor lunch next to a waterfall.

Hoshino Resorts Iriomote Hotel sets itself apart by promoting Iriomote as a tourist destination compatible with its conservation efforts with sustainable practices, like reusable amenities, to support its goal of becoming "Japan's first eco-tourism hotel." Go on expert guided tours, guaranteeing that enjoying the island's beauty doesn't have to come at the expense of its delicate ecosystem. Here, savor Iriomote seasonal ingredients at the in-house restaurant.

What better way to end the day than finding a hidden location to be mesmerized by a starry sky? Iriomote-Ishigaki-Nationalpark is Japan’s first official International Dark Sky Place and the perfect location for night sky viewing. Iriomote Nature School offers this magical and healing experience all year long. If you are lucky, you might even have a chance to get a glimpse of the endemic Iriomote cat.

It's time to relax by making the most of Iriomote Hotel's facilities. This includes an on-site spa, an outdoor pool and heated jet bath for a soothing environment to relax under the sun, and a shop selling Iriomote souvenirs, trekking goods, and outdoor equipment. The staff at the activity desk can also help you reserve an outdoor activity, including guided jungle and mangrove walking tours, and learn how to track the elusive Iriomote wildcat.

Sabanisen is an izakaya restaurant with a wonderfully fresh variety of seafood from local fishermen daily, making Sabanisen an excellent choice to get your sushi or sashimi fix, along with their crispy seafood tempura or seafood salad on a bed of rice. Their menu also has a wide selection of local Ishigaki dishes, like deep-fried gurukun fish that's abundant off Okinawa's coast, and goya champuru, an Okinawan stir fry dish with bitter melon, pork belly, and egg.

Taketomi is a tiny island close to the southwestern coast of Ishigaki island. But its small size encloses a time capsule of what Okinawa once looked like, with beautifully preserved stone walls and red roofs, all living examples of the traditional Ryukyu architectural style. Rent a bicycle or walk along the village's white sand roads, and watch for the lion-like shisa statues perched on house roofs as they welcome you while warding off evil spirits.

Fusaki Beach Resort is a luxury accommodation facing beautiful beach views about 1 km from the hotel. Guests may choose from the hotel’s 21 different accommodations, including premium hotel rooms facing the ocean or Ryukyu red-tiled villas that reproduce the architectural style unique to Okinawa. In addition, guests can enjoy one of the island’s largest swimming pools, a daycare center, boutiques, a spa, and many more facilities for a perfect holiday.

Rent a car from the hotel or book a private taxi tour to explore Ishigaki’s sightseeing options!

Kabira Bay, on the northwest end, is considered one of Ishigaki's most beautiful scenic spots. Its clear turquoise waters, white sands, and natural landscape have earned it three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. The observation deck is a short walk up from the beach. You’ll get aerial views of the bay’s stunning vistas—a highly recommended spot with a camera to capture the spectacular tropical blue waters and the lush greenery.

Ishigaki Yaima Village on Ishigaki’s western coast is an open-air museum designed as a traditional Okinawan village. Many houses are actual old residences from Ishigaki, relocated and rebuilt here to preserve the island’s history. Try engraving your own design into a pair of sandals during the Island Sandals Art workshop, or try on a traditional Ryukyu outfit made of bingata textiles, a method of stencil dyeing unique to Okinawa, to enrich your experience at Ishigaki Yaima Village.

Funakura no Sato is a traditional local cuisine restaurante lunch menus to kaiseki menus showcasing the best local ingredients and served using typical yachimun tableware. Funakura no Sato is an exceptional place that manages to convey Okinawan culture through culinary means and recreates the traditional ambiance by relocating and rebuilding old traditional houses into their premises.