Ishigaki is the main island of the Yaeyama Archipelago, a chain of subtropical islands roughly 420 kilometres southwest of Okinawa and closer to Taiwan than to mainland Japan. It is the gateway to some of the finest coral reefs and beaches in the country, and a place where the pace of life runs noticeably slower than anywhere on Honshu.
The island is compact enough to drive around in a day, but rewards a longer stay. Kabira Bay, on the north coast, is one of Japan's most celebrated stretches of water — turquoise, shallow, and dotted with glass-bottom boats touring the coral below. Shiraho Reef off the southeast coast is home to one of the world's largest colonies of blue coral. Mount Omoto, the highest point in Okinawa Prefecture at 526 metres, offers views across the entire archipelago on clear days.
Ishigaki town, on the southern coast, has a low-key charm — izakayas serving Yaeyama soba and local awamori, a modest covered market, and ferry terminals for day trips to the surrounding islands of Taketomi, Iriomote, and Kohama. The island is also known for its Yaeyama textiles and Okinawan pottery.