- Taketomi. White sand roads, traditional Okinawan houses, an atmosphere almost outside time. This is where we recommend staying.
- Ten minutes by ferry. From Ishigaki, which serves as the base: its restaurants, its beaches, and the departure point for the neighbouring islands.
- Open days. Cycling on Taketomi, beaches and snorkelling, runs out to the islands around, or simply rest.
- Hoshinoya Taketomi. Individual villas in the heart of the island, built in the architecture of the traditional villages. A little away from everything, and that is exactly its charm.
- A thousand kilometres south-west of Honshū. Closer to Taiwan than to Tokyo, and the full contrast with the Japan you have just crossed.
- Little programme, and deliberately so. The days are set as they come, around the weather.
Two islands
Ishigaki serves as the base. An island already developed, with its restaurants, its beaches and its activities, and above all the point of departure for the neighbouring islands.
Ten minutes away by ferry, Taketomi is the heart of the side trip. A small unspoilt island, known for its traditional Okinawan houses, its roads of white sand and a calm atmosphere, almost outside time. This is where you find the Japan of the postcards, and where we recommend staying.
Open days
The programme is deliberately light. Several days stay open, to be composed according to the mood and the weather: cycling on Taketomi, beaches and snorkelling, escapes to the islands around, or simply rest. Few visits, and that is by design: this side trip is made for slowing down.
Our addresses
Hoshinoya Taketomi, the signature stay. A resort set in the heart of the island, its architecture taking up that of the traditional Okinawan villages: individual villas, a very calm setting, attentive service. A little apart from everything, and that is exactly where its charm lies, since everything is thought out for making the most of the island. Half board is strongly recommended there: the alternatives around are few.
On Ishigaki, the lodging remains a base: a well-placed hotel, near the port and the ferries for Taketomi, comfortable and practical. The address is settled with you.
Travel times
Ishigaki lies a thousand kilometres south-west of Honshū, closer to Taiwan than to Tokyo. You fly, and there is no sea link with the rest of the country: this side trip is a there-and-back, and it sits at the start or the end of a journey rather than in the middle.
| Journey | Time |
|---|---|
| Tokyo (Haneda) → Ishigaki, direct flight | 3h |
| Osaka (Kansai) → Ishigaki, direct flight | 2h35 |
| Naha → Ishigaki, flight | 1h |
| Ishigaki airport → port, bus | 30 min |
| Ishigaki → Taketomi, ferry | 10 min |
We book the flights, and a taxi collects you from your hotel on the day you leave. On the spot, ferries to Taketomi run regularly through the day: you reach the island without a timetable to remember.
Good to know
- A side trip very dependent on the weather: the programme settles as the days go.
- On Taketomi, what is on offer for lodging is limited: better to look ahead at availability.