Ishigaki Ferry Services

Ishigaki provides an excellent springboard for discovering the outer islands which make up the Yaeyama archipelago. Islands such as Taketomi, Kuroshima and Kohama make for excellent day trips due to their size and proximity to Ishigaki island.

Those feeling a bit more adventurous are likely to want to travel further afield to the beautifully rugged island of Iriomotejima which offers superb beaches, fine trekking and other activities such as canoeing.

To the south of Yaeyama is Japan's southernmost point, Hateruma island, which is known for its crystal-clear coastal waters. To the far west lies Yonaguni, which is famed for its mysterious underwater ruins. 

There are three companies which offer regular ferry services from Ishigaki to other islands in the Yaeyama archipelago, Annei Kankou, Yaeyama Kankou and Dream Kankou. These companies seem to have arrived at exactly the same price point for all destinations (isn't is amazing what can be achieved in a truly competitive market...). Irrespective of how the prices are arrived at it must be said that they are reasonable and represent excellent value for those wishing to tour the outer islands.

Iriomotejima is clearly visible in the distance from Taketomi's west coast

Note that the prices listed below are for a single ticket. If a return is purchased then expect a modest discount. Ticket prices for both children and the disabled are particularly good value being subject to a discount of around 50%. Naturally prices may vary from time to time, but the trend over the last year or so has been downwards. A rough indication of how many services operate per day has also been provided below. Where two numbers are shown the lower of the two indicates the number of departures during the off-season.

Time tables are available in free magazines which can be found in the airport and throughout Ishigaki, but they tend to be a bit cryptic, particularly if you can't recognise the name of your desired destination in Japanese. However, services are so frequent to most islands that you should have no problem getting a seat on a ferry if you simply turn up at the terminal and purchase a ticket on the day of your departure.

Ishigaki ferry services

Yonaguni Island

Fukuyama Kaiun currently runs two services a week from Ishigaki to Yonaguni island. According to current information ferries depart from Ishigaki on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10.00am with the journey to Yonaguni taking around 4½ hours. The return services from Yonaguni to Ishigaki depart on Mondays and Thursdays at 10.00am. Given the length of the journey the service is very reasonably priced at ¥3460 for a one-way ticket (¥1730 for a child). Note that there are also flights from Ishigaki airport to Yonaguni island which depart once or twice daily, but they are considerably more expensive (priced at over ¥10,000 for a one-way ticket).

Plan for Cancellations

While catching a ferry is as easy as catching a bus on Ishigaki, with services being well organized and generally on time, it's worth noting that cancellations due weather and sea conditions are occur from time to time.

Services to remote locations like the beautiful southern island of Hateruma are more likely to be affected. Consequently, it's advisable to plan for this and avoid tight schedules which involve travelling back to Ishigaki the day before your flight back to mainland Japan. 

Location

Ishigaki's ferry terminal is conveniently located just a couple of minutes walk from the town center.

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