If I had to describe paradise, it would be a place where the steel-blue sky kisses the turquoise-blue sea, framed by white sand, the lush green of nature, and unique rock formations.
Welcome to Ishigaki in Japan!
Here’s an overview:
What moves me about Ishigaki Island is its purity and unspoiled beauty. These days, there are only a few places in the world that still offer such a thing.
Ishigaki is not yet overrun by tourists and is more frequently visited by Japanese and travelers from other Asian countries. For us Europeans, it is still more of an undiscovered corner of the world. The people of Ishigaki are happy and contented, modest and friendly, and do their best to share the joy of the paradise in which they live with visitors to their island.
Getting to Ishigaki
Ishigaki is the southernmost city in Japan, about 2,000 km from Tokyo and belongs to the island group of Okinawa. Almost 50,000 people live here on the island of the same name, Ishigaki.
There are direct flights from Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports to New Ishigaki airport. The flight takes about three hours and recommended airlines are ANA or Peach.
If you want to add a few relaxing days on Ishigaki to your Japanese vacation, you can fly directly from there via Hong Kong or Taipei back home.
Worth Knowing
The perfect times to travel are in spring, between the end of March and May, and fall, from the end of September to the beginning of December—it is wonderfully warm then, but not too hot.
On Ishigaki Island, as on the Japanese mainland, you pay with yen. 1,000 yen is about 7 USD. Although you can pay by credit card here and there, a small supply of cash is recommended.
Left-hand traffic prevails here on the island. If you want to drive a car in Japan, you need to have your foreign driver’s license translated into Japanese. This can be done online at the Japan Automobile Federation.
Pure Nature
The island is diverse and offers mangrove forests for kayaking, small waterfalls, and lots of magical diving and snorkeling spots.
The underwater world is colorful and diverse, too. Just don’t be alarmed if a yellow-lipped sea snake crosses your path while snorkeling. These venomous sea snakes don’t want to attack when they swim up from the dark crevices but just want to get some air. So stay calm and don’t be alarmed, and everything will be fine.
Mountains and Sea
The corals on Ishigaki Island are even more colorful than those in the Seychelles and the Maldives.
Huge manta rays also swim in circles here between the Pacific and the East China Sea, leaving both divers and snorkelers amazed and fascinated.
Particularly in the summer months, it is very likely to see these special sea creatures during dives and snorkeling trips around Kabira Bay and Sukuji Beach.
Two tall mountains rise in the middle of the island and their peaks are easy to climb. From the 500-meter-high Mount Omoto, you can see directly to Yonehara Beach in the north of the island. The ascent takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours and is worthwhile because, from up here, you have a breathtaking view of the island, the sea with the coral reefs, and the other islands.
Mount Nosoko, another, slightly smaller mountain, is located on the Hirakubo peninsula in the northeast. From its summit, you can see the Hirakubo peninsula and the west coast—truly spectacular!
The enchanting Hirakubo Peninsula in the northeast is also wonderful. There are magnificent beaches and impressive hiking trails here. One beach on Ishigaki is more beautiful than the next and extends for many kilometers.
Beach Time
Fusaki Beach, west of Ishigaki Town, is particularly enchanting and famous for its sunsets.
Sukuji Beach is also very popular, especially because of its shallow water. It is located in the northwest of the island, in a large bay surrounded by trees. As at Fusaki Beach, a net is used to keep away the jellyfish in summer.
Yonehara Beach is located on the north coast of the island. There is a campsite near the beach, which is full of life and activity. It is also an excellent place for snorkeling and diving. However, unlike the other beaches, there are no jellyfish nets and no lifeguards, and there are occasional strong currents.
If you also want to discover the island world around Ishigaki, ferries depart from Ishigaki City to Taketomi and Iriomote.
Taketomi enchants with beaches and an open-air museum of traditional architecture made of stone walls and brick-roofed houses. On Iriomote, you can marvel at lush nature and a waterfall.
Accommodation
Club Med Kabira Ishigaki offers the perfect setting to really relax.
The Club is also the perfect starting point for excursions. From here, you can reach the mangrove forests in just 30 minutes, the famous Blue Cave snorkeling paradise in 15 minutes, and the manta ray spot in just a few minutes by diving boat. Other water sports such as stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and windsurfing are also offered here, and the calm, turquoise sea in front of the resort is perfect for them.
Related read: Top Food to Try in Okinawa
Worth Seeing
The island’s tourist center is located in and around Kabira-Wan Bay.
Many glass-bottom boats start their tours here, giving young children or older travelers who are not fans of diving or snorkeling the opportunity to marvel at sea turtles, corals, shells, and colorful fish.
There is also a large pearl shop where you can buy local jewelry, as well as numerous souvenir shops. A small park with an observation deck is also located here.
Bluezone Okinawa
The Japanese prefecture of Okinawa consists of more than 160 islands between Taiwan and the Japanese mainland. It is known for its warm climate, white beaches, unique rock formations, and colorful coral reefs.
Not all of the islands are inhabited, and some of them don’t welcome visitors or tourists.
What is special about Okinawa, however, is that it is one of the five blue zones on the planet. Cancer, heart disease, and dementia are less prevalent here, and women live longer here than anywhere else in the world.
And as a friend of mine said: these women certainly don’t go diving and snorkeling with poisonous water snakes. 😉
