ACCESS
Access
3 Steps to Taketomi Island
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1
Ishigaki Airport → Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal
From the airport to the ferry terminal: about 30 minutes by taxi or 40 minutes by bus.
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2
Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal → Taketomi Port
About 15 minutes by high-speed ferry. Buy tickets at the counter on the day, or in advance.
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3
Taketomi Port → Meeting Point
We pick you up at the location of your choice.
Getting from Ishigaki Airport to the Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal
Taxi
- Travel time: approx. 30 min
- Approx. fare: ¥3,000–¥3,500
A taxi is the reliable choice if you have a lot of luggage or an early-morning departure. The taxi stand is right outside the arrivals exit.
Bus
- Travel time: approx. 40 min
- Approx. fare: ¥550
Take a bus bound for the Remote Island Terminal (Ritō Terminal). We recommend checking the timetable and fares in advance.
High-Speed Ferries to Taketomi Island
Buy on the day at the Anei Kanko or Yaeyama Kanko Ferry counter on the 1st floor of the Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal.
・- Anei Kanko Official Website
・- Yaeyama Kanko Ferry *Advance purchase also available
Junior high school age and up: approx. ¥1,000 (one way)
Elementary school students: approx. ¥500 (one way)
Preschool children: approx. ¥500 (one way, if occupying a seat)
*Preschool children ride free when seated on an adult's lap
Fares are subject to change. Please check each ferry company's website for details.
Travel time: approx. 10–15 min
Frequency: approx. 15 departures a day (from around 7:30 to 17:00; varies by season)
We recommend arriving at the Remote Island Terminal at least 20 minutes before departure.
Meeting Point & Pick-up
Your guide will pick you up at the location of your choice.
Pick-up at the location of your choice (Taketomi Port, your accommodation, the water buffalo cart stop, a bicycle rental shop, etc.)
Please arrive at the meeting point about 10 minutes before the tour starts.
Enjoying Taketomi Island: Day Trip or Overnight Stay?
If you have the time, we recommend staying overnight on Taketomi Island.
The stillness of dusk, a night sky full of stars, the clear morning air.
Time spent on the island alongside the sabani offers a deeper experience than a day trip can.
Day Trip (Example)
- 8:30Board the ferry to Taketomi Island (approx. 15 min)
- 9:30Sabani Tour
- 11:30End of tour
- 12:00Lunch
- 13:00~Explore Taketomi Island
- 16:00Return to Ishigaki Island
Overnight Stay (Example)
- 8:30Board the ferry to Taketomi Island (approx. 15 min)
- 9:30Sabani Tour
- 11:30End of tour
- 12:00Lunch
- 13:00~Explore Taketomi Island
- 15:00Check in at your accommodation
- 17:00Sunset at Nishi Pier
- 18:00Dinner
- 21:00Stargazing — highlyrecommended!
- next morning:
7:00Morning walk around the island - 10:00Check out and return to Ishigaki Island
Etiquette on Taketomi Island
We ask all visitors to Taketomi Island to observe the following. Please help us preserve and nurture the island's nature and culture.
- Please do not enter inside the stone walls
- Please do not enter the utaki (on) sacred sites
- Collecting flowers, shells, fish, butterflies, etc. is prohibited
- Please refrain from walking around in swimwear or shirtless outside designated swimming beaches
- Camping and sleeping outdoors are prohibited
- Please take your trash home with you
Checklist Before Crossing to the Island
- Have you completed your tour booking? Have you completed your booking for the Sabani Tour or other experience you'd like? Please double-check your booking confirmation email. (For last-minute bookings, please confirm by phone.)
- Have you checked the ferry times? Check the ferry timetable between Ishigaki and Taketomi in advance. It makes planning your stay much easier.
- Have you withdrawn cash on Ishigaki Island? There are no ATMs on the island, and most restaurants and souvenir shops accept cash only. Be sure to get cash before leaving Ishigaki Island.
- Have you packed your things in a travel bag or backpack? The island's roads are coral and gravel, so suitcases are hard to pull and not recommended. Pack what you need in a bag or backpack, and leave large luggage at your hotel on Ishigaki or in a coin locker.
- Have you planned what to do after the tour on Taketomi Island? (bicycle rental, etc.) Taketomi Island is compact—you can circle it by rental bicycle in one to two hours. Rental shops are near the port and the village (from around ¥500/hour). Handy for sightseeing after the tour.
- Have you prepared sun protection? UV levels in Okinawa are about twice those of mainland Japan. Get your sunscreen ready before you leave. For use in the sea, we recommend a reef-safe, non-chemical (mineral) type.
Book a Tour
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Give yourself to the waves and wind
Sabani Tour
A fully private tour of about two hours, limited to one group. With the sail raised and only the wind to carry you, the sea and sky of Taketomi Island surround you aboard the sabani.
Learn More
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Into the untold stories of Taketomi Island
Island Walking Tour
Walk with a guide and discover the history and daily life of Taketomi Island that no tourist map can convey.
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Land and sea: all of Taketomi Island
Island Walk & Sabani Tour
Explore the history and culture of Taketomi Island on foot, then head straight out to sea aboard the traditional wooden sabani. A tour that lets you enjoy the whole island.
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A journey of prayer
opened by the nature of Taketomi Island,
for only ten groups a yearPilgrimage of the Wind
A fully private, exclusive plan.
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From the prayer before departure, through the sail, to the lingering calm after returning to port.
About four hours of travel through the sound of the waves, powered by nothing but wind and tide.
