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Nami-Numa

Horseback Riding Experience popular for its proximity to the city center

It takes about 15 minutes by car from "Euglena Ishigaki Port Rito Terminal" (hereafter, Rito Terminal) to the ranch. The horses currently being bred are a mix of Japanese breeds, and are very unique in appearance. They are shorter than thoroughbreds and have a thicker body and legs, giving them a charming appearance. They start training at around 6 months of age, and make their debut on light courses such as "kids' trails" when they are 2 to 3 years old. Perhaps because they are raised in the nature of Ishigaki Island, all the horses are gentle. Even complete beginners can enjoy riding without worries.

What you can see from the horse is a different scenery from "usual Ishigaki".

For those who want to spend more time with horses, we recommend the "Hill with Sea View & Gelato" course. This 150-minute long plan is available only from fall to spring when the heat eases off. After completing the lesson on how to communicate with and operate the horses, you will leave the ranch. The freshness and openness of the Ishigaki Island scenery of sugar cane fields and pastures from the height of the horse is truly extraordinary. Our destination is on top of a small hill. The view of the sea and the sky while enjoying a delicious gelato is truly spectacular.

Namunma

• 1353-1 Shinkawa, Ishigaki City, Okinawa MAP
• 15 min. by car from the terminal *There is a course where the meeting place is not at the ranch but at the beach. Please check the website for details.
• Winter (Mon) 10:00-17:00
  Summer (Mon) 9:00-18:00
  Dates and times vary depending on the course. Please check the website for details.
• Open daily except holidays (check website for details)
• Hill with a view of the sea & Gelato (150 min.) 21,500 yen and up
  Kids trail (30 min.) 6,500 yen
• 0980-87-8393
• Free of charge (for trails that meet at the beach, use the shared parking lot)
• Hill with a view of the sea & Gelato Junior high school students and older
  Kids Trail 2 years old and up
• All courses require full reservations via the web. Reservations must be made 2 months in advance until 16:00 the day before (or until 12:00 if the day before is a holiday).

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Banna Park ("Segway Tour in Banna Forest, Ishigaki Island")

Japan's southernmost forest park where you can encounter dynamic nature

A vast forest park utilizing the topography of Banna-dake (230m above sea level). There are many view spots in the park such as "the observatory to see the emerald sea. It is a place where visitors can get in touch with the nature of Okinawa, but some say, "I don't know how to go sightseeing" because the park covers an area of about 300 hectares. One tour that has been attracting attention as a new way to enjoy Banna Park is to ride a Segway and enjoy observing nature in the park. The secret of the tour's popularity is that you will be accompanied by a guide who knows the local area well and can talk about not only nature, but also sightseeing, gourmet food, culture, history, and many other things about the Yaeyama Islands.

Approaching Yaeyama's flora, fauna, and landscape by Segway

The tour will meet at the north entrance of Banna Park; after practicing how to ride for about 30 minutes, we will finally set out for a walk. Along the way, we will listen to explanations of rare plants, and if we are lucky, we may see rare natural treasures such as crested serpent eagles and semarukho turtles. As the tour speeds up, you will be enveloped by the scent of the forest and feel as if you are a part of nature. The most exciting part of the tour is when you cross the long suspension bridge, which is so thrilling that you can see through to the bottom. From the bridge, you can see the dam lake filled with abundant water and lush green forests.
*It is possible that the bridge is under maintenance, so please check the website.

Banna Park ("Segway Tour in Ishigaki Island Banna Forest")

• 2241-1 Tonoshiro, Ishigaki City (Banna Park North Entrance) MAP
• 15 min. by car from Rito Terminal
• Morning tour: 10:00, Afternoon tour: 15:00 (October to March)
  
• Open during bad weather and irregular holidays
• 8,800 yen
• 0980-82-6711 (Hirata Kanko Co., Ltd.)
• Free (Parking at north entrance of Banna Park)
• 16-70 years old, weighing 45 kg or more but less than 117 kg
• Reservations required via website (reservations for afternoon tours on the same day must be made by phone by 9:00 a.m.)
  Pregnant women and those under the influence of alcohol are not permitted.

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Ishigaki Yaima Village

Enjoy the Experience-type theme park in a relocated historical old house

The southernmost theme park in Japan is adjacent to "Nagura Ampal" which is registered in international convention as an important wetland where mangroves thrive. In October 2020, an attached Property named "Nagura Drive-in" will be completed in front of the entrance to the village. Visitors can now stop by for a rest before or after entering the village or during a drive, and enjoy a variety of experiences as well as a meal. A wide variety of experiences are available, such as coloring a seersucker or "Ryukyu Costume Experience," which you may want to upload on SNS.

Landscapes that remind you of the old days in Yaeyama and interaction with nature and animals

At Yaimamura, visitors can freely tour the interior of an old private house, which has been designated as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. The view from the "Ampal Tower," which is based on the motif of an ancient observatory, is also worth seeing. There are also other areas in the village for animal lovers, such as a buffalo pond where visitors can relax and pet the adorable squirrel monkeys. Nature lovers can explore Nagura Ampal by following the nature trail that leads from the village. The wooden path winds through a mangrove forest, giving visitors a chance to get up close and personal with the precious scenery.

Ishigaki Yaima Village

• 967-1 Nagura, Ishigaki City, Okinawa MAP
• 20 minutes drive from the Terminal
• 9:00-17:30 (last admission at 17:00)
• No holidays
• Admission: Adults 1,200 yen, Children (3 years old and up to elementary school age) 600 yen
  Ryukyu Costume Experience 1,000 yen
  Shisa coloring experience (60-90 min.) 1,800 yen per body, 3,300 yen per pair
• 0980-82-8798
• Free of charge

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Ishigakijima limestone cave

Dive into the huge underground palace created by time immemorial

Located a short 10-minute drive from the city center, this is Japan's southernmost and largest limestone cave on the island. Of the total length of 3.2 km, approximately 660 m is open to the public. The temperature inside the caves is around 23°C year-round, making them perfect for sightseeing on chilly days. Passing through the Ryugujo-style gate and going down the narrow stairs, you will find an underground palace that you cannot imagine from the ground level, extending deeper and deeper into the cave. Ishigaki Island's stalactites grow about 1mm in 3 years, and it took about 200,000 years for them to become what they are today. The fossilized giant clam on the cave wall tells us that this used to be the bottom of the sea.

Experience a dramatic space that makes you feel like an adventurer

As you follow the well-maintained route, you will come across a series of attractions with names that stir your imagination, such as "Otohime Goten" and "Forest of the Gods Sculpture. There are many points of interest not to be missed, such as the Suikinkutsu, where visitors can listen to the sound of water dripping from stalactites, fantastic illuminations, an underground lake that celebrates clear water, and "Totoro's Stalactite," so named because of its resemblance to a stalactite. Visitors can enjoy the breath of nature in an adventurous mood as they climb up and down, look up and down, through the undulating terrain of the caves.

Ishigaki Island limestone cave

• 1666 Ishigaki, Ishigaki City, Okinawa MAP
• 10 min. by car from the Terminal
• Tour of the limestone caves: 9:00-18:30 (last admission at 18:00)
• Open all year round
• Admission: Adults 1,200 yen, Children 600 yen
• 0980-83-1550
• Free of charge
• There is another limestone cave nearby, so please confirm that the Property name is "Ishigakijima Limestone Cave" when you visit.
  For the latest information, please refer to the website or contact the Property.

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Ishigakijima Glass Studio Ponte

Ryukyu Glass Experience Workshop that reflects the colors and atmosphere of the island

This is a studio where you can experience Ryukyu glass making in a place with a view of the sea. The store is located in a quiet area a little away from the town. The most authentic of the four Experience courses is the "Ryukyu Glass Blowing Experience. You can choose one of the three items you like: a glass, a small bowl, or a vase for a single flower. Of course, you can decide the color scheme, pattern, and even the presence or absence of air bubbles to your own taste, so you can create your one and only original glass work in the world.

Create your own one-of-a-kind Ryukyu glass work!

Once you have created your design in the store and selected and mixed the glass pieces of your favorite color, you will move to the workshop next door. The kiln is heated to over 1,300 degrees Celsius inside, so winter is recommended over the hot summer months. Once the glass is melted, patterns are applied, the glass is inflated with a blowpipe, the bottom is made, the mouth is widened, and the work proceeds at a rapid pace with the Staff/staff member. It is a great pleasure to see the glass, which was like syrup, change its shape as you have imagined. The pieces need to cool slowly, so we wait a day before picking them up. Each time you pick up your piece, it will bring back memories of your enjoyable trip.

Ishigaki Island Glass Studio Ponte

• 1625-35 Shinkawa, Ishigaki City, Okinawa MAP
• Approximately 12 minutes drive from the Terminal
• 10:00-18:00 (last admission)
• Wednesday
• Ryukyu Glass Blowing Experience (45 min. - 5,500 yen)
  Gel candle making (15-30 min.) 3,500 yen, additional parts from 500 yen
  Shipping fee not included.
• 0980-82-4620
• Free of charge
• Reservation priority

6
Ishigaki Salt

Visit a workshop deep in the greenery that preserves the salt-making tradition of the Yaeyama Islands.

Ishigaki Salt Studio" stands along Nagura Bay in the southwestern part of the island. The salt is made from the rich water that flows into the bay from Omododake, the highest peak in Okinawa, which rises in the Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, and the mineral-rich seawater produced by coral reefs nourished by the water. This is the place where the first salt production in the Yaeyama Islands began more than 300 years ago, and it is also the starting point of today's revival of salt production on the island. This workshop is a must-visit for those who are interested in the island's natural food ingredients and the additive-free salt production, which is prepared by the islanders' artisans and the taste changes slightly depending on the season. Experience menus such as "Ishigaki salt making experience" (reservation required, recommended on sunny days) are also available.

Ishigaki Salt

• 1145-57 Shinkawa, Ishigaki City, Okinawa MAP
• Approximately 18 minutes by car from the Terminal
• Workshop 9:00-18:00, Ishigaki salt making experience
  Ishigaki salt mineral essence experience 9:30-15:00 (last reservation)
• No holidays
• Ishigaki salt making experience (60 min.) 3,880 yen
  Ishigaki salt mineral essence experience (150 minutes) 13,800 yen *Please bring your own swimsuit and bath towel. Rental available
• 0980-83-8711
• Free of charge
• Ishigaki salt making Experience: 8 years old and up
• Reservations can be made up to 3 days in advance through our website. For last minute reservations, please call.
  As of December 2023, "Ishigaki Salt Mineral Essence Experience" is not available.