TravelTips24 : East Asia : Japan : Okinawa : Yaeyama Islands : Ishigaki

Ishigaki

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Ishigaki (石垣, [1]) is second-largest but most populated of the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa, Japan.

Culture and History

Ishigaki has 45,000 of Yaeyama's 50,000 people and is thus the political, economic and transport hub of the islands. Most of these live in central Ishigaki, known for lack of a better name in Japanese as shigaichi (市街地 "city streets"), chushin (中心 "center") or just machi (町 "town"). The main districts are Ōkawa (大川) and Misakichō (美崎町) and the main roads are Sanbashi-dōri (桟橋通り), leading north from the port, Shiyakusho-dōri (市役所通り), running west-east along the coast, and Yui Road (ゆいロード), running parallel a few blocks north.

Other population centers on Ishigaki are Kabira (川平), by the bay of the same name on the northwest coast, and Shiraho (白保), at the southeast corner. Much of the island, particularly the central mountains and the scenic northeastern peninsula, is quite sparsely settled.

Travel to Ishigaki & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Ishigaki

Ishigaki Airport (ISG) is the largest airport in the Yaeyama Islands. There are frequent connections to Naha and Miyako, some direct services to major Japanese cities like Tokyo, and daily flights to Yonaguni. There are buses to the port every 20 minutes. The fare is a flat

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This page was last edited at 10:22, on 14 November 2008 by Jani Patokallio. Based on work by Ryan Holliday, Paul N. Richter, Colin Jensen, David, Brian Asahi and Rob Payne and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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