Taketomi

Ideal stay

1–2 nights

The vibe

Slow, sandy, gently traditional

From our guides

1. 01

   Kondoi Beach

   A shallow west-facing bay of white coral sand where the water stays waist-deep a long way out. The best swimming on the island and the best sunsets.

2. 02

   Kaiji Beach star sand

   A short walk south, a beach where the sand contains tiny star-shaped shells of single-celled organisms. Sift a handful and look closely, then put it back.

3. 03

   Water buffalo cart ride

   Slow circuits of the village lanes with a driver playing the three-stringed sanshin. Gentle, touristy and genuinely the right speed for the place.

4. 04

   The village lanes

   Coral walls, red Ryukyu roof tiles and shisa lion figures on every ridge, with the sand swept each morning by residents. Building rules keep it intact.

5. 05

   Sunset from Nishi Pier

   A long concrete jetty on the west coast pointing at the open sea. Locals gather here in the last half hour of light and nobody says much.

6. 06

   Cycling the island

   Bikes are hired near the port and the whole island can be circled in an hour. It is flat, quiet and the only sensible way to reach the beaches.

1. Fly to

   Ishigaki (ISG)

   Nearest airport to Taketomi, about 18km away as the crow flies.

2. Then

   To Taketomi

   Fly to Ishigaki (ISG) from Naha or Tokyo, take the bus or a taxi about half an hour to Ishigaki port, then the ferry across, which takes ten to fifteen minutes.

3. On the ground

   Getting around

   The village is a few minutes from the pier by island minibus or bicycle, and everything on Taketomi, including Kondoi and Kaiji beaches, is within an easy flat cycle ride.

Public transport: Frequent ferries from Ishigaki and a small island shuttle; no car is needed or wanted here.

Family-run minshuku with shared bathrooms and set dinners, plus a couple of small inns. There are no hotels, no convenience stores and no nightlife on the island.

• Best base overall

  Taketomi village

  The only settlement on the island, so staying means sleeping inside the coral-walled lanes and having them to yourself once the day boats leave. A handful of minshuku and two small inns.

  Find stays in Taketomi village →
• Best value

  Ishigaki city

  Ten minutes away by ferry, with the airport, the choice of hotels, supermarkets and restaurants. Practical and cheap, but you miss the point of Taketomi entirely.

  Find stays in Ishigaki city →
• Best with children

  Kabira, Ishigaki

  On Ishigaki's north-west coast, with glass-bottom boats over the bay and family resorts with pools. A drive from the ferry port, so a hire car helps.

  Find stays in Kabira, Ishigaki →
• Quietest

  Kondoi side of the village

  The western edge of Taketomi, nearest the shallow turquoise beach and the sunset, with one or two guesthouses. Dinner must be arranged with your host in advance.

  Find stays in Kondoi side of the village →

Worth knowing before you book: Taketomi has very few beds and they go months ahead, meals must usually be booked with the room, and the last ferry back to Ishigaki is early evening.

Stay over

Day trippers leave on the late-afternoon ferry. Staying a night gives you the swept lanes at dawn and a sky full of stars, but rooms are few.

Cash

There is very little card acceptance and few cash machines. Withdraw yen on Ishigaki before you take the ferry.

Etiquette

The lanes run between private homes. Keep your voice down, do not photograph inside gateways and do not take the star sand away in quantity.

Getting around

Visitors do not bring cars. Hire a bicycle at the port, or take the village shuttle, and expect everything to be within twenty minutes' ride.

Timing

April to June is warm and relatively dry. Typhoon risk peaks in August and September, when ferries can be cancelled for days.

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