How Do You Get to Taketomi Island From Ishigaki and Get Around?
This guide is for visitors who want to reach Taketomi Island in Okinawa Prefecture and move around it once they arrive. It uses the English pages of the Taketomi Town Tourism Association and three English pages of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Two of the association's pages are written in Japanese and are summarised here in English.
No page used here gives a ferry timetable or a fare for the boat, so this guide cannot say when the first or last boat leaves.
The short answer
You reach Taketomi by high-speed boat from Ishigaki Island. JNTO says the ride takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and that two ferry operators connect the two islands. The association's English page agrees: Taketomi Port is 10 to 15 minutes from Ishigaki Port by fast ferry. JNTO's page on island hopping adds that the tiny island is accessible only by ferry from Ishigaki.
Getting to Ishigaki first
The association calls Ishigaki Island the gateway for visiting the islands of Taketomi Town. It says that after the expansion of Ishigaki Airport opened in March 2013, the number of direct flights between Ishigaki and major cities increased greatly. There are also many flights between Ishigaki and Naha, so you can reach Ishigaki by flying to Naha first from any major Japanese city. A JNTO page on tours in the Yaeyama Islands gives 3.5 hours as the flight time from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Ishigaki.
From the airport to the boat
The association's English page explains the next step. From Ishigaki Airport you travel to the Ishigaki Remote Island Terminal by bus or taxi. It names two bus services. One is a fixed-route bus with a one-way fare of 540 yen and a round-trip fare of 1,000 yen, and the other is a nonstop bus with a one-way fare of 500 yen and a round-trip fare of 900 yen. These fares are as printed on the association's page and may have changed.
At the terminal you buy a ticket at the window of the ferry company you choose. The association adds that the terminal has many tour company information counters that can suggest ways to enjoy the islands.
Other ferry links
The association's page also gives times from other islands in the same town. Taketomi Port is 35 minutes from Ohara Port on Iriomote Island and 25 minutes from Kohama Port on Kohama Island. This is useful if you plan to hop between islands rather than return to Ishigaki each time.
Getting from the port to the village
JNTO says a 15-minute walk from the harbour brings you to the village, which has been designated a national Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. It also says that the buffalo cart operators and bicycle rental outlets offer free shuttle services from the port to the village and back. The association says there are buses running from the port to the village and the beach.
The island is small. A JNTO writer describes it as about two square miles, with cars almost entirely non-existent, and says you can bicycle, walk, or tour it by water buffalo cart. JNTO's page on the national park also says the best way to explore the island is by bicycle or on foot.
Bicycles, buses and the roads
The association says there is an island sightseeing bus and there are sightseeing taxis. For people who want to wander around the village at a relaxed pace, it recommends walking or rental cycles. JNTO notes that several bicycle rental shops operate on the island, and that Kondoi Beach on the western side is a 15-minute walk from the central village, or you can cycle there.
The association also gives a warning for cyclists: roads outside the villages are not paved, so ride cautiously. A plan that includes the beach will therefore mix the white sand village streets with rougher roads on the way out of the village.
Weather and the boats
The association's English page warns that the Yaeyama region lies on a frequent typhoon path. Two to three days before a typhoon arrives there are high waves and strong winds along the coast, and ferry and airline service is affected. It tells visitors to check the Meteorological Agency's website for the latest typhoon information and to follow the instructions of islanders when a typhoon is approaching. Leave some slack in your plans if you have a flight to catch on the same day as your boat back.
A simple plan
Put together, the sources suggest this order: fly to Ishigaki, take a bus or taxi to the Remote Island Terminal, buy a ticket and cross to Taketomi in 10 to 15 minutes, then take the free shuttle or walk 15 minutes into the village. Rent a bicycle or join a buffalo cart tour from there.
What we could not verify, and therefore left out
- Ferry timetables, fares, last-boat times and the names of the two operators.
- Whether the airport bus fares quoted above are still current.
- Prices for bicycle rental and buffalo cart tours.
- Whether the shuttle services run on every sailing.
Related guides
- What Is Taketomi Island? Red Tile Roofs, Shisa and Buffalo Carts
- What Should You Know Before Swimming at Taketomi Beaches, and What Are the Island Rules?
Sources
All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.
- English (Taketomi Town Tourism Association) — (ferry times, airport buses, typhoon note, roads)
- Access to the islands (Taketomi Town Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (gateway, Ishigaki Airport, terminal)
- Taketomi Island (JNTO) — (10 to 15 minutes, village walk, shuttles, bicycles)
- Enjoy a Tropical Paradise in the Yaeyama Islands (JNTO) — (flight time from Haneda)
- Okinawa: Island Hopping (JNTO) — (accessible only by ferry from Ishigaki)
- Japan's Best Beaches (JNTO) — (size of the island, few cars)
- Explore Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park (JNTO) — (bicycle or on foot)