The Yaeyama Islands in Japan: The Lonely Paradise

We press our noses against the airplane window. Among the clouds, we see small, green hills and the bright turquoise sea, until a large, elongated island becomes visible beneath the clouds. It must be Ishigaki! One of the 23 islands that make up the Japanese Yaeyama Islands.

Behind us are already ten days in Japan. Days that were so exciting that we can hardly remember everything. They were filled with the twinkling lights of Tokyo, the delicate pink of cherry blossoms, the many temples in Kyoto, and the small villages that whizzed by the windows of the Shinkansen bullet train. Now, days at the other end of Japan lie ahead of us. 'Ishigaki is so different from the rest of Japan,' the Japanese people we met in Tokyo revealed to us. We have three days to find out.

Compared to other corners of Japan, it's easy to rent a car on Ishigaki - and that's exactly what we do. At Smile Car Rental, we get a car within minutes to explore the island for a day. We start from the ferry terminal heading north. The island isn't very large, so it's relatively easy to see many things in a short time.

Yes, the Yaeyama Islands are different from what one typically envisions in Japan. Here, everything is a bit slower, a bit more relaxed. Island time prevails, and you can feel it in every corner. To our right spreads an endless green, hilly landscape, to our left, the sea roars. After just under 40 minutes, we arrive at the northern part of the island, at Kabira Bay Lookout. We are almost the only ones here, even though this viewpoint is one of the largest tourist spots on the island. Few tourists come to the Yaeyama Islands, and when they do, they are mostly Japanese needing a break from city life. It feels good to experience an island that hasn't yet appeared on the backpacker radar.

Besides the beautiful, untouched nature, the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa Prefecture are also famous for their people and their traditions, which are carefully preserved here. We leave the viewpoint behind and continue. Next on our itinerary: the Minsa Weaving Studio and a very special man.

In the garden of the Minsa Weaving Studio, colorful fabrics flutter in the wind. Here, traditional clothing and accessories are woven in the Ishigaki style - painstakingly and intricately, and above all, still using the same traditional methods. At the wooden looms, women work diligently while we stroll through the small museum on the second floor of the weaving studio. Those who wish to try their hand at weaving can book a few hours at the loom and gain firsthand experience.

Not far from the weaving studio is Mr. Taba's studio. We're a little nervous as we step into the small room, because all we know is that 86-year-old Mr. Taba unfortunately doesn't speak English. For the past 56 years, he has spent his days carving wooden masks. Day in and day out, he sits on his stool and carves small, large, and occasionally even giant masks - for personal use, for traditional festivities on the islands, or for sale. We attempt to communicate with him, and we come to a mutual understanding: a broad grin that we still have on our faces as we leave the shop.

Time and again we stop on our mini road trip across Ishigaki Island at small shops that have been carrying on their crafts for years. Sometimes it's sake at the Awamori Distillery, and sometimes it's salt at the Ishigaki Island Salt Factory, which is dried in the sun in the backyard.

Traditions and Ishigaki go together like sake and Wagyu beef. The small island is teeming with little specialties that we are surprised to find hidden in small gardens or back alleys.

The next day begins for us early in the morning. From the ferry terminal, we take the ferry to the neighboring island of Ishigaki. We are heading to Iriomote, the larger and even greener sister island. The crossing to the southern dock of the island, Ohara, takes 35 minutes (cost: 1770 yen or about $14.20 for a one-way trip). Right at the harbor, we are greeted by a young Japanese woman who perfectly embodies the island's image with her board shorts, flip flops, and curly hair, as if she just caught a few waves and hurried to the harbor. Today, we will go kayaking and hiking with Hirata Tourism. About half an hour later, we walk towards the river, armed with life jackets, water shoes, and paddles in hand. We paddle upstream to the waterfall. It is quiet on Iriomote; apart from the sound of our paddles dipping into the water, there's no other noise. All around us are just us, our guide, and expansive green hills.

We tie our kayaks to some roots, then hike through the forest to the waterfall. Twenty minutes later, it lies right in front of us: the Sangara Waterfall, a small but wide waterfall that quickly becomes our new favorite picnic spot. We walk right through the waterfall, climb up, and then settle down in the sun. Our guide is prepared: there is green tea and sushi. Rejuvenated, warmed by the sun, and filled with energy, we walk back to the kayak, let ourselves drift downstream, and soon board the ferry back to Ishigaki.

Taketomi is another neighboring island of Ishigaki. It is the main destination for day tourists, who can take the ferry from Ishigaki in just 15 minutes. The island is famous for the red-tiled roofs of the small houses built in the Kawara style, which are mainly located in the center of the island. We cross over and set off on a small walk towards the beach.

In the afternoon, Taketomi is even quieter than Ishigaki and Iriomote. That is when the tourists are back on the other islands, when fewer cyclists are out and about on their rented bikes, and when everyone is worried about missing the last ferry back to Ishigaki at 6:15 PM. We stroll through the small streets of the center, along a deserted road until we arrive at the beach. Kaiji Beach is not only beautifully situated, deserted, and lined with palm trees. It has something uniquely special that one certainly does not find at other beaches around the world. Here, the sand grains are star-shaped. Yes, star-shaped. Anyone who brushes through the sand here will find tiny sand grains that, when held in the palm of your hand, appear as though they've just fallen from the sky.

Tip: From Ishigaki, you can take the ferry to Taketomi in the morning and spend the day biking across the island. Unfortunately, we only had an hour to admire the beautiful houses with their picture-book roofs and breathe in the fresh air at the beach.

The cuisine on the Yaeyama Islands is different from the rest of Japan. While in Japan, people typically eat ramen, sushi, and other light dishes, the remote island group places a high emphasis on meat. On our first evening, we head to Ishigaki Village. The complex is an ensemble of typical Okinawan restaurants spread over three floors. We kick off our meat marathon with a traditional Japanese barbecue. On the second evening, we return to Ishigaki Village for an Ishigaki beef burger - a very good choice.

For our last evening, we've chosen something special to test the famous Ishigaki beef. At the Ishigakiya restaurant, supposedly the best meat on the island is served. We are led to our own little room, and we take off our shoes directly at the entrance of the restaurant. What follows is a long grilling evening that takes us through the entire meat selection of the Yaeyama Islands.

The last sip of sake is drunk and with full stomachs and heavy hearts, we leave our little grill room. Arigatou Ishigaki, thank you Ishigaki, for this very special Japanese experience.