By / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Department
The mayor of Ishigaki City in Japan, Nakayama Yoshitaka, visited the Su’ao Township Office on the 23rd. In addition to celebrating the 20th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between the two sides, a memorandum was also signed to promote close cooperation in production, sales, tourism, and leisure between the two regions. Of particular note, preliminary consensus has been reached on the much-anticipated direct flights between the two locations. Direct flights from Su’ao to Ishigaki Island are expected to commence as early as May 2016.
Ishigaki Island’s Kakegawa Bay boasts azure seas, blue skies, and pristine white sandy beaches, and has been selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Scenic Spots. (Photo provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Ishigaki City is the southernmost city in Japan. Since forming a sister-city alliance with Su’ao Township in 1995, the two locations are just 250 kilometers apart—closer than the distance from Taipei to Kaohsiung—offering great potential for various cooperative developments. Recently, Yilan County Magistrate Lin Tsong-shyan also visited Okinawa Prefecture to discuss the matter of establishing direct sea routes between Su’ao and Ishigaki. Both sides have shown strong interest, and once operational, tourists will be able to travel directly from Su’ao by cruise ship to Ishigaki Island. After completing customs declaration procedures in accordance with international CIQS (Customs, Immigration, Quarantine, and Security) standards, they can then begin their journey across Japan.
Ishigaki Island enjoys warm and pleasant weather year-round. It only takes 50 minutes to fly from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to New Ishigaki Airport. Now that direct flights between Su’ao and Ishigaki Island are about to launch, getting there is even more convenient. (Image source / travel.rakuten)
Although both sides have shown strong interest in establishing direct flights, the mayor of Ishigaki holds authority over the port, while the Taiwanese side must obtain approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for air rights before implementation. Given that direct flights involve air rights issues—especially with larger cruise ships like the Lina Ferry—there are more restrictions. The county government has been actively communicating with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in hopes of launching regular scheduled flights between the two locations by May 2016. If larger cruise ships cannot be ready in time, smaller yachts accommodating 30–40 passengers will be introduced first, along with related tour packages.