An independent island guide
Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan
Island stories
Island life
Start with a bowl of Yaeyama soba, browse the produce, and leave time for a café you like. Food gives you an everyday way to get to know the islands, from familiar favourites to the work behind a local ingredient.
DiscoverYaima
Last updated: 22 September 2026
A first-visit itinerary
Three full days is our minimum introduction. Give the city a day, spend another beyond it, and leave the third for more Ishigaki or a nearby island.
Explore the archipelago
The islands share a relaxed Yaeyama atmosphere, but each has a different landscape and rhythm. Most are easy to reach from Ishigaki, which makes it possible to get to know several islands in one holiday. Hateruma and Yonaguni need more time, and rough weather can interrupt the journey.
Free self-guided route · Ishigaki
A relaxed self-guided driving day beyond Ishigaki City, with three landscape stops, local food pauses and practical notes for weather and road conditions.
Island life
The first time I saw Ishigaki, it felt almost unreal: clear blue sea, fish visible below the surface and intensely green mountains beneath a bright sky. The light changes the colours from day to day and from season to season.
Island life
Yaeyama is part of Japan and Okinawa Prefecture, but it is not a smaller version of either mainland Japan or Okinawa Island. Its history, sea connections, languages, festivals, food and relationship with nature give these islands a character of their own.
Your island finder
Tell us how much time you have and what you want from your days. We will suggest a small, realistic set of islands that fits your trip.
ISL& Natural Guides
Explore the English Ishigaki paperback: 143 pages of area guides, maps, photography, local food and island stories.
Plan your trip
Okinawa Main Island, Miyako and Ishigaki all belong to Okinawa Prefecture, but offer quite different holidays. The main island combines city life, resorts and northern forests, with a visible American military presence. Miyako draws us to its coast and sea. Ishigaki brings mountains and countryside together with town conveniences and ferries to the other Yaeyama islands.