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  • airplanemode_activeFlights to Ishigaki (ISG)
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Located on the only beach in the region, Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta is our all-ages luxury oceanfront resort with its own private cove. Enjoy stunning ocean vistas from our sunset bar or sneak a peak of breaching whales from our beachfront restaurants.

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  • filter_dramaUnderstand
    45,000 of the Yaeyama Islands' 50,000 inhabitants live on Ishigaki Island, which is thus the political, economic and transport hub of the region. Most people on the island live in central Ishigaki, known for lack of a better name in Japanese as shigaichi (市街地 "town area"), chushin (中心 "center") or just machi (町 "town"). The central districts are Ōkawa (大川), Ishigaki (石垣), Tonoshiro (登野城), and Misakichō (美崎町) and the main roads are Sanbashi-dōri (桟橋通り), leading north from the port, Shiyakusho-dōri (市役所通り), running west-east along the coast, and Yui Road (ゆいロード), running parallel a few blocks north.

    Other (though much smaller) population centers on Ishigaki are Kabira (川平), by the bay of the same name on the northwest coast, and Shiraho (白保), at the southeast corner. Much of the island, particularly the central mountains and the scenic northeastern peninsula, is quite sparsely settled.
  • filter_dramaGet in
    • By plane

      Ishigaki Airport (ISG) is the largest airport in the Yaeyama Islands. In March 2013 the old airport was closed and a new airport - farther out of town and with a longer runway - was taken into service. As a result there have been major changes to the flight connections: in addition to regular connections to [wiki=ee76845fa192195aab77ab21c1f0b49d]Naha[/wiki] and [wiki=741949c6b98e38c463117ac6df2d9419]Miyako[/wiki], an increased number of direct flights from/to various airports in Japan has become available, and between April and October there are also direct flights from/to Taiwan's international airport at [wiki=3d708eee2c01d5f423f759d4aa488ded]Taoyuan[/wiki], near [wiki=7a4e1add2047d025b98f55dbb33382b5]Taipei[/wiki] (2 airlines with 2 flights a week each). The new airport can accommodate larger airplanes than the old airport, and therefore two additional domestic carriers (Skymark and Peach) have joined the original two carriers (JTA and ANA) - as a consequence, air fares are now substantially lower than before (for example, outside of the peak travel times a return ticket to [wiki=ee76845fa192195aab77ab21c1f0b49d]Naha[/wiki] can be had for less than 10000 Yen). The bus connection from the airport to the bus terminal at the center of town (next to the ferry terminal) costs about ¥550, and the trip takes about 40-50 minutes. Multi-Day Passes for the bus system are also available (see [wiki=045c2dcf8d906eb69c98df725016943f]#Get around|Get around[/wiki]). A taxi trip to town will cost you about ¥3000.

    • By boat

      There is currently no scheduled passenger ferry connection to Ishigaki Island: Ryukyu Kaiun discontinued passenger service in September 2007, and Arimura Sangyou went out of business in May 2008. Star Cruises [url=http://www.starcruises.com/]]operates luxury cruises from [[Keelung[/url]] (near Taipei) between late April and the end of October. Although this is not a ferry service, rumour has it that relatively cheap passage can be bought at the last minute on trips that are not fully booked.

      Inter-island connections:

      There are extensive services (daytime only) to the other islands in the Yaeyama group:
      * [wiki=5d27b60fc4964f0c4f4e271393831c74]Taketomi[/wiki] (¥580, 10 min), departures every 30 minutes
      * [wiki=6ecd326f0139bf8629e880241142dfb5]Iriomote[/wiki] Ōhara Port (¥1540, 40 min) and Uehara Port (¥2000, 50 min; summer months only), departures roughly hourly
      * [wiki=bf98f90e9b89dcc54ce603aafc14bd96]Kohama[/wiki] (¥1030, 30 min), departures roughly hourly
      * [wiki=d06ddbf2ef1a12432c3fe5f7544e5d5f]Kuro[/wiki] (¥1130, 25 min), 5 departures daily
      * [wiki=89848540c68cd5a641dc468b2ba0a2b0]Hateruma[/wiki] (¥3000, 70 min), 7 departures daily

      Prices and times above are one-ways on fast ferries and may vary slightly from company to company. Return fares are usually 10% cheaper.
      Slower service with regular ships is somewhat cheaper but connections are less frequent:

      * [wiki=89848540c68cd5a641dc468b2ba0a2b0]Hateruma[/wiki] (¥3000, abt. 2 hours), 1 departure per day (weekdays only)
      * [wiki=b30eff8d67fd20d4ebe187e34bac8617]Yonaguni[/wiki] (¥3400, 4-5 hours), 2 departures weekly

      The major operators are Anei Kankō [url=http://www.aneikankou.co.jp/index1.htm],] Hirata Group [url=http://www.hirata-group.co.jp/tourism/ferry/[/url]]and Yaeyama Kankō Ferry [url=http://www.yaeyama.co.jp/timetable.htm[/url].] There are free courtesy buses from the larger resorts to some ferries, enquire locally.

      Ishigaki Port (石垣港) is located at the center of the city near the bus terminal. There are two parts: the central Ritō-sanbashi (離島さんばし), for services to nearby islands, and a second unnamed pier at the southeast corner of the port for long-distance services to [[Yonaguni[/url]] and [wiki=89848540c68cd5a641dc468b2ba0a2b0]Hateruma[/wiki]. The port information office is next to Ritō-sanbashi pier 1.

  • filter_dramaGet around
    • By bus

      [url=http://www.cosmos.ne.jp/~bus/]Azuma Bus[/url] operates services throughout the island radiating from the bus terminal on Sanbashi-dōri, just across the street from the port. The most useful services connect to the airport (¥540) and Kabira (¥700).

      Two multi-day passes are available for frequent bus users: a 5-day pass ("Michikusa Free Pass"; whereby "free" in Japanese means "can be used freely" and not "free of charge") for ¥2000 and a 1-day pass for ¥1000. Both passes can be used on all scheduled buses.

      Note that while bus service from the city center to the airport and along the southeast coast of the island (as far as Shiraho), is regular and quite frequent (it starts at 6:30am, and then there is a bus leaving every 15 minutes between 7am and 9pm), service on the other lines is not really geared toward tourists, and if you are staying outside the urban part of Ishigaki you may want to rent a scooter or car for the duration of your stay. With careful planning, however, the bus will get you around the whole of the island and let you visit Kabira Bay or the famous snorkeling area at Yonehara Beach for a few hours' stay. At the bus terminal you can get a detailed bus schedule in English that covers all bus lines except the recently established loop line in the downtown area (staff at your hotel or guest house should be able to tell you whic hstops to use and at what time). The downtown loop line has been in service since October, 2013. At least once every hour a bus leaves the terminal to service the downtown area and the adjacent areas to the west (Arakawa, Makira) and the east (Hirae, Maezato). The flat fare is ¥200 per trip. (Fares may possibly go up, since the sales tax was increased on April 1, 2014.)

    • By taxi

      Taxis are available at the airport, at the ferry terminal, and in front of some of the larger hotels. For other locations, the best way to get one is to make a call to the radio dispatch system that most companies are part of. The dispatchers usually do not speak English, so you may need to ask someone at your hotel or guest house to make a call for you. Flagging a taxi down in the street is perfectly OK but rather unreliable - most taxis that pass by, especially on minor roads, are on the way to an appointment. The only exception is in the late evening hours in the downtown area, because at that time you can see many taxis slowly cruising the streets around the drinking establishments looking for passengers. Flag fall is around ¥450 (it varies depending on the type of car), and the meter ticks at alarming speed after 2 kilometers. (Fares may possibly go up, since the sales tax was increased on April 1, 2014.)

    • By car

      There are many car rental companies in the island and many hotels offer car rental at a discounted price from ¥2000 to ¥4000 per day. Inquire at your accommodation. A drive between Ishigaki and the furthermost point of the island is about an hour and a half. A note of caution: the recent increase in tourist numbers, following the opening of the new airport, means that even outside of the peak season there are days when no car can be had - if it is important that you have a car you may want to book one in advance.

    • By bicycle

      Many hotels offer bicycle rental at about ¥500 per day. Bicycles can be taken in most ferries to the islands at an additional price.

    • On foot

      The town area can be comfortably covered on foot, but you'll need another means of transport for the rest of the island.

  • filter_dramaSee
    Ishigaki is a little low on must-see attractions and somewhat tamer in terms of scenery than [wiki=6ecd326f0139bf8629e880241142dfb5]Iriomote[/wiki]. Most visitors hit the beaches of the northern coast and stay there.
    • Beaches

      Ishigaki's beaches are among the most spectacular in Japan.

      * Kabira Bay (川平湾 Kabira-wan). At the northwest corner of the island is this stunning emerald blue bay with a perfect yellow-white beach, dotted by craggy islands - but no swimming allowed, so the closest you can get is a glass-bottom boat tour (¥1000, 30 min). You can walk along the coast from bay to bay, but beware of the fast-moving tides that may trap you if you dally too much in the evening.
      ** The best free landside views are from Kabira Park (川平公園 Kabira-kōen), a promenade complete with viewing pavilion that stretches along the coast above the beach itself.

      * Sukuji Beach (底地ビーチ), 2 km west of Kabira. One kilometer of white sand beach, equipped with changing rooms, showers, toilets and other essentials. The view from the beach is stunning and on a clear day Uganzaki lighthouse is visible in the distance. The sea is the shallowest to be found on any of Ishigaki's beaches, which is great if you fancy a relaxing paddle in the ocean, but swimmers should look elsewhere. Trees at the rear of the beach provide partial shade from the sun throughout much of the day.

      * Yonehara (米原). Offers nice sand and better coral reefs within easy snorkeling distance. Indeed, the reef begins within meters of the beach and hosts enough life to interest experienced snorkelers and beginners alike. Caution should be taken however as Yonehara's rip currents are notoriously strong. Signs in the parking area describe which areas should be avoided. There is a campsite located behind the beach with the facility to rent gear.

    • Other

      Tōjinbaka (唐人墓), Tōjin no haka stop on the Kabira Resort Line. This ornately decorated Chinese-style "Tang People's Grave" commemorates the sorry fate of some 400 Hokkien Chinese coolies, who mutinied and ran aground on Ishigaki on their way to California. Pursued by the British navy and American slavers, those captured were killed, so many headed into the mountains where they starved or committed suicide, and only a lucky few were taken under the wing of friendly locals and protected.
      ** Nearby is also a newer (2001) bilingual monument of angular concrete, dedicated to three Americans shot down over Ishigaki in April 1945, during the closing days of World War II. After being captured and tortured, two were beheaded and one was used for bayonet practice, and monument duly notes that such things are not fair play according to the Geneva Convention.

      * Kannonzaki Lighthouse (観音崎灯台 Kannonzaki-tōdai). A little lighthouse on a little cape, not open to the public but there's a little park and viewing pavilion next to it. Not worth much of a detour but conveniently located across the road from Tōjinbaka.

      * Kannon-dō Temple (観音堂). Rounding out the trio of low-key attractions around Tōjinbaka is this quiet Okinawan-style wooden temple, with a grand lantern-lined staircase but little to see when you get there. The toilets, however, are kept in excellent shape.

  • filter_dramaDo
    The transparent waters around the island are full of coral reefs, making scuba diving the number one activity on Ishigaki. In particular, Manta Scramble (マンタスクランブル), just off the island's north coast, is a legendary spot for manta ray spotting where groups of manta rays are almost guaranteed during Autumn. There are a large number of dive operators and rates are more or less standardized at around ¥12000 for two boat dives (not including gear rental).

    * Friendly dive shop that also caters to English-speaking divers. Two dives ¥12600, full gear rental ¥5250. Free transfers from anywhere on the island, Visa/MC/Amex accepted.

    *This diving shop has a branch at the ferry terminal and offers diving courses, diving, snorkelling and underwater sightseeing cruises. A double dive is ¥13,000 and full diving rental is ¥4,000.

    *Offering jungle zip line tours around the base of Omoto mountain on Ishigaki. Snorkeling trips on board a 43 foot sailboat or via kayak from the beach. Sunset or nite sailing cruises. All tours conducted in Japanese and English by a native English speaker. Hotel pickup and dropoff in the Ishigaki city area included.
  • filter_dramaBuy
    Souvenir shops abound, particularly around the port. On the more standard items (such as beni-imo tarts) prices appear to have been standardized, with the same prices offered at the supermarket, downtown, or even at the airport. The exception is Ayapani Mall (あやぱにモール), a covered shopping arcade just west of the post office, at which certain stores offer a store-wide 10% discount.

    * This city-sponsored retail center sells only authentic Ishigaki-made products, ranging from handicrafts to food items.

    * Home of the ubiquitous Uminchu T-shirts worn by approximately half the local population. A vast variety of designs from ¥2625.

    * This little factory-shop cooks up tasty cane sugar candy, sold on premises for ¥500 per cake. You can also view the making process, which basically consists of mashing up sugarcane and then boiling the juice until it turns into brown sugar candy.

    * Shīsā (シーサー) is a traditional Okinawan decoration, often found in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog. This workshop makes Shīsā using traditional materials from the island. A visitor (of any age) can also make a Shīsā with a step-by-step guidance from the staff.
    *Snorkeling and Sea-kayak touguide in northern part of Ishigaki.
  • filter_dramaEat
    There are plenty of eating options in central Ishigaki, although many of the fancier places are open only for dinner. The stretch of Sanbashi-dori between the piers and the bus terminal has a good selection of reasonably priced Okinawan places, most of which offer affordable set lunches.
    • Budget

      Okinawan izakaya that also offers reasonable set meals, open 9 AM to midnight. Try their goya champuru set for ¥750.

      * This friendly stucco-walled beach café trapped in a mall offers the Okinawan speciality taco rice in both "standard" (Mexican-ish) and "original" (Asian chicken) versions for ¥800 with tea/coffee or ¥1000 with a draught Orion beer. Open 11:30 AM to 10 PM daily.

      * One of the very few places where you can get a coffee and a sandwich before 10am. 2nd floor of a building directly behind the Yaeyama Post Office. Open daily from 9 AM

      * Specializes in Yaeyama soba, ¥500 for a basic bowl, ¥800 for the sōki version with a big hunk o' pork on top. Add your namecard to the vast collection on the walls. Open daily from 11 AM to 9:30 PM.

      * A nice izakaya. Good space, good food. Open 5 PM to 12 PM (Closed Sundays).

      * Even locals come here for Yaeyama soba (¥400+). Generously sized set lunches from ¥700. Open daily except Monday from 10 AM to 9 PM.

      * A bit old-fashioned, but the owners are very personable and can speak some English. Cakes, Japanese style curry, and sandwiches for ¥400-500. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon to midnight. Web:[http://www.cafe-taniwha.com/]

      * This is the place to sample milk-flavored ice cream, made only from the milk of local Ishigaki cows. ¥300 per cone, open 11 AM to 7 PM daily.

      A hint for shoe-string budget travelers: food is generally not cheap in Japan, but food hygiene rules are strict and certain kinds of foods that spoil easily come with "sell by..." expiry dates. Therefore supermarkets offer items that are about to become unsellable at a discount (20-50%), depending on the urgency (especially in the evenings). Decent quality prepared meals (bento, salads, etc.) as well as sashimi, sushi, and milk can therefore at times be had at a considerably reduced price if one is prepared to go shopping later in the day.

    • Splurge

      Ishigaki's beef (石垣牛 Ishigaki-gyū) is meltingly smooth and well worth the splurge for meat lovers, although you'll generally be looking at around ¥5000 for something approximating a decent-sized steak. Sampling strips served as yakiniku or even raw sashimi is somewhat more affordable, but if the price seems too good, double-check that it's real Ishigaki beef, not a cheaper import.

      * The lunch-only ¥2500 steak teishoku set with 150g of Ishigaki beef to grill by yourself is one of the better deals around, especially when washed down with some Ishigakijima beer. Offers half-price dinner on the first day of the month, but you will have to stand in line for a good hour as that is a very popular night with locals in the know. Open daily 11:30 AM to 3 PM for lunch, 5 PM to midnight for dinner. Kinjo also has other branches around town.
      *An izakaya that specializes in tuna fish. Their tuna sushi and sashimi are something to dream for. There are two branches in town. This is a very popular eating place so it is best to book ahead.

  • filter_dramaDrink
    Ishigaki has a surprisingly vibrant nightlife, mostly centered around izakayas offering the ubiquitous local firewater awamori. Also be sure to sample the local Ishigakijima Beer (石垣島地ビール) microbrew, now available in "marine" (lager), "kuro" (dark) and three other versions.

    Misakichō Center-Dōri (美崎町センター通り) and nearby streets have a range of karaoke lounges and nightclubs of varying degrees of respectability. Outside the city, however, there is little to no nightlife of any kind and you'll be hard pressed to find even a restaurant open after 6.
  • filter_dramaSleep
    Ishigaki has a wide range of accommodation, ranging from expensive resorts for ¥10000+ to backpacker-oriented minshukus that can go as low as ¥2500 for your own room or ¥900 for dormitory-type accommodation. The dormitory style accommodation (one type of "guest house") offers the greatest likelihood of making friends with other travelers, in the common spaces (even among the Japanese travalers there are almost always some who can speak English).
    • Budget

      Camping: The campsite on Yonehara beach charges roughly ¥600 per person per day (as of June 2009). The campsite owner does not provide tents,and although some of Ishigaki's official tourism websites tell you that a camping licence is required, the owner of the campsite has actually bought the licences himself and provides them when you pay to camp. Camping on Yonehara beach is a very cost effective option for staying on Ishigaki.
      Some camping equipment is available at the 100 Yen Shop (upstairs at Maxvalu on Sanbashi Dori) and the 5 day bus pass is definitely recommended if you're going to be camping for a long time, since there aren't many shops near to Yonehara beach and the best supermarkets are on the other side of the island.

      *]Two rambling old wooden houses run by an affable if eccentric English-speaking couple, ¥3000 per night gets you a private room with free laundry and internet. The catches are that air-con costs ¥100/hour and only the newer wing (別館 bekkan) has mosquito nets.
      *Rooms come with TV, air conditioning (very, very important in summer) and cheap rates at 1800 yen per night. The owners are extremely friendly and so are most of the guests. Excellent place to make traveling friends. Located next to the outer islands ferry termnial, it serves as a great hub for day trips throughout the Yaeyama Archipelago. No internet.
      *A short walk from the Small Boat Harbor in Ishigaki city, this hostel provides basic Japanese-style dormitory rooms for around 2500 yen per night. The male dormitory room is busier than the female one which can be a plus for women traveling alone. The staff are extremely hospitable. Breakfast and internet included. Nightly (free) awamori (traditional Ryukyu alcohol).
      *¥2500 per night gets you a private room with TV and free Internet. The catch is that air-con costs ¥100/three hours. There is an associated scuba diving shop.
      *A clean, spacious "pension" style hotel,¥2400-3300 per person per night. Unique wooden decor and a number of amenities: free laundry (¥100 for dryer), ¥100 for 4 hours of air-conditioning, free bottled water, luggage storage and very friendly staff of varying English levels. The owners' daughter was formerly of the Japanese band Bubblegum, and there are appropriately a number of acoustic guitars available throughout the building. Located approx. 2 minutes by foot from the bus terminal in the entertainment district. There is a grocery store about 30 seconds away.
      *The owner has lived in the US and speaks English.
      * The multicultural guesthouse Ai no Yado (あいのやど) closed in the summer of 2015; the owners appear to have relocated to Canada.
      * The popular Yanbuzeena Hostel (ヤンブジーナ) in Okawa and the associated small restaurant (“Yarabu Shokudo”) closed at the end of 2012.

    • Splurge

      Club Med Kabira, [http://www.clubmed.co.jp]. One of Japan's two Club Meds, this swanky resort offers beautiful views of Kabira Bay. Last stop on the Kabira Resort line.

      * Auberge Kabira (formerly B&B Kabira). Small and friendly hotel right on Kabira Bay, this place does good though expensive food in the evening. Rooms are a little small but they do offer free bike rental. Closing permanently on February 28.

  • filter_dramaContact
    There is free Wi-Fi access in the Euglena Mall (aka Ayapani Mall), the covered arcade a few blocks away from the bus terminal, and preparations are under way to establlish similar internet coverage for the whole Misaki-chō area.

    There is also free internet in the public library, though it's only available from one terminal (the library is closed on Mondays)

    An internet and game center further to the west along Nigousen (#2 Rd., open 24h), across the street from the temple (Tourinji), is open 24 hours.

    Vanilla Deli, directly across from City Hall has free internet for patrons.
  • filter_dramaCope
    The Ishigaki City Hall Tourism Division (市役所観光課) as well as the Ishigaki City Hall International Section (国際交流係) have good information in English for tourists. The business hours for the city hall are 8:30am-4:30pm Monday thru Friday (excepting holidays). The tourism division is located on the second floor, and you can pick up a free comprehensive English language guide (magazine) there. The International Section is on the first floor, in the back of the building, and employs a coordinator of international relations, fluent in both Japanese and English, who is at times available to assist non-Japanese tourists.

    The Hirata tourist company located inside the ferry terminal also has English information and can arrange English tour guides. Native level English information and tour guiding can be arranged through Ishigaki Hanalee Eco Tour. You may also want to pick up copies of the free Ishigaki Town Guide or Yaeyama Navi pamphlets, both useful packs of information with lots of maps to show you around (note that both are in Japanese only and any listings inside are essentially paid ads, so not everything is listed). You can get these free pamphlets at City Hall and in many restaurants, shops and lodgings.

    The only foreigner-friendly ATMs on the island are in the Ishigaki and Kabira post offices, open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM only and not open on national holidays.
  • filter_dramaStay safe
    The "Habu" box jellyfish, which is highly venomous and can be dangerous to humans, can be found in the waters surrounding Ishigaki, including the beaches and bays. Some beaches are enclosed by nets inside which swimmers can frolic jellyfish-free, but snorkeling areas or many of the unofficial beach areas do not have nets.

    Unlike other species of jellyfish, Habu jellyfish can swim consciously rather than simply drift. Habu jellyfish are attracted to warm, relatively calm water, which surrounds most of Ishigaki's coastline inside the barrier reef. They are clear in color and therefore difficult to spot unless you are paying close attention.

    The best method of protection is to wear a rash guard, sleeves, or pantyhose so that the stingers cannot make direct contact with the skin.

    Ishigaki and the surrounding islands also have other dangerous aquatic creatures, such as crown-of-thorns starfish, stonefish, etc. Please read up separately on this, and try not to touch any creatures or step on anything in the water other than sand.
  • filter_dramaGet out
    [wiki=6ecd326f0139bf8629e880241142dfb5]Iriomote[/wiki] - an hour away by boat, offers mangrove jungles and the elusive Iriomote wildcat
    * [wiki=5d27b60fc4964f0c4f4e271393831c74]Taketomi[/wiki] - just 10 minutes by boat, known for its well-preserved Ryukyu village
    * [wiki=b30eff8d67fd20d4ebe187e34bac8617]Yonaguni[/wiki] - 30 minutes by plane or 4 hours by boat, the westernmost point of Japan offers mysterious ruins and diving with hammerhead sharks

    [wiki=1612a9886b0c7059935ab302b525de4c]ja:石垣島[/wiki]
    [wiki=0c282f812dd6293a1d236d1a0ad15d2f]wts:Category:Ishigaki[/wiki]

    [[WikiPedia:Ishigaki]]

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