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The Most Enchanting Postcard Scenery, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

TripBlog
TripBlog
Dec 27, 2019

Catalogue

  • Ishigaki Island: a Bustling Base for Island-Hopping Tours.
  • Ishigaki Beef: Top Wagyu Beef That's Comparable to Kobe Beef
  • Hirakubo: The Finest Picture-Postcard Scenery
  • Oganzaki Beacon: Enjoy Charming Cliff Views of the Sunset
  • Yonehara Beach: The Most Popular Diving Site
  • Show More

Ishigaki Island is the central island of the Yaeyama group and one of the most famous and popular islands around Okinawa. Tourists usually depart from Ishigaki Island when visiting Iriomote-jima, Taketomi-jima, Hateruma-jima, Yonaguni-jima, and other destinations, and the island is acknowledged as the principal starting-point for island-hopping tours. There are direct flights from Naha, Miyako, Tokyo and Osaka, and it takes about an hour to fly from Naha Airport to Ishigaki Island.

Ishigaki Island is the central island of the Yaeyama group and one of the most famous and popular islands around Okinawa. Tourists usually depart from Ishigaki Island when visiting Iriomote-jima, Taketomi-jima, Hateruma-jima, Yonaguni-jima and other destinations, and the island is acknowledged as the principal starting-point for island-hopping tours. Ishigaki Island has plenty of beautiful scenery, including Yamabare, the highest hills in Okinawa, with an elevation of 526 meters above sea level. With its clear and transparent waters and abundance of coral, Shiraho is a paradise for diving enthusiasts, although Kabira Bay’s blue waters enjoy equal rating as the best in Okinawa. A lot of people also come here for shopping, with food at the top of the list - Ishigaki beef is most popular of all!

Ishigaki beef, a regional specialty from Ishigaki Island, is Okinawa’s premium beef. It is on a par with Japan’s other top beef brands, including Kobe beef, Saga beef, and Matsusaka beef. Ishigaki beef is especially tender and marbled with fat that is evenly distributed throughout the flavorful meat. Cooking options range from sashimi to barbecue.

If you wish to try this premium-grade beef, "Ishigakiya" on Ishigaki Island is your best bet. The building has a history dating back 300 years and here, you can enjoy the finest Aguu pork and Ishigaki barbecued beef. There is a Chinese menu from which you can order a family meal (for 4 people) for about ¥20,000, or a single-person luxury meal for about ¥15,000. There is also a variety of extra meat options.

The Most Enchanting Postcard Scenery, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

Take a glass-bottomed boat in Kabira Bay to view an undersea world. See the most beautiful scenery on Ishigaki Island at Kabira Bay, with its white sandy beaches and multi-hued water. Not only is it listed among the top 100 attractions in Japan, it has also achieved three stars in the Japanese Michelin tourist guide, making it as famous as Mount Fuji. Swimming is forbidden here, to protect the clear water. Instead, tourists can take a glass-bottomed boat to explore the coral world at the bottom of the sea. Peering through the glass bottom of the boat, tourists can enjoy the blue of the seawater, the darting fish, and colorful coral. The scenery is marvelous, with an endless succession of verdant islands. After finishing your boat trip, why not make your way to the observation platform not far from your disembarkation point, were you can see the whole of Kabira Bay.

View the beauty of the sunrise over the mountains and sea at Tamatorizaki Observatory. Tamatorizaki Observatory is an observation platform high up on the east side of Ishigaki Island. The view is excellent, and you can see right across the magnificent Hirakubo Peninsula, with Ihara Bay to the north, the landscape of Nohara to the south, the expanse of the Pacific to the east, and the East China Sea opposite the hills to the west. It is also the best place to watch summer sunrises. There are many Chinese hibiscus and safflowers on both sides of the road, and the incomparable natural scenery is some of the very best in Southern Japan.

The Most Enchanting Postcard Scenery, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

Hirakubo beacon is located at the northernmost tip of Ishigaki Island, about an hour’s drive from the city. The white lighthouse surrounded by blue sea is the best location for picture-postcard perfect scenery on Ishigaki Island. Taking a photo at just about any angle will produce awe-inspiring results; this is an unmissable destination for photography enthusiasts. Follow the path along the headland and you will have a near 360-degree view of the ocean, with the Pacific to the right and the East China Sea to the left. Hirakubo Peninsula is also one of the areas where black wagyu cattle are raised, so there is a vast ranch in front of the lighthouse; enjoy the beautiful sight of the cows and sheep as the wind blows across the pastureland.

The Most Enchanting Postcard Scenery, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

Oganzaki Beacon is located in the northwest corner of Ishigaki Island, perched high on a cliff surrounded by sea on three sides. As you climb the stone steps to the snow-white lighthouse, you will have a view of the boundless indigo ocean to the left and the rugged rocky cliffs to the right, as well as a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful coral reefs on the seabed. What a beautiful sight! Oganzaki also boasts the most beautiful sunset on Ishigaki Island. When the weather is nice and dusk is approaching, crowds gather to watch the changing colors of the sky at sunset. Even the sea water shimmers, bright as gold, as the sun dips below the horizon, creating a thrilling atmosphere of beauty.

The Most Enchanting Postcard Scenery, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

Yonehara Beach near Kabira Bay, is a natural beach that runs east-west for about 1km. Its clear waters, shallow reefs, rich coral, and dense schools of fish are absolutely stunning. The area has become an incredibly popular diving site. As the tide ebbs, you will see all kinds of colorful tropical fish from the depths to the shallows, all at a close distance. Beyond the submerged reef there is a deeper and even more beautiful ocean world that is particularly popular with diving enthusiasts. Because the current here is very strong, there have been a few diving accidents from time to time in recent years, so you should be very careful and pay attention to your safety.

The Most Enchanting Postcard Scenery, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa


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