Ishigaki Island

Ishigaki- jima (Japanese石垣岛, literally stone fence Island) with 44 907 inhabitants on 222.63 km ², the main island of the Yaeyama Islands. It is the third largest island (after Okinawa and Iriomote -jima ) of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa. The distance to taramas -shima the Miyako Islands in the north-east is about 32 km, the main island of Okinawa prefecture of the same name about 370 km, to the Chinese island nation of Taiwan, there are only about 230 km. The entire island belongs to the field of Ishigaki city in the south of the island.

Topography

The coastline is more closely structured in the northwest and in the northeast forms a very long spur, which is only about 300 m narrow at one point. The bottom shape is mostly wavy, higher elevations are found mainly in the north of the island hull and in the headlands. The Omotodake (于 茂 登岳) is 526 meters above sea level the highest mountain of Okinawa Prefecture. The island is of two larger streams, which are fed mainly from three reservoirs, traversed.

Climate

In the summer months, daytime temperatures will be around 35 ° C, in the winter months to 12 ° C. Like all the Ryukyu Islands and Ishigaki- jima is often plagued by typhoons from May to September.

Economy

The islanders live from time immemorial of fruit crops ( pineapple, mandarin oranges ), crop production, animal husbandry and fishing, in particular the Katsuo (skipjack ). Nowadays, tourism for the island an important source of income Several hotels, beaches, coral reefs, numerous restaurants, the ferry port as a transit station to the other islands of the Yaeyama Group and last but not least a golf course bring many visitors to Ishigaki -jima.

Culture

The Yaeyama language belongs to the Ryukyu languages.

Special

Particularly worth seeing include the Kabira Bay (川 平 湾, Kabira - wan), the Tamatori headland (玉 取 崎, Tamatori - zaki ) and the Yaeyama Museum, Japan's southernmost museum. The swimming season in the sea begins on Ishigaki- jima in March, and therefore even a month earlier than on the main island of the prefecture.

The town hall of the neighboring municipality of Taketomi is on the island of Ishigaki- jima, where around 90 % of the inhabitants of the Yaeyama Islands live.

Ishigaki has been used as a filming location for several movies or Japanese television drama. For example, was Ishigaki-jima together with Mimami - Daitō the location of the film Kamigami no Fukaki of Shohei Imamura Yokubō.

Traffic

The island is easily accessible to cars, rental cars are available. Daily flights from the airfield Ishigaki offered by Hateruma -jima, Yonaguni -jima, Miyako- jima, Naha, Kansai and Tokyo -Haneda, ferry connections exist to all inhabited islands of the Yaeyama Islands.