Japan Honeymoon: Ishigaki 3-Day Itinerary
Welcome back to part 7 of my Japan Honeymoon series 💗, where I write about everything we did, what we ate, and where we stayed during our 3 week trip to Japan.
We are now in the last few days of our honeymoon and we are spending those last few days in Ishigaki, a smaller island off of Okinawa. This island was highly recommended on Reddit and does require another short flight from Okinawa. Our priority for our last days is to relax and enjoy each other’s company and I think staying in Ishigaki really helped us achieve that.
Here is everything we did, ate, and where we stayed – I hope our itinerary helps give you an idea of things you want to do or check out if you are planning to visit Okinawa.
Japan Honeymoon trip 2024 recap
Tokyo | Osaka | Kinosaki | Kyoto | Fukuoka | Okinawa | Ishigaki
Day 17: Arrival to Ishigaki
Today we are flying from Naha, Okinawa to Ishigaki.
Transportation: Flight to Ishigaki
We flew with Solaseed and paid around $60 CAD per person for a direct flight from Naha to Ishigaki with 1 check-in luggage each ✈️. The flight only took 1 hour and we arrived at Ishigaki airport around 1pm. The airport is much smaller but the climate was very similar to Okinawa – it was hot with tropical trees and plants greeting us.
Transportation: Car rental
Similar to Okinawa, it was recommended we rent a car while staying in Ishigaki as public transit is not that convenient on the island. Our car rental for 3 nights costed us $236 CAD total near the airport 🚗.
Lunch: パーラー あんぶれら (Parlor Anburera)
Literally cannot find this little noodle restaurant to save my life but luckily ChatGPT helped me find it with my photos. This spot was close to Ishigaki airport and a very homey mom & pop’s type of establishment. We wanted to try some Okinawa soba, which uses thicker and flatter wheat-based soba noodles. It typically uses pork broth and fish stock and topped with pork belly.
I tried the yaeyama soba for $5 and my husband ordered a beef soba for $10 that resembled more of a beef noodle soup 🍜. Both were decent but was not that amazing in my books. We were also sweaty trying to eat hot soup noodles on a sunny hot day at 1pm.
Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐
パーラー あんぶれら (Parlor Anburera)
Japan, 〒907-0003 Okinawa, Ishigaki, Hirae, 120-11 オアシス 綾羽203
Accommodations: VIVOVIVA Ishigakijima
We booked 3 nights and 4 days at VIVOVIVA Ishigakijima. What really enticed us were how large the rooms were – it is like a full sized apartment in here! The accommodations came with a huge bathroom, kitchen, 2 big beds that can be pushed together, ocean views, and a super spacious living room area with an L-shape sofa.
Nightly cost for this room was $268 CAD so we spent about $805 CAD in total for our stay.
This was a really nice spot to relax after a whole day out in Ishigaki. It was cool, so much space for packing, and so relaxing to lie down and sit on the huge sofa with our convenience store snacks and watch TV late at night.
The facility also has a small swimming pool and we stopped by after checking-in to get some free ice cream.
Activity: Swim at Fusaki Beach
After checking in, we immediately drove to the closest beach to relax. Fusaki Beach was very beautiful and the area by the boardwalk had a lot of small fish!
We also liked that the beaches here were not really patrolled by any lifeguards – nobody was nagging at us to wear life jackets. We were able to swim freely and snorkel and play at this beach until sunset.
Izakaya Dinner: 居酒屋浦島太郎 石垣島店 (Izakaya Urashima Tarō Ishigaki)
After swimming, we always feel like having an izakaya dinner. There is something so magical and relaxing about a summer breeze, a yuzu highball and some small plates.
We found this izakaya online and it had good ratings so we went in. The seating was cushions on floor, which was a nice vibe but sadly there was something happening with the kitchen and the food was very backed up. We ended up staying over 2 hours here, which was longer than we wanted to and our legs were cramping with the seating arrangement.
Food-wise, everything was delicious but it just took too long to arrive. I feel like there was only one chef working.
Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐
居酒屋浦島太郎 石垣島店 (Izakaya Urashima Tarō Ishigaki)
18-2 Okawa, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0022, Japan
Day 18: Rainy day in Ishigaki
Today is our first full day in Ishigaki. Unfortunately, the weather included some rain ☔️ so we opted not to visit any beaches.
Lunch: Funakura-no-sato
For lunch, my husband made a reservation at this traditional Japanese restaurant called 舟蔵の (Funakura-no-sato).
The interior had a very traditional Japanese look to it and it was strangely peaceful with the rain pitter pattering outside. It felt like we were just in an elderly couple’s home.
The food here was amazing! We ordered everything to share:
- Sea grapes 🍇 (750 yen): These are an Okinawa specialty and is also known as “green caviar”. You can dip them in some ponzu or mustard and they had small pops of flavour. Fun to eat and lots of health benefits!
- Eel bento 🍱 (4600 yen): this was SO delicious and worth! The eel had so much flavour and paired perfectly with the rice.
- Tonkatsu ball lunch set 🍱 (1500 yen): A good price for this lunch set that came with some side dishes.
Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
舟蔵の (Funakura-no-sato)
2468-1 Arakawa, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0024, Japan
Activity: Ishigaki Stalactite Cave
Crossing off some touristy items on my list, we headed to the Ishigaki Stalactite Cave attraction. Tickets to enter were 1,200 yen.
The inside was pretty cool – it is mostly a 20 min self guided walking tour. Near the end they did do some weird stuff with the caves like add Christmas LED lights and make you take a photo in the dark.
Overall, a cheap attraction and pretty cool even if you are not interested in caves. I wouldn’t recommend if you are severely claustrophobic as the end got a little narrow/low ceiling.
Activity: Shopping
On rainy days we default to our go-to activity… shopping!
We drove and checked out several different shopping buildings and areas including 730COURT, Ishigaki Public Market and Don Quiote.
Out of the 3, 730COURT and Ishigaki Public Market were pretty disappointing. The 730COURT building only had 2 floors and barely any shops were open when we arrived on a Tuesday at 3pm.
The Public Market felt very touristy and all the stores kind of sold the same items – mostly souvenirs. The only shop we liked was a pop up store that had some cute streetwear with famous Japanese characters.
The Don Quiote in Ishigaki was a big separate building and it was not crowded at all so it made for a much more pleasant shopping experience than the Don Quiote we experienced in Naha, Okinawa.
Snack: Hinata Cafe
It started raining again mid-day so we found cover at a nearby cafe called Hinata Cafe.
We shared an iced latte and the biggest strawberry shaved ice 🍧 (1,500 yen) I’ve ever seen! Totally worth it and it tasted so light and refreshing.
Dinner: パイヌシマ(南の島) (Painushima).
After shopping, we eventually ended up in an area with lots of bars and izakaya. After having kind of a poor service at yesterday’s izakaya, we decided to have another izakaya dinner and randomly stepped into this one called パイヌシマ(南の島) (Painushima).
Sadly, I will say while the service was fine at this izakaya, the food was just average. We tried some more Okinawa dishes like champuru, which is a stir-fry dish with bitter melon and it just didn’t taste good to me.
Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐
We went home and ate some of our convenience store snacks and desserts we got at the public market before watching a movie on our giant sofa.
Day 19: Last day in Ishigaki
Today is our last full day in Ishigaki and it is super hot ☀️. We made sure to complete the remaining items on our to-do list.
Lunch: Aloala Cafe
One thing we haven’t gotten to try while visiting Okinawa or Ishigaki was their fusion Mexican food. We had the birria tacos in Okinawa, but those tasted less fusion and more authentic. When I say fusion, I mean stuff like taco rice, which is a popular dish in Okinawa. Think of it like a Chipotle burrito bowl.
On our drive out this today, we had brunch at Aloala Cafe and we ordered the taco rice and curry with naan. They had a cute outdoor patio area where you can sit and eat with an ocean view. We did sleep in so we didn’t have lunch until 1pm and it was already really hot.
Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Aloala Cafe
1215-228 Kabira, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0453, Japan
Activity: Kabira Bay
Kabira Bay popped up as one of the top tourist attractions in Ishigaki. It is more of a sightseeing spot because you can’t really swim here so there isn’t anything for you to do except take photos and maybe pay to go on a boat where you can see some fishes, but we opted not to do that.
The sand was very white and soft and the water was super clear and had a beautiful turquoise sheen to it. I do think it is worth checking out if you have a car rental!
Activity: Yoneko Yaki Kobo Shisa Farm
Yoneko Yaki Kobo Shisa Farm is another tourist attraction in Ishigaki. While staying in Okinawa and Ishigaki, you will notice a lot of these lion-like statues. These are called shisa and they are iconic figures in Okinawan mythology known for warding off evil spirits.
This park is free to enter and you will see a bunch of different shisa statues and art. They are all colourful and quirky – interesting to look at. We walked through this park pretty quickly as it was very hot under the sun in the middle of the day.
Activity: Snorkel at Yonehara Beach
We spent most of our day cooling off at Yonehara Beach with some snorkeling 🤿. I would say this is definitely the beach where I really figured out how to snorkel. Every other time I’ve been struggling to do it properly and would need to stop or come up for air or adjust my mask. Here, I was able to snorkel alone and see a lot of different fish.
I remember this beach being interesting because it kind of had 2 different currents – there would be a warmer area and a cooler area.
Again, another beautiful beach without any lifeguard supervision so you are free to do whatever you want.
Activity: Swim at Sukuji Beach
After snorkeling, we drove to another beach to just swim and watch the sunset. This beach was closer/on the way back to our hotel.
Swimming until sunset was definitely one of our favourite activities to do in Ishigaki. It is so beautiful to watch the sunset from the water and it doesn’t get cold so it’s just so relaxing and romantic. The beaches in Ishigaki are not crowded at all and very safe – no big waves.
Dinner: Yakiniku Kingyu
For our last dinner in Ishigaki, my husband made a reservation at Yakiniku Kingyu, a Korean BBQ restaurant in downtown Ishigaki. I know it’s kinda weird to have Korean BBQ in Japan, but I did see they have Korean dishes like kimchi, bibimbap and naengmyeon on the menu.
We ordered a BBQ set that featured Ishigaki beef – one of the top things I wanted to eat in Ishigaki.
What is Ishigaki beef 🥩? Well, it’s beef from cows that live in Ishigaki (duh). It is considered to be a premium cut known for its marbling, tender texture and rich flavour.
Comparing Ishigaki beef to Kobe beef or wagyu, Ishigaki beef is more rare since it is only from cattle raised in Okinawa. It also has more balance between fat and muscle while still maintaining that richness (i.e. it is not as fat as some Kobe beef or other types of wagyu).
The Ishigaki beef BBQ we had here was so delicious! It wasn’t a cheap dinner but not that expensive either given the quality of the meat. Some of the Korean dishes were not that great (like the cold noodles), but the meat was excellent.
Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yakiniku Kingyu
8-8 Misakicho, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0012, Japan
Snack: Ishigaki Island Village
To end our last night, we did a bit of bar hopping at Ishigaki Island Village. This is a building/area where a lot of smaller izakayas/pubs are located so you can visit many different stalls in one spot.
It’s a fun summer experience because you may be sitting at little tables and stools outside in the summer air and everyone around you is drinking, snacking and chatting.
We mostly ordered alcoholic drinks and had small bites like fried octopus. Overall, the food was just average but it was a fun night time atmosphere.
We returned to our hotel and tried to finish our remaining snacks and watch a late night movie before going to sleep.
Final thoughts
This wraps up my Ishigaki recap!
It was our first time visiting the island of Ishigaki and I think it was our perfect last stop on a long and busy honeymoon trip to Japan.
What I loved the most about Ishigaki was the island vibe 🏝 and that it was even more relaxed than Okinawa. Every beach we visited was clean, safe and relaxing with options to snorkel and swim. The drives were scenic and everything was a pretty close distance as the island is smaller.
Again, I cannot stress the benefits of renting a car – everything was accessible and more comfortable, especially on super hot days.
Ishigaki is a place I would love to retire in or maybe bring my parents or a baby for relaxing and healing vacation.
My next and last post will be on our last day in Japan. We are back in Tokyo for 1 night to prepare for a long flight home and to blow our remaining cash. Since we are old now, we need to account for 1 rest day before and after the flight, so it will list a bunch of things to do that are near the airport.
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely, Loewe
Japan Honeymoon trip 2024 recap
Tokyo | Osaka | Kinosaki | Kyoto | Fukuoka | Okinawa | Ishigaki
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