Taketomi

Understand

Tiny even by Yaeyaman standards, Taketomi population under 300, area 5.4 km² gets a disproportionate number of visitors because of its convenient location just off Ishigaki and, above all, its carefully preserved Ryūkyū village 集落 shūraku. Many houses in the village have red clay roofs with guardian shisa lions, a low surrounding wall of volcanic stone and extensive flower beds particularly pretty in spring. Many roads are unpaved lanes of white sand and ambling water buffalo pull tourist-packed carts through town.

Note that the administrative area of Taketomi Town 竹富町 Taketomi-chō covers not just Taketomi Island, but also the neighboring far larger island of Iriomote and in fact all of the Yaeyamas except Ishigaki and Yonaguni. An address with "Taketomi" in it may thus be located elsewhere in the archipelago!

Respect

Taketomi has no less than 30 utaki 御嶽, or holy places for venerating the gods, usually marked off with low stone walls and Japanese signage. Don't venture inside.