| Yaeyama Islands (八 重 山 諸島, Yaeyama-shotō) | |
 | |
| Kondoi Beach, at Taketomi | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Okinawa |
| Area | 591,46 km² |
| Location | |
 24 ° 22 ′ 2 ″ N 123 ° 31 ′ 49 ″ E | |
The Yaeyama Islands are the westernmost part ofOkinawa, to Japan.
Understand
The Yaeyama Islands are the most southwestern part of Japan, closer to Taiwan and even Batanes (Philippines) that ofOkinawa Island, let alone the main islands of Japan.
Weather
While most of the Okinawa Islands have a subtropical climate, the Yaeyama Islands have a tropical climate. This translates into a temperature in winter that is 2−4 ° C higher than on theOkinawa Island and that on the other islands of the northern part of the Okinawa archipelago. Even in January and February, the average high temperature is 21 ° C, making this area a popular winter getaway, although the weather is often cloudy and windy due to the winter monsoon, and therefore a bit too cool for sunbathing. Spring, around March and April, is a great time to visit. The rainy season begins in early May and continues until June. Unlike the rainy season in the main islands of Japan, it does not rain every day or all day in the Yaeyama Islands. Summer is hot and humid there, but it is still the high tourist season, while September brings a succession of violent typhoons. October (excluding typhoons) and November are still good times to come, neither too cold nor sweltering in heat.
The water temperature fluctuates between 29 ° C in July and 23 ° C in February. During the colder periods, it will be more the temperature of the air and the wind which will push water away. In November (26 ° C), while the water is still pleasant, you will surely not see anyone swimming (if we exclude those in wetsuits)!
He is
- 1 Aragusuku (新) – Two small, flat islets, with only a handful of people living on one of them.
- 2 Hateruma (波 照 間) – The southernmost inhabited point of Japan
- 3 Hatoma (鳩 間) – Small island north of Iriomote; the main attraction here is that there is none.
- 4 Ishigaki (石 垣) – The largest city and the hub of the Yaeyama Islands; spectacular beaches, manta rays, Okinawa's highest mountain and the famous Kabira Bay.
- 5 Iriomote (西 表) – The largest of the islands, its mangroves, its mountains and largely covered by forest; where Iriomote's elusive wild cat lives.
- 6 Taketomi (竹 富) – Small, flat island near Ishigaki, known for its carefully restored Ryūkyū village.
- 7 Yonaguni (与 那 国) – The westernmost point of Japan, with mysterious underwater “ruins” and hammerhead sharks.
- 8 Kuro (黒) – Small island a little famous for having (many) more cows than inhabitants
- 9 Kohama (小 浜) – Small island that is home to a chic seaside resort.
To go
The Yaeyama Islands are far from any other place.
By plane
The only major airport in the islands is that ofIshigaki, which offers frequent connections with Naha and Miyako and some direct flights to most major Japanese cities like Tokyo (3 h). Regular normal fares on the longest of its routes are quite expensive. Even when booking in advance, they are usually over 30 000 JPY the one-way ticket, so this makes a great opportunity to use the “Visit Japan” rate if you can. Low-cost company Peach Airlines also offers rides Osaka-Ishigaki, with promotional rates that can go down to 8 000 JPY.
The links with Taipei (Taiwan) are intermittent. Mandarin Airlines and TransAsia Airways operate seasonal charter flights (in 2013: from April to October, several times a week). Connections to other airports (such as Hong Kong) are only considered.
On a boat
Since Ryukyu Kaiun stopped his last passenger ferry in 2006, and Arimura Sangyo went bankrupt in 2007, there have been no regular connections to Taiwan, to the main islands of Japan and to islands outside of Japan. Yaeyama group (from the end of April to the end of October, Star Cruises has been operating cruises since Keelung (near Taipei, Taiwan) untilOkinawa Island, the island of Miyako, and the island ofIshigaki, but this is not a ferry service).
Circulate
By plane
Japan Transocean Air and Ryukyu Air Commuter only have a limited number of flights (1-2 each day) of Ishigaki To Yonaguni. Hateruma no longer has a regular connection.
On a boat
There are frequent connections from Ishigaki To Taketomi (correct 10 min) and to Iriomote (40 min). Regular boats make it possible to reach the other islands, including Hateruma and Yonaguni, which are more distant. The most important operators are Anei Kankō and Yaeyama Kankō Ferry.
To speak
Practical yaeyama glossary Some words you might come across:
Spelling and pronunciation vary not only from island to island, but according to the speaker's preferred script in Kana. |
Due to their isolation, the Yaeyama Islands are linguists' dream. While the Japanese standard is spoken everywhere and the main Okinawa language is also well understood, there is also a yaeyama language (yaimamunii) very special. Ishigaki, Iriomote, and Taketomi each have their own dialects of it, and Yonaguni's is so different that it is usually considered a separate language.
The Indigenous ideographic writing system (known as kaidā) was formerly used on Taketomi and Yonaguni, but nowadays it is mostly found on t-shirts in souvenir shops.
To see
The Yaeyama Islands are relatively off the beaten track compared to the rest of Japan, but each has its own unique character. Ishigaki has some spectacular beaches and Iriomote is the only island in all of Japan with jungle forests and authentic mangroves, the tiny Taketomi is known for its carefully preserved traditional Ryūkyū village.
Do
Thanks to the unspoiled coral reefs that surround virtually all the islands, the scuba diving There is the number one sport activity. Ishigaki is known for its manta rays, while the main attractions ofYonaguni are the hammerhead sharks and the underwater ruins.
Even with just a snorkel and a maskit is possible to see a good assortment of tropical fish and other marine life within the reefs near the beaches. Perhaps the best places are at Nakamoto Beach on the island of Kuro and the starry sand beach at Iriomote.
To buy
Eat
The most famous dish in Yaeyama is the ubiquitous Yaeyama soba (八 重 山 そ ば), which bears little resemblance to the soba from the main islands: Yaeyama's version consists of white wheat noodles in a mild pork-based broth, topped with pieces of pork (soki), a few slices of fish cake. Available anywhere for 400-500 JPY the bowl.
the beef local is also renowned, although it's not worth pointing out that quality steaks aren't cheap in Japan. The small island of Kuro, in particular, is known to have more cows than inhabitants.
Among the more exotic local cuisine that you can buy are snake soup and mimigā, a salad of pork ear, cucumber and vinegar.
Have a drink / Go out
As elsewhere in Okinawa, the drink of choice isawamori, the best known being the local brand Yaesen (八 重 泉), corn Yonaguni is also known for its hanazake at 60 ° killer. In addition to the ubiquitous Orion beer, Ishigaki also houses a microbrewery.
Housing
Security
Yaeyama does not pose a health risk that you do not encounter elsewhere in Okinawa. Use plenty of sunscreen and don't put your hands in holes in trees that make suspicious whistling noises.
On the other hand, do not not snorkeling when warnings about native jellyfish are posted. These areas are usually clearly marked. Also, the highly poisonous acanthaster starfish is found on reefs, although local dive operators actively eliminate them: this species seriously damages reefs and is extremely dangerous to humans.
Respect
The Yaeyama Islands have more than 200 utaki (御 嶽, Japanese pronunciation: "otake"), known in the local language as "ogan" or "on", which are sacred sites (places where the gods are worshiped). By decree of the Japanese government, these "on" belong to the villages (some of which today only survive as city sections). Some more official "we" who were endowed with "torii" (鳥 ↑), Japanese shrine portals (神社, "Jinja"), after the annexation of the kingdom Ryūkyū (the current prefecture ofOkinawa), but there are still many that do not have a gate but are on the contrary delimited by other means, for example with stone walls and indications in Japanese. Please do not venture inside.
Manage the day-to-day
The free brochure Yaeyama Navi (八 重 山 ナ ビ), featuring large, detailed maps, is quite good, but the listings inside are limited to paid ads.
Ferry companies offer package tours to the islands and information is available at the ferry terminal but most of it is in Japanese.
