Taketomi Island

Taketomi Island is a small remote island with a population of about 350 belonging to Yaeyama County, Okinawa Prefecture. It boasts excellent accessibility, only 10 minutes from Ishigaki Island by high-speed boat, yet development is restrained and the original landscape of Ryukyu has been preserved.\n\nThe villages on the island are designated as "Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings," and the beautiful scenery of traditional red-tile-roofed houses surrounded by roads paved with white coral sand and lined with fukugi trees is considered to be the most "Ryukyu-like" village in Okinawa. The "water buffalo cart" parade with the sound of sanshin (Okinawan traditional three-stringed instrument) is synonymous with Taketomi Island.\n\nAt Kondoi Beach, star-shaped foraminifera shells called "star sand" can be found in the sand. You can enjoy a day trip, but staying at a guest house and experiencing the tranquility of the night is also recommended.