Among the 19 islands of Yaeyama, large and small, Ishigaki Island which holds 80% of its population, is the island which serves as the center of politics, economy and culture of the Yaeyama archipelago. Although it has added some urban facilities to increase the accessibility to the neighboring islands of Taketomi and Iriomote, once you go past the city, there is nothing but beautiful greenery that spreads across the land.
The meaning of “ishigaki” is stone wall. On all islands, especially on Taketomi and Kohama you find many stone walls erected around private houses. Actually the material used is not stone but corals. In the central region of the island is the highest mountain in Okinawa, “Omotodake”, in the northern region is the “Hirakubo Peninsula”, a range of green hills jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, and in the western region are a number of scenic sites such as “Kabira Bay”, a lookout point that is known as a culturing spot for Black Pearl. In such a way, a superb landscape meshed by nature on the island, spreads across the land.
