Ishigaki - yes or no? | Japan - Lonely Planet Forum

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Thu, 15 Feb 2018 10:47:59 +0000

Hi all,

We are planning our first 10 day trip to Japan in April this year. We are visiting Tokyo and Kyoto with day trips to a few other places. We are interested in visiting Ishigaki as it seems it has not yet developed into a huge tourist hub and wanted to get in their early. Given our time is short should we be sticking to mainland Japan, or should we take the time to visit Ishigaki to see another side to the country? We have minimum annual holidays so are used to hopping around when we travel.

Thanks for all views in advance.

ONLINE

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 11:41:12 +0000

Ishigaki is far and expensive to get to. What is it that attracts you to it? There are plenty of interesting non-touristic places close to Kyoto or Tokyo. Most people go to Ishigaki for the beach/diving, but you have as good beaches and better elsewhere on the planet for less money.

Also 10 days is not much time even if you just go to Tokyo/Kyoto and do a couple of day trips from there. So, unless you have a very strong urge to go to Ishigaki, I'd stick with "mainland" Honshu, Tokyo and Kyoto and places around there. IMO, not much point going all the way to Japan to lie on a beach.

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ONLINE

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 21:48:53 +0000

I've been to the Yaeyama Islands a couple of times in low and shoulder season, including Ishigaki. It's a pleasant, semi-tropical rural experience, but to be honest I tend to agree with bamse that it might not be worth the time and expense to reach if you're on a relatively short, first-time-to-Japan kind of trip. There is more than enough to see on the main island, unless you do have a specific reason for heading south...

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Sun, 17 Feb 2019 01:01:07 +0000

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