When you think of Japan, you may imagine traditional and historical cities like Kyoto and Kamakura, or cutting edge technological places like Shibuya and Akihabara in Tokyo, but there are many other locations in Japan where you can enjoy nature. In the north of Japan, there are sites with plenty of snow, such as Hokkaido, where you can enjoy skiing and snowboarding. If you go south, there are tropical islands where you can enjoy marine sports. This time we just went to Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the southern tip of Japan for a recce. Let us start with Ishigaki Island in this article.
Where is Ishigaki Island?
Just a 2.5 hour direct flight from Tokyo, you can land on a tropical beach in Ishigaki Island. In this amazing part of Japan you can enjoy various things from marine sports to local delicacies such as seafood and fruits.
Nobu Guide Works
Firstly, I would like to introduce Nobu Guide Works. They are very professional Ishigaki’s marine guides and offer small-group tours with 2-4 people per guide, and take you to a variety of filming locations, from sea kayaking to snorkelling and river activities. When we were guided, we were taken to the Blue Cave, and although we didn't see any sea turtles, we did see many beautiful fish.
(Contact Information)
https://nobugw.com/
Address: 1216-595 Kabira, Ishigaki, Okinawa
Hotel 10ka3ka
We recommend Hotel 10ka3ka as a base place in Ishigaki. While the hotel is conveniently located about 25 minutes' drive from the airport and within walking distance of the terminal where ferries depart to the surrounding islands, it is also very reasonably priced, starting at 8,500 yen. Opened in 2021, everything from the interior to the exterior is clean, making it the perfect accommodation to enjoy the resort of Ishigaki Island.
(Contact Information)
https://10ka3ka.jp/
Address: Okinawa, Ishigaki, Yashimacho, 1 Chome, ８番1号
Tel: +81 980 879674
Email: info@10ka3ka.jp
Ishigaki Gourmet
Ishigaki Island is surrounded by the sea, so seafood is abundant. The tiger prawns grown in local farms are especially famous, but sashimi of tropical fish such as parrotfish, which is usually not available, is also excellent. Yaeyama soba with stewed pork is the soul food of the Yaeyama Islands, including Ishigaki. Another recommendation is Ishigaki beef. It is not as internationally renowned as Kobe beef, but it is a very tasty Wagyu beef that was served at the 26th G8 summit in 2000. Please enjoy the delicious food of Ishigaki Island.
This time we introduced Ishigaki Island, a tropical paradise in Japan. Next time, I would like to write about Iriomote Island, which is next to Ishigaki Island and has even richer nature.
