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Okinawa · City

Ishigaki

石垣市いしがきしIshigaki-shi

Coral seas and the hub of the Yaeyama Islands

Ishigaki is the city covering Ishigaki Island, the centre of the Yaeyama Islands some 400 kilometres south-west of Okinawa Island, known for Kabira Bay, its coral reefs and as the ferry hub for Taketomi, Iriomote and the other outer islands.

Overview

Ishigaki Island lies closer to Taiwan than to Okinawa Island. Its city, on the south coast, is the administrative, commercial and transport centre of the Yaeyama Islands, and its port terminal sends ferries to Taketomi, Iriomote, Kohama, Kuroshima, Hateruma and other islands. Much of the island's north and west – the mountains around Mount Omoto, the 526-metre high point of the prefecture, and Kabira Bay – belongs to Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park.

The surrounding seas hold some of Japan's richest coral reefs, including the Shiraho reef on the east coast with its large blue-coral colonies and the Sekisei Lagoon between Ishigaki and Iriomote. Manta rays gather off Kabira in summer. Inland, sugar cane fields, pineapple farms and cattle pastures fill the plains; calves raised here supply the Ishigaki beef brand and are sold to feedlots across Japan.

Yaeyama has a culture distinct even within Okinawa, with its own language, songs, harvest festivals and the masked Angamā dances of Obon. The city also administers the uninhabited Senkaku Islands, which Japan regards as part of Ishigaki and whose sovereignty is also claimed by China and Taiwan.

Landmarks

  • Kabira Bay

    川平湾Kabira-wan

    Bay of turquoise water and green islets, a national Place of Scenic Beauty, viewed from glass-bottom boats; swimming is not permitted because of currents and boat traffic.

  • Mount Omoto

    於茂登岳Omoto-dake

    At 526 metres the highest mountain in Okinawa Prefecture, covered in subtropical forest.

  • Miyara Dunchi

    宮良殿内Miyara Dunchi

    Residence of 1819 built for a Yaeyama official in Shuri samurai style, with a stone garden; an Important Cultural Property.

  • Tōrin-ji

    桃林寺Tōrin-ji

    Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1614, with guardian king statues and the adjacent Gongen-dō shrine.

  • Shiraho reef

    白保サンゴ礁Shiraho sangoshō

    Fringing reef on the east coast with one of the world's largest communities of blue coral, saved from an airport project in the 1980s.

  • Hirakubo Cape

    平久保崎Hirakubo-zaki

    Northern tip of the island with a white lighthouse above coral shallows.

  • Yaeyama Museum

    石垣市立八重山博物館Ishigaki Shiritsu Yaeyama Hakubutsukan

    Museum of Yaeyama history and folk culture, with textiles, boats and ritual objects.

  • Yonehara palm grove

    米原のヤエヤマヤシ群落Yonehara no Yaeyama-yashi gunraku

    Stand of the endemic Yaeyama palm, a national natural monument, near Yonehara beach.

Districts

  • City centre

    Compact town around the port with the covered arcades, the public market and the remote-island ferry terminal.

  • Kabira

    川平Kabira

    Village on the north-west coast at Kabira Bay, with old stone walls and black-pearl farms.

  • Shiraho

    白保Shiraho

    East-coast village of coral-stone walls and red-tiled houses near the reef.

  • Hirakubo Peninsula

    平久保半島Hirakubo-hantō

    The long, thinly populated north of the island, with pastures, capes and quiet beaches.

History

The Yaeyama Islands were ruled by local chieftains until the kingdom at Shuri extended its control. In 1500 the Ishigaki leader Oyake Akahachi rose against Shuri and was defeated by an expedition supported by Miyako. After Satsuma's conquest of Ryukyu, a heavy poll tax was imposed on Miyako and Yaeyama in 1637 and remained in force until 1903. In 1771 the Great Meiwa Tsunami, one of the deadliest in Japanese history, killed some 9,000 people in Yaeyama alone.

In the twentieth century settlers from Okinawa Island and Taiwan opened new farmland, and after the war Ishigaki became a city (1947). The opening of New Ishigaki Airport in 2013, able to handle larger aircraft, brought a strong rise in tourism.

  1. 1500

    Oyake Akahachi's rebellion against the Shuri government is suppressed.

  2. 1614

    Tōrin-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in the Yaeyama Islands, is founded.

  3. 1637

    A per-capita poll tax is imposed on Yaeyama and Miyako; it lasts until 1903.

  4. 1771

    The Great Meiwa Tsunami devastates the east and south coasts of Ishigaki.

  5. 1819

    The official residence Miyara Dunchi is built.

  6. 1947

    Ishigaki is incorporated as a city.

  7. 1964

    Ōhama town is merged into Ishigaki, bringing the whole island into one municipality.

  8. 2007

    The national park is enlarged to include parts of Ishigaki and renamed Iriomote-Ishigaki.

  9. 2013

    New Ishigaki Airport (Painushima Ishigaki Airport) opens.

Culture

Yaeyama is known in Okinawa as a land of song: its folk songs, sung to the sanshin, form a large repertoire of their own, and many singers from the island are known nationally. Communities hold harvest festivals in summer with tug-of-war, processions and in some villages the appearance of masked deities. At Obon, the Angamā sees an old man and woman in masks, the Ushumai and Nmī, visit homes with a troupe of dancers and answer questions from the living in falsetto. The Yaeyama language is recognised by UNESCO as severely endangered.

Festivals

  • Hōnensai

    豊年祭Hōnensai

    Harvest festivals held by villages in summer, giving thanks for the year's crops and praying for the next.

  • Angamā

    アンガマangamā

    Obon ritual of masked ancestor figures and dancers visiting homes, humorous and solemn at once.

  • Ishigaki Island Festival

    石垣島まつりIshigaki-jima Matsuri

    The city's autumn festival in early November, with parades, eisā and traditional performing arts.

  • Ishigaki Island Marathon

    石垣島マラソンIshigaki-jima Marason

    Marathon in late January through the island's fields and coasts.

Food

  • Ishigaki beef

    石垣牛Ishigaki-gyū

    Wagyu raised on the island, served grilled, as sushi or in hamburgers.

  • Yaeyama soba

    八重山そばYaeyama soba

    Thin, round wheat noodles with strips of pork and fish cake, seasoned with island pepper.

  • Pipātsu

    ピパーツpipātsu

    Island long pepper with a sweet, spicy aroma, used on soba and in local dishes.

  • Tropical fruit

    Pineapples in early summer and mangoes in midsummer from the island's farms.

  • Awamori

    泡盛awamori

    Several distilleries on the island, alongside the strong hanazake of neighbouring Yonaguni.

Getting around

  • New Ishigaki Airport, on the east coast, has flights from Naha of about an hour and direct routes from Tokyo, Osaka and other cities; buses reach the town centre in about 30 to 45 minutes.
  • The Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal is the hub for ferries to Taketomi (about 15 minutes), Iriomote, Kohama, Kuroshima and Hateruma; services depend on sea conditions.
  • Local buses connect the town with Kabira, Shiraho and the north, but most visitors rent a car or scooter to explore the island.

Day trips

  • Taketomi-jima

    竹富島Taketomi-jima

    Small island of coral-stone walls, red-tiled houses and sand lanes, a short ferry ride away.

  • Iriomote

    西表島Iriomote-jima

    Jungle-covered island of mangrove rivers, waterfalls and the Iriomote cat, part of the World Heritage site.

  • Hateruma

    波照間島Hateruma-jima

    Japan's southernmost inhabited island, known for its clear water and starry skies.

  • Kohama and Kuroshima

    小浜島Kohama-jima

    Quiet farming islands of sugar cane and cattle, reached by short ferry crossings.

  • Amami-Okinawa World Heritage

    Iriomote forms one of the four components of the 2021 natural World Heritage property.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalNahaNaha-shiPort town and royal capital of the Ryukyu KingdomCityMiyakojimaMiyakojima-shiFlat coral islands in a sea of improbable blueCityNagoNago-shiWhere the north of Okinawa Island begins

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Ishigaki?

By air: from Naha in about an hour, or directly from Tokyo, Osaka and other mainland cities. There are no passenger ferries from Okinawa Island.

Can you swim in Kabira Bay?

No. Swimming is prohibited because of strong currents, boat traffic and pearl farming; the bay is seen from glass-bottom boats and viewpoints, and nearby beaches are used for swimming.

Which islands can be visited from Ishigaki as a day trip?

Taketomi, Iriomote, Kohama, Kuroshima and Hateruma are all served by ferries from the port terminal, subject to weather.

When is the best season for Ishigaki?

The beach and diving season runs from about April to October; manta rays are most often seen in summer and early autumn. Winters are mild but windy, and typhoons can occur from summer to autumn.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 沖縄県企画部統計課
  2. 2.石垣市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 石垣市
  3. 3.西表石垣国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
  4. 4.Okinawa (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization

Editorial team · Published: