A vacation destination just 45 minutes abroad – Must-buy and must-eat guide to Ishigaki Island

Text and photos by /Eva Guo

Let’s go—Ishigaki isn’t far away at all!! Ishigaki was the first place I traveled abroad with my family, and back then we took a Star Cruises ship. It was also the first time I worked overseas, at Club Med!! So I feel like it’s really fate~ I worked abroad for a whole year the first time, and accumulated quite a few hidden gems. Since China Airlines will start direct flights in late March, actually quite a lot of Taiwanese people go there too (the supermarkets even have Chinese signs~)

I’ve compiled some spots that I think you absolutely must see if you come to Ishigaki. Aside from the summer manta ray season that attracts many divers, water activities are definitely a must—but there are also plenty of other activities I’d highly recommend too~

1. Kabira Bay

Kabira Bay – Michelin 3-star sightseeing spot

I used to work at CLUB MED KABIRA, so we lived near Kabira Bay back then

Kabira Bay is truly stunning—no matter the weather, the water always looks so blue~ But because of the currents, swimming isn’t allowed. So if you want to get up close to this beautiful Kabira Bay, taking a glass-bottom boat is the best way to do it!!

Besides this vast beautiful scenery, there’s also tons of great food around Kabira Bay!!! This is one restaurant you’ll definitely see when you come here

OISI.SA.GU

906-1 Kabira, Ishigaki City, Okinawa 907-0453

I haven’t tried their other dishes, but their ice cream is seriously so delicious!!

And they have so many flavors, with Chinese labels on them too, so no worries about not knowing what to order!! Ice cream lovers must come try it—it’s super smooth and creamy

U-Maru

900 Kabira, Ishigaki City, Okinawa

It’s an okonomiyaki shop—the decor has a very classic old-Japan vibe, and it’s a place we often came to

Okonomiyaki

I think it tastes pretty similar to what you’d get in Osaka haha, anyway if you’re in Okinawa and have had too much Ishigaki beef these days, you can come here to switch it up and experience an authentic Japanese diner

Kabira Cafe

963-1 Kabira, Ishigaki City, Okinawa 907-0453

This is a place I’d come to by myself when I had a day offHaha, a bit of a lonely spot, but the decor is also super cute—you can enjoy your meal with a view of Kabira Bay

R's Cafe

934 Kabira, Ishigaki City, Okinawa 907-0453

The decor isn’t as pretty as KABIRA CAFEBut it’s closer to Kabira Bay~

SETSUKAYA

868-1 Kabira, Ishigaki City, Okinawa

Their seafood salad is super delicious!!!! A very authentic Okinawan restaurant!!With so many restaurants around Kabira Bay, if you’re only stopping by for a short whileI’d recommend this one, because I personally love it too~Even though it’s a bit of a walk from Kabira Bay, it’s totally worth the trip!!

On the right is JIMAMI tofu, which is peanut tofuAlso one of my favorites, and a representative Okinawan dish!! It doesn’t taste like tofu pudding—it’s chewy and bouncy (convenience stores even sell black sugar flavor)

Must-order dishes also include fried chicken and fried tofu

ASIAN BAR PULAU

852-2 Kabira, Ishigaki City, Okinawa 907-0000

It’s Indonesian food!! They also have another branch called Dog A Fu~

Their dishes are also really tasty, and the owner is super friendly,but their specialty is that it’s very slow—like, super duper slow. We joke that if we order a dish, the owner flies to Indonesia to pick the veggies and comes back to cook haha, but it’s really good, so we go often. This one’s pizza—pretty cool, right?

Their Indonesian fried noodles are super delicious~ remember to add their special spicy sauce, so if you’re staying overnight in Kabira Bay, you can come here to eat~

2. Mirumiru Honpo (Mirumiru flagship store)

1583-74 Arakawa, Ishigaki City, Okinawa 907-0024

An ice cream shop with an unbeatable view

Besides the endless ocean view, the lush green lawn here is super healing

After eating ice cream, you can sunbathe on the grass—it’s truly the perfect combo of ice cream + ocean + meadow

There’s also a branch of Mirumiru Honpo at the airport!!

Eat lots before your flight haha, so if you want to relive Mirumiru’s ice cream before heading home, check out the domestic terminal here

3. Ishigaki Beef!!

Super delicious!! Ishigaki beef grows up and gets sent to Kobe and becomes Kobe beef—sounds made up haha, but it’s true!!

They’re my favorite!! Ahh~ now just thinking about it makes me want to go back and eat. The place I went to most often was in the city area

Kitauchi Ranch (Kitauchi Bokujyo)

2-3-24 Hamasakicho, Ishigaki City, Okinawa 907-0013

It used to be called Kinjo Yakitori or something Anyway, it’s a place that’s famous among tourists but also loved by locals

There’s also a more upscale one called

Ishigaki Beef MARU

26-4 Tonoshiro, Ishigaki City, Okinawa 907-0004

And there’s also raw beef!! Because it’s Ishigaki beef, I tried it tooSuper delicious—melts in your mouth

4. Maxmalu Shopping District

Since you’re in Japan, even though cosmetics in Ishigaki are a bit more expensive than on the mainland, you can still browse Maxmalu and the neighboring drugstores and Daiso haha.

There’s also a store I think is pretty cool—exciting bookstore, sorry I’m directly translating, my translation’s terrible haha, it’s called Village Vanguard (Japanese call it Vi Re Ban), and they have all kinds of weird stuff inside. I bought a pink hammock there once

When you visit a new country, you always love browsing their supermarkets

Haha, don’t bring back the little-chicken-flavor instant noodles to Taiwan!!

Bottom right is Okinawan soba noodles. If you fall in love with the classic-style Okinawan noodles while here, remember to take a few boxes back haha, and my favorite drink in Okinawa—actually it kind of tastes like jasmine tea and a bit like floral tea

Here comes JIMAMI tofu!! The brown one is the black sugar flavor—highly recommended!!

Looking back at the photos, I just realized I’ve actually been to so many places without realizing it!! No wonder all my salary’s gone haha