Packed with picture-perfect beaches that offer world-class diving, snorkeling and surfside bliss, Ishigaki is the gateway to the Yaeyama archipelago, the southernmost and westernmost inhabited islands of Japan. Admire the colorful fish and flourishing coral reefs of Kabira Bay aboard a glass-bottom boat before enjoying panoramic island views from the Tamatorizaki observatory or Hirakubozaki Lighthouse. 竹富島、黒島、小浜島は、いずれも自転車で数時間でまわれるので、日帰り旅行に最適です。Listen to folk songs accompanied by the sanshin, a banjo-like instrument made of snakeskin, and see artisans crafting styles of pottery that are unique to each island.