How Do You Get to Ishigaki and Take a Ferry to the Other Yaeyama Islands?

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors who want to know how to reach Ishigaki Island and how to take a ferry from there to the other Yaeyama Islands. It also covers what typhoons do to boats and flights, and a new lodging tax that starts in 2027.

We used the official Okinawa travel site run by the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB), the Ishigaki City Tourism Exchange Association and Ishigaki City. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Timetables change, so check with the airline or ferry company before you travel.

Where Ishigaki is

OCVB describes the Yaeyama Islands as a group of remote islands about 400 kilometers southwest of Okinawa's main island. Ishigaki is the most populated of them. It has a city, an airport and the port that serves the other islands.

Ishigaki Island is about 160 kilometers around. OCVB says visitors driving around it will want a full day. Part of the island lies in Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park.

Flying in

The island's airport is New Ishigaki Airport, also called Painushima Ishigaki Airport. OCVB lists these direct flights:

• From Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo, taking between 2 and 3.5 hours.
• From Naha on Okinawa's main island, taking around one hour.
• International flights from Taiwan (about 1 hour) and Hong Kong (about 2 hours).

Routes depend on the season and the airline. Check the airline's own page for the current schedule.

Ferries from Ishigaki Port

Ishigaki Port is the gateway to the rest of the Yaeyama Islands. OCVB gives these crossing times from Ishigaki:

• Taketomi Island. High-speed boats leave every hour, and the trip takes 10 minutes. The main village is a 15-minute walk from the ferry terminal.
• Iriomote Island. Boats run every 30 to 60 minutes to Ohara Port, taking 35 to 40 minutes. They run every hour or two to Uehara Port, taking 40 to 50 minutes. Frequency depends on the season.
• Kohama Island. High-speed ferries take between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the service.
• Kuroshima Island. About 25 minutes by high-speed boat, or 30 minutes by ferry.
• Hateruma Island. The crossing takes around 60 to 100 minutes. Hateruma has no public transport, so most visitors use a rental car or bicycle.

The Ishigaki City Tourism Exchange Association keeps a list of the shipping companies that run these routes. Timetables and tickets are on each company's own website.

Getting around Ishigaki itself

OCVB suggests rental cars, motorcycles and bicycles for exploring remote islands at your own pace, and advises booking in advance. Taxis are limited on remote islands, so confirm availability before you rely on one.

Most places to stay are at the south end of the island, in Ishigaki City or around the port. Some smaller guesthouses are along the main road that circles the island.

Typhoons, flights and boats

The Ishigaki City Tourism Exchange Association says many typhoons come close to Ishigaki from late June to October. When a typhoon approaches, flights and boats to the other islands are cancelled.

Waves often stay high after the typhoon has passed, so boat cancellations can last longer. The association warns that this can affect your flight home. Think carefully before crossing to another island when a typhoon is near.

OCVB says the same for all of Okinawa. Boat services are affected for longer than flights, so prepare a backup plan. Many boat companies only give support in Japanese. If you have trouble, OCVB suggests the OKINAWA Multilingual Contact Center.

A new lodging tax from February 2027

Ishigaki City says it will start charging a lodging tax on stays from 1 February 2027. The city page also says lodging tax will apply at all places to stay across Okinawa Prefecture from the same date.

For Ishigaki City's own tax, the rate is 2.0% of the room price per person per night, without meals. The tax is capped at 2,000 yen per person per night. You pay it to the place you stay.

The city notes that the tax may already be included in what you pay through a booking site or travel agent. Ask the place you are staying if you are unsure. School trips and some sports and cultural events can be exempt.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Ferry fares and exact timetables. Check with each shipping company.
• The rate of the Okinawa Prefecture lodging tax. We only read Ishigaki City's page.
• Bus routes and fares on Ishigaki Island.
• Ferry times to Hatoma, Aragusuku and Yonaguni. We did not read those pages.

Related guides

• What is Kabira Bay, and where can you swim on Ishigaki?
• How do you stay safe on Ishigaki? Typhoons, the sea and emergency numbers

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Ishigaki Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN (Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau) — (location; size; airport; flights; where to stay)
2. Yaeyama Islands - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (Ishigaki as gateway)
3. Taketomi Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (boats every hour; 10 minutes)
4. Iriomote Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (Ohara and Uehara ports; times)
5. Kohama Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (20 to 40 minutes)
6. Kuroshima Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (25 or 30 minutes)
7. Hateruma Island - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (60 to 100 minutes; no public transport)
8. Getting Around Okinawa - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (rental cars; taxis on remote islands)
9. Typhoon Precautions in Okinawa - VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN — (boats affected longer; Japanese-only support)
10. Shipping companies (Ishigaki City Tourism Exchange Association, in Japanese) — (list of ferry operators)
11. During typhoons (Ishigaki City Tourism Exchange Association, in Japanese) — (late June to October; cancellations last longer)
12. To guests: Ishigaki City lodging tax (Ishigaki City, in Japanese) — (from 1 February 2027; 2.0%; cap of 2,000 yen; exemptions)