Ishigaki Island is the commercial and transportation hub of the Yaeyama Islands, with a larger and more modern city than the other islands in the group (population 48,000) and a new, expanded airport that serves thousands of tourists every year from both mainland Japan and overseas. It also has some of the most beautiful beaches in Japan as well as a rugged natural landscape and is famed for its snorkeling, diving and surfing spots.

Each of these three islands had a different look and feel – Iriomote was a wilderness, the very traditional Taketomi was like a step into the past, and Ishigaki was a blue water paradise.

Port view, Ishigaki City, posted earlier: