Driving in Ishigaki

Car rentals

A car is without a doubt the best way to travel around Ishigaki island. There are plenty of rent-a-car companies and prices are very reasonable, ranging from about 3000 yen for a 12 hour rental, although prices can be higher during the summer season. It won't be a surprise to hear that companies tend to ask you to fork out a few hundred yen for additional insurance when you come to make a booking, but even then the price is usually within most travelers' budgets. Cars are typically supplied with a full tank of petrol and customers are expected to return them with a full tank (see the information on petrol stations below).

If you're interested in renting a car my advice is to pick up some of the free travel magazines in the airport such as 'Jaima' which include adverts for car and motorcycle rental companies. Ads are always in Japanese but the pricing is pretty obvious. The Toyota outlet is conveniently located on the same road as the airport but most firms will deliver cars if you book in advance.

 

During the low season (November to March) you should have no problem getting hold of a car at short notice, but during the high season be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

International Drivers License

If you're planning on driving in Japan I recommend that you apply for an international drivers license in your home country. Please beware if you've been told that you can drive on your regular license as this may not be the case. I made the mistake of trusting another website which said that I would be able to drive with my UK drivers license in Japan, only to be refused when I tried to rent a car. There actually seemed to be quite a bit of confusion about which licenses can be accepted, therefore it's my advice that you get an international drivers license in order to avoid complicatoins when you arrive.

Orientation

Most cars are supplied with Sat Nav (usually in Japanese only) and this should suffice if combined with one of the maps provided in the free magazines which are available at the airport. Ishigaki has just a few large roads which run around the island, and if you stick to these you probably won't get lost. These roads are pretty well signposted and even if you do lose your way you should be able to find a sign with English text which will lead you towards the city. Try to plan your trip well before you leave and use the coastline to maintain your sense of direction.

Petrol stations

There are no self-service petrol stations on Ishigaki island. As soon as you drive onto the petrol stations forecourt you'll be greeted by a few excited attendants who'll make strange noises (I still haven't figured out what they're saying) while guiding you to a pump. If you'd like them to fill the tank say 'Mantan de onegaishimasu' ('Mantan' means 'full tank'). If your tank has been filled this will usually be indicated on the receipt – your rental car company may ask to see this receipt later. Note that many petrol stations on Ishigaki island close quite early – ask your rental car company for advice about which petrol station should be used and its opening times.

Which side of the road do the Japanese drive on?

Those of you from civilized nations will be pleased to learn that the Japanese also drive on the left hand side of the road (sorry...couldn't resist a bit of British humor there).

Road safety

On the whole driving in Ishigaki is pretty safe but I attribute this to the fact that people drive quite slowly rather than anything else. Most people are very polite but Ishigaki definitely has its fair share of poor drivers and the key is to be on your guard if you want to avoid an accident.

Unfortunately when it comes to seat belts and baby seats both the law and common sense seems to have been sacrificed in favor of blatant irresponsibility; During the 10 minute bike ride from my apartment to the center of town I usually see at least a dozen cars with unrestrained small children playing in the front seats of cars and on a few occasions I've even witnessed mothers driving with small babies on their laps. As to why this is allowed to go on I don't know, but what I do know is that even a low-speed accident with one of these cars is likely to result in serious injuries or fatalities, and this is another reason why you should be particularly careful when driving in the town center.

Traffic lights

In order to avoid running over a pedestrian it's important that you understand an important oddity  about the way in which many traffic lights work in Japan, and his applies to all junctions in Ishigaki. When you have a green light this naturally means that you are free to proceed but take great care when turning left or right as pedestrians traveling in the same direction will usually have a green light too. This can be particularly dangerous when turning right across oncoming traffic as you not only have to wait for a gap but you have to look over your shoulder to ensure that a pedestrian (or even a cyclist) isn't about to cross the road which you're trying to turn onto.

Essentially 'green' means that you're free to go straight on, but exercise caution if turning left or right as pedestrians may be crossing.

Road quality

The quality of all main roads on Ishigaki is excellent and this makes touring the island by car an absolute joy – it's also a prime reason why the island is so popular among cyclists.

Speed limits

Note that speed limit are displayed in kilometers per hour. Ishigaki has some beautiful, wide country roads which are relatively free of traffic and sticking to the speed limit can be quite a challenge – the limit on most of these roads is just 40km/h, which is only about 30mph! The police are also quite strict when it comes to enforcing speed limits and speed traps are often set up on roads around the island. However, Ishigaki is small which means that you're never too far from your destination (unless you're traveling to or from the north of the Hirakubo peninsula), and the scenery is so beautiful that there's no real need to make it pass any faster than it has too.

Drink driving

It goes without saying that if you've been drinking then don't drive. Drink-drive laws are very strict in Japan and even being slightly over the limit (which is virtually zero) can result in the driver along with his passengers being served a huge fine – think along the lines of several thousand US dollars for the driver. In Japan the late night bar / Izakaya culture often leads to people being over the limit the next day without realizing, but make no mistake, the police may be polite but they will not budge an inch if you are caught.

Random-stop dudes

...and dudesses. There are plenty of these in Ishigaki, particularly during the summer months when the island is teaming with tourists. Their cars are easily identified by the way in which they come to an abrupt, and seemingly unnecessary halt in the middle of the road right in front of you. Seriously though, during the peak season there are hundreds of people driving around the island looking for spots which they've found on websites like this one and many of them seem to forget that there may be other cars behind them when they finally find the location that they're looking for. Watch out for these drivers and keep your distance, and above all, try to avoid turning into one of them yourself.