An independent island guide
Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan
Island stories
The islands
North of Iriomote, Hatoma brings a small village, wooded paths and a view back towards the larger island. Walking suits its scale; a little planning helps you enjoy it without depending on services that may not be available.
The islands
Iriomote is Yaeyama's jungle island: dense forest, mangrove rivers and mountains that change how you travel. The main road gives you a first look. A planned activity with a local guide takes you farther into the landscape.
The islands
For us, Hateruma is about the colour and clarity of the sea, its reef and the quiet of a small island. Give those reasons enough time, and plan the crossing as carefully as the stay.
Plan your trip
A walk in Banna Park and a mountain outing on Ishigaki are not the same thing. Here is how we think about the places we have walked, and what to check before setting out.
Plan your trip
What kind of day by the sea are you looking for? Yaeyama coasts range from managed swimming beaches to reef edges, long open shores and tide-dependent sandbars.
Food & everyday life
A visit to Batida in Ishigaki: the ingredients, people and ideas behind a restaurant inside Seven × Seven Hotel.
Food & everyday life
A hands-on visit to an Ishigaki distillery, where making awamori brings rice, black koji and three generations of family knowledge together.
Culture & community
Spend time with Kabira beyond the bay viewpoint: its village, food, craft and the landscape around it.
There are a few vegetarian restaurants in Ishigaki. I’ll help you find them. Unfortunately their representation is scarce. Which is, I think, slightly against the expectations of Buddhist country Japan. Why is Okinawa different? The Okinawa islands, the Yaeyama islands included, differ from main island Japan. Okinawa is Japanese and it’s not at the same […]
Culture & community
An account of visiting Kitsugansai on Kohama, where performance, prayer and harvest traditions come together in village life.