Taketomi Island [竹富島]
Village in Taketomi Island
Photo by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau
A street in Taketomi Island
Taketomi Island ("Taketomijima" in Japanese) is a small island to the southwest of Ishigaki Island, and is located about 6 km west of Ishigaki Port.
It is an egg-shaped island, and is about 2.5 km from east to west and about 3.5 km from north to south.
The island was formed by raised coral reefs, so it is quite flat.
There is Taketomi Port on the northeast coast and the ferry is operated frequently from Ishigaki Port.
A small village is in the center of the island, about 350 people live in the island.
In the village, there are only old traditional houses.
When the inhabitants build a new house in the island, the house must be built in the traditional style.
Putting up a signboard on the house is not allowed.
Especially, "Shîsâ" on the roof is attractive.
It is a statue of a lion like a dog and is a guardian deity of the house.
The roads filled with coral sands have been cleaned by the inhabitants every day.
By the rain, the sands flow out to the sea.
So they sometimes repair the roads with using the sands on the beach.
In this way, the people have kept the traditional scenery of the village since early times.
The scenery has attracted the tourists.
Traditional house with a Shisa in Taketomi Island
Photo by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau
Water buffalo carriage in Taketomi Island
Photo by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau
A small route bus is operated.
It starts from the port at the northeast coast, runs through the village and two beach, and returns the port.
It takes only 23 minutes.
It is operated every 30 minutes.
But you need to reserve a seat when you get on any stop except the port.
Water buffalo carriage for sightseeing is popular.
And you can use a rental bicycle.
There is no large hotel in Taketomi Island.
But there are many minshuku of traditional house.
Nagomi no Tou
Photo by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau
Nishi-Sanbashi
There are some spots in the island.
There is Tower of Nagomi ("Nagomi no Tou" in Japanese) on a hill in the small park in the center of the village.
It is the only observatory in the island and the height is 4.5 meters.
It was built in 1953.
Only one or two visitors climbed the steep steps at a time and could see the view of the island.
But it was closed after becoming too old in 2016.
It has been designated as a registered tangible cultural property of Japan.
So, it is preserved but we can't climb the observatory.
Nishi-Sanbashi (西桟橋) is an old pier on the west coast.
It was built in 1938, and had been used to go to Iriomote Island by boat.
The inhabitants had done farm work in Iriomote Island until around 1971.
Now, it is a popular viewing spot of sunset.
Kondoi Beach
Cats around Kondoi Beach
The coast to the south of Nishi-Sanbashi is called Kondoi Beach (コンドイ浜).
It is the main bathing beach in Taketomi Island.
The beach has white sand and clear water, and the view of sunset is beautiful.
In addition, there are many cats around the beach.
Kaiji-hama
Photo by Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau
Star sand
There is Kaiji-hama beach (カイジ浜) to the south of Kondoi Beach.
The beach is known for "star sand" (星砂, "Hoshizuna" in Japanese).
Star sand is shell of dead "foraminifera" and the size is 1 to 2 millimeters.
Foraminifera is a very small "protist" living in the sea, and the shell is in the form of a star.
It is found in the tropical zone in western Pacific Ocean.
The sands in this beach contain relatively-numerous star sands.
How to get here
By high-speed ship, about 10 minutes from Ishigaki Port.
