Ocean view rentals in Ishigaki island
What to do in Ishigaki when it's rainy?
1. Visit museums
Ishigaki city Yaeyama museum
Small museum located in the center of Ishigaki. The exhibited items show how the people were living before in the Yaeyama islands (folkcraft instruments, paintings, pottery, ancient tools, clothes...)
Address: 4-1 Tonoshiro, Ishigaki (next to the city hall)
Tel: 0980-82-4712
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed on Monday, public holidays and new year
Entrance fee: 200 yens
Parking available
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Mineya Kobo
Mineya Kobo (みね屋工房) is a museum & craft center introducing a traditional Okinawan textile called Minsa. Made of cotton (originally ‘Min’ means cotton), its rectangles pattern is particularly famous in the Yaeyama islands, and since over 400 years.
In the past, the Yaeyama women used to give a minsa textile to the man they loved. Another common pattern is the Mukade moyo (centipede pattern). It is made of horizontal lines and beautiful indigo colours.
There are actually two minsa museums. One is located in the center of Ishigaki (Minsa Kogei Museum), the other one is in the South of Nagura bay and has more Indigo colours textile. Both craft centers have traditional hand-weaving work shops (coaster, handkerchief, table cloth...)
Nagura bay
Opening hours: 9:30-18:30 (open every day)
Entrance fee: free
Address: 1129-2 Arakawa, Ishigaki
Tel: 0980-83-0039
https://www.mineya.com/access.html
Ishigaki center
Opening hours: 9:00-18:00 (open every day)
Address: 909 Tonoshiro, Ishigaki
Tel: 0980-82-3473
(Pictures: やえやまなび)
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Satake Yaeyama Memorial Palm Museum
Yaeyama palm trees only grow in the yeayama islands (Ishigaki, Iriomote and the other islands around). This spicy of palm tree is endemic to here, and that's the reason why this museum exists. It's of course possible to see Yaeyama palm trees everywhere in Ishigaki, but at the memorial you can learn more about it. The memorial is surrounded by 20 meters high yaeyama palm grove. You will be able to see the palm grove from the memorial, and if the weather gets better, to walk amoung the huge palm trees. This palm tree forest is listed as a national treasure.
Close to the memorial, you will find the famous 'Papaya parlor' juice shop making juices with only fresh sugar cane and ishigaki fruits. Next to the shop stairs open a path to a palm grove walk. In June - precisely at twilight - just after the sun goes down, it's possible to see a lot of fireflies flying amough the palm trees.
Location: near Yonehara beach/the blue cave (30 min. drive from Ishigaki down town)
Free parking: yes
Entrance fee: 300 yen
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (open all year round)
2. Visit limestone caves
Ishigaki stalactite cave - near down town
Here is a 200 000 years old limestone cave showing great stalactites. 10-15 min drive from down town.
The cave is lighted up for a better experience. Count 30 min. for the visit.
If the weather gets better there is a nice garden outside to do a walk.
Opening hours: 9:00-18:30
Address: Ishigaki 1666, Ishigaki city
Tel: 0980-83-1550
