If you’re visiting the Yaeyama Islands, I highly recommend adding a day trip to Taketomi Island to your Ishigaki itinerary.
Taketomi island really is an off-the-beaten-path destination, while you will see tourists here, it’s nothing like the crowds you might associate with major sights and cities in Japan.
Taketomi is not only a tropical island in Japan, but also a remote tropical island which really goes away from the popular tourist routes in Japan. So if you like unique destinations and outdoor adventures, this is a great Japanese destination for you.
Located just a short 20 minute ferry ride from Ishigaki, Taketomi island is a car-free island paradise where you can hire a bike, explore the village, the stunning beaches and the sights on the island.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your trip to Taketomi, how to get there, how to get around and the best things to do on Taketomi island.
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Taketomi Kondoi beach
Where is Taketomi Island?
Taketomi Island is one of the Yaeyama Islands which are in the Okinawa prefecture of Japan.
These islands are actually closer to Taiwan than they are to mainland Japan.
Ishigaki is the main island and airport to visit these islands, you can get flights to Ishigaki from multiple airports on the Japanese mainland and Naha, Okinawa. We flew to Ishigaki from Seoul, Korea so there are some limited international flights too.
Taketomi island itself is located around 20 minutes by boat southwest of Ishigaki island, between Ishigaki and Iriomote island.
Taketomi village
How to get to Taketomi Island?
Taketomi island is only accessible by boat.
The most common way to get there is by ferry from Ishigaki ferry port. There are two main ferry companies that serve this route multiple times per day: Anei Kanko and YKF (Yaeyama Kanko Ferry).
Ferries start running to Taketomi Island at 7.30am and the last return ferry is around 5.30pm.
You don’t need to buy tickets in advance, you can just turn up to the ferry port on the day of your day trip to Taketomi Island and buy tickets for the next ferry - they carry about 100 people per ferry. Ferries run roughly once per hour, so it is worth familiarising yourself with the timings so you avoid waiting around for too long. I have put a picture of the ferry timetables below (from 2025 - these may change, please check at the ferry port).
There are more times and I think more suitable/useful times with YKF, particularly in the afternoon, but having the choice between both ferries is really useful if you’re on a flexible time schedule and want to keep your options open for how long you spend on Taketomi Island.
Ferry tickets cost 2000-2200 yen one way and there are self-service kiosks to buy your tickets at the ferry terminal.
If you would prefer for all this to be arranged for you, then there are also tours that include Taketomi Island which arrange your transport and itinerary for you, check them out here.
Ishigaki Taketomi Ferry
Ishigaki Taketomi Ferry Timetable
Can you stay overnight on Taketomi Island?
Yes you can stay overnight on Taketomi Island although options are very limited and it’s definitely more popular to take a day trip to Taketomi Island while staying on Ishigaki island.
Here are some options for places to stay on Taketomi Island.
We stayed in central Ishigaki town and within walking distance of the port, at this hotel:The Breakfast Hotel Marche Ishigakijima
Top tips for visiting Taketomi Island, Japan
There’s a few things to be aware of when you visit Taketomi island because Taketomi is REMOTE. There are none of the usual conveniences you might be used to on mainland Japan or the bigger Okinawa islands.
1. Take your own water bottle. There are no convenience stores and we only found one vending machine. There’s no facility to refill your own water bottle so make sure you take plenty of water with you - it gets very hot and humid!
2. Please take your rubbish home with you. There are no public trash cans on the island because the island has no garbage disposal system. Please respect the rural and fragile environment and the locals’ home environment.
3. Take plenty of sunscreen. I got so badly sunburnt on my arms from cycling around. There is very little infrastructure and shade and no air conditioning in shops or restaurants.
4. Peak time on the island is midday until 4pm. I would highly recommend heading out to the island early to mid morning to guarantee your place on the ferry. It’s also nicer to see the quiet streets and beaches before the peak of the afternoon (Despite this it’s never ridiculously busy like other places in Japan!)
The best things to do on Taketomi Island
Hire a bike
The best way to get around the island is undoubtedly on a bicycle.
While there are limited vehicles on the island for guests with luggage staying overnight and some locals have vehicles, tourists cannot bring cars and no vehicles can be rented on the island.
Fortunately there are multiple bike rental shops in Taketomi. You can either rent from the port (although we found this rental to be closed when we visited and prices looked to be significantly higher from the port) or walk 10-15 minutes into the village and rent from one of the countless bike rental stores in Taketomi village.
We rented from Maemoriya Bike Rental (Google Map location here) who were fantastic, they had loads of bikes to choose from including electric bikes and were super helpful to fit us correctly to a bike (my husband and I are both over 6ft tall).
Our bike rental cost 1,500 yen for the whole day or it’s 1000 yen for 2 hours, final return time is 4pm.
Exploring Taketomi island by bike
Visit Taketomi Village
You’ll most likely find yourself in the village to rent a bike, but do make some time to explore the actual village either on bike or on foot.
The village is so quiet and peaceful with coral rock walks and terracotta rooftops, there are charming cafes and quaint artisan stores.
The roads are mostly dusty tracks or gravel roads in the town, with paved paths and roads around the outside or towards the beaches so make sure your bike seat is adjusted properly for the bumpy and undulating ground!
Taketomi Island Village
Take a buffalo ride
No doubt you will come across the buffalo carts roaming around Taketomi village.
Long before Taketomi attracted tourists, buffaloes were used to get around the village as transport and for farmers or goods to be moved around the island.
Now you can do a buffalo cart ride around the village with a guide who also performs some traditional local music.
Taketomi Water Buffalo
Visit Kondoi Beach
Probably the most famous beach on Taketomi island, Kondoi beach is undoubtedly the best thing to do on Taketomi.
With pristine white sand beaches, clear turquoise water in a calm bay and the most picturesque sand bar at low tide that you can wade out to and stand on.
The beach is definitely rural, you’ll find a bike park and a basic toilet block and that’s it: there’s no food vendors, no shops, no other facilities so make sure you take all your gear with you on the ferry: swimsuit, towel, water, sunscreen, beach gear.
If you want to see the sand bar, make sure you check tide times and plan accordingly. We found the beach was much quieter pre-midday. By 2pm it seemed like most people on the island were on the beach.
Helena at Kondoi Beach
Kondoi Beach Sand Bar
Kondoi Beach
Star sand hunting on Kaiji Beach
This is one of the most unique things to do in Japan and actually in the world!
Star Sand is incredibly rare and is now only found on the beaches of Okinawa islands in Japan and a select few islands in the west Pacific.
Star sand isn’t actually sand, it’s the remnants of shells from tiny microscopic organisms called foraminifera which build their shells from calcium particles in the water.
This results in tiny, star-shaped particles that look like star sand. Star sand can only be found on the Yaeyama islands in the Okinawa Prefecture: Taketomi island, Iriomote island (Hoshizuna-no-hama) and Hatoma.
I’ve read that some other destinations in Asia try to sell star sand but this isn’t true naturally occurring star sand and is instead manufactured.
To find star sand on Taketomi island, head to Kaiji Beach and bring your patience!
Apparently it’s easier to find after bad weather (which did work in our favour) as the higher winds mean bigger waves which pushes more sand from the ocean floor onto the beaches.
I couldn’t find any at first and I was frustrated but my husband found the first one and I realised it was even smaller than I’d realised - if you think you’re looking, you need to look harder!
I’ve put a picture of the ones we found below - you can see how much the camera is zoomed in by the detail of my skin on my hand! You can see them with the naked eye and some are larger than others, but you do need patience.
Kaiji Beach Sand
Star Sand
Walk out on Nishi Pier
We stumbled on this random spot while cycling around the west shore and saw so much sealife - even an eel emerging from the bottom of the pier!
The water is so clear and the coral and fish are vividly visible.
It’s a short stop if you’re in the area but worth checking out.
Nishi Pier
Do a traditional sabani sailing tour
This is one of the best things to do on Taketomi island: an island tour in a traditional sabani boat.
These are traditional wooden boats made from large cedar trees and were used for fishing and transporting produce around Taketomi.
We booked our tour with Shukaji Taketomi but unfortunately our tour was cancelled as winds were too high. They really tried to rebook us to another day but unfortunately our trip and the weather were not compatible!
However I highly recommend booking directly with them to support a local Taketomi business and to have a local guide for this beautiful island.
NOTE: you will need to book in advance during high season!
Visit Atelier Gokouya
If you’re looking for a local, authentic craft experience - this is the place to go.
One of the best things to do on Taketomi island is to discover more about the culture and folk craft movement here.
Atelier Gokouya is a local handicraft store producing local handmade crafts such as woodwork and pottery that also make fantastic Taketomi island souvenirs to take home - maybe one of the most unique souvenirs you’ll get in Japan?! Gokaya Tableware is one of the most famous products to be produced here.
The owner of the shop also runs workshops where you can make your own craft pieces.
Visit Aiyaru Beach
Located on the east side of Taketomi Island, this beach is a lot less visited by visitors to the island and is a great spot if you have longer or possibly overnight to explore Taketomi.
This is a great spot to watch the sunrise if you are staying overnight, or to stargaze - there is no light pollution in Taketomi so the views of the night sky are spectacular.
Visit the Taketomi Yugafu-kan Visitor Centre
The visitors centre is just on the main road once you come out of the ferry terminal and start walking towards Taketomi village.
We stopped by and were so pleasantly surprised by not only how beautiful the building is, but also the depth of information and displays there about Taketomi.
It’s free to visit and I highly recommend stopping by if you have the time either as you arrive or leave the island.
Taketomi Visitors Centre
Summary: best things to do on Taketomi Island, Okinawa Japan
I can’t emphasise enough what a unique experience it is to visit Taketomi Island in Japan.
The Yaeyama Islands are much less visited than a lot of mainland Japan and to do a day trip to such a remote and untouched island really is an incredible experience and a reminder of how our tourism can impact nature and communities. If you choose to visit Taketomi, please enjoy it but also respect it - there are very few places like this left in the world.
