Hey guys, it’s Haruka from Team JD! Please welcome our guest writer, Kurumi! She has put together an amazing model trip for Ishigaki Island, famous for its stunning emerald-green waters. Enjoy the read!
Hi, this is Kurumi! Today let me introduce you to one example of a 1-day trip to Ishigaki Island.
Ishigaki Island is a subtropical resort and one of the popular islands in Okinawa. It is known as the gateway to the Yaeyama islands such as Iriomote Island, Taketomi Island etc… (Please note that this plan expects you to rent a car. )
- At 8:00 am Get "Onisasa" at Chinen Shokai
- At 9:00 am Visit Hirakubozaki Lighthouse (About 50 mins by car from Chinen Shokai)
- At 9:30 am Visit Pottery Store Taro-gama
- At 10:30 am Visit Kabira Bay (About 45 mins by car from Taro-gama)
- At 12:00 pm Have lunch at Mirumiru Hompo (About 20 mins by car from Kabira Bay)
- At 1:30 pm Snorkel at Yonehara Beach (About 30 mins by car from Mirumiru Hompo)
- At 4 pm Shop at Yuratiku Market and Euglena Mall (About 30 mins by car from Yonehara Beach)
At 8:00 am Get “Onisasa” at Chinen Shokai
Let’s start our journey with Chinen Shokai. Chinen Shokai is a local shop that sells fast food, drinks, souvenirs, etc… “Onisasa” is a fast food that comes with a rice ball and deep-fried chicken fillet. There are five different flavored onigiri with furikake (rice seasoning) and 25 different types of fritters.
Ordering and making your own onisasa is very easy!
Firstly you pick one fritter and put it in a plastic bag. The most popular one is the Chicken fillet, but you can pick other fritters such as pork too.
Secondly, you choose one or more sauces to put on your fritter.
Thirdly, you pick one rice ball and put it in the same plastic bag.
Lastly, you press them together tightly to make them look like they are one piece of food. Pretty sure “Onisasa” sounds really simple and does not seem like a local food but once you try it you will be captivated.
https://www.tanoshima.jp/facilities/detail/chinesyoukai (Japanese)
At 9:00 am Visit Hirakubozaki Lighthouse (About 50 mins by car from Chinen Shokai)
Hirakubozaki Lighthouse (“Cape Hirakubozaki”) is a lighthouse located in the very north of Ishigaki Island. The view is fascinating there especially when it is sunny. It can be really windy, so be careful.
At 9:30 am Visit Pottery Store Taro-gama
Visit the Pottery Store Taro-gama (“gama” means potter in Japanese) which is located 3 mins by car from the lighthouse. It may not be a spacious or fancy store, but it’s a wonderful place where you can get some unique pottery that you might not find in other areas of Japan.
At 10:30 am Visit Kabira Bay (About 45 mins by car from Taro-gama)
Kabira Bay is the most famous spot in Ishigaki Island. You will be speechless at its view. You can walk around the bay and/or you can take a glass boat. You can either book the boat in advance or on arrival. The boat leaves every 20 mins. If you want to secure your seat, there is a 23% discount if you book it online beforehand. Please see the link below for further information.
https://gurukun-kabira.com/booking-form/
(Since the website is in Japanese, if you don’t speak Japanese, I recommend asking someone who does, such as hotel staff, to make the reservation on your behalf.)
At 12:00 pm Have lunch at Mirumiru Hompo (About 20 mins by car from Kabira Bay)
Mirumiru Hompo is only in Ishigaki Island. The food here is great and the scenery is outstanding too. They have burgers, taco rice, and other lunch menus too. Above all, I would like to recommend you to try the fresh milk.
https://mirumiru.okinawa (Japanese)
At 1:30 pm Snorkel at Yonehara Beach (About 30 mins by car from Mirumiru Hompo)
Yonehara Beach is quite famous for snorkeling as you can see many tropical fish around the area. Also, it is easy to swim as the distance from the beach to the coral reefs is close.
At 4 pm Shop at Yuratiku Market and Euglena Mall (About 30 mins by car from Yonehara Beach)
Yuratiku Market is a local food market that sells unique fruit and products. Euglena Mall is a go-to place for tourists to get some souvenirs. You can find shops that sell T-shirts, sweets, accessories, etc… These two spots are about a 10-minute walk from each other, making them perfect to visit before heading back to your hotel if you want to enjoy some local souvenirs, specialties, and the atmosphere.
The 1-day trip model ends here. If you are not sure what you are having for dinner, a restaurant called Hitoshi (you can eat delicious Tuna there) is my recommendation.
If you feel more like meat, then you can have tasty beef BBQ at Toraichi Meat Shop.
For Hitoshi, I recommend you make a reservation in advance. This restaurant is super popular, so getting a reservation can be quite a challenge. If you find it hard to get through on the phone after several tries, it might be worth stopping by in person to see if you can secure a spot. Since it’s located on an island, there are sometimes last-minute cancellations due to flight delays or cancellations, so you might just get lucky!
Useful links:
Ishigaki Island – Visit Okinawa Japan
You may also want to read: OKINAWA Prefecture