Taketomi Island

Taketomi Island, which is included in Taketomi Town belonging to the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, is a small island with a circumference of only 9.2 km.
Three villages on the island (Nishi Village, Higashi Village, and Nakasuji Village) are registered as Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

The island is popular for its blue ocean and white sand beaches and for its star-filled sky, which has been designated as one of the International Dark Sky Places.
The island is characterized by the traditional Okinawan townscape of red tile-roofed houses surrounded by coral stone walls and connected by white sand paths.
The sight of a water buffalo cart tour walking leisurely between the houses is another attraction not to be missed.
Popular tourist spots include Kondoi Beach, with its beautiful ocean and white sands, and Kaiji Beach, with its star-shaped sands.
The island can be visited in about half a day, but staying overnight is recommended if you want to see the sunset from the "West Pier" and the night sky with countless stars shining in the sky.

Taketomi Island has good accessibility.
It takes about 3 hours by direct flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to "Painushima Ishigaki Airport" in Ishigaki Island, or about 2.5 hours by direct flight from Kansai International Airport in Osaka.
From the airport, take a bus or cab to Ishigaki Port, then a 10-minute high-speed boat ride.