cope
The definitive reference to the islands is Nanzansha's Yaeyama Guide Book ãããã¾ GUIDE BOOK, ISBN 4876413886, Amazon.co.jp, but alas, the only words of English in this yearly-updated tome are in the title. Still, the maps and thorough listings are invaluable, particularly for the smaller islands. Available in better bookstores throughout Japan for ¥1200, and older copies can almost always be found sitting around in Yaeyaman lodgings.
The free Yaeyama Navi å «éå±±ãã pamphlet with large, detailed maps is also quite good, but the listings inside are limited to paid advertisements.
The ferry companies offer package tours to the islands and information is available at the ferry terminal though most of it is in Japanese.
respect
The Yaeyama islands have over 200 utaki 御嶽, Japanese pronunciation: "otake", known in the local language as ogan or on, which are sacred sites places for venerating the gods. By order of the Japanese government, those "on" pertaining to villages some of which only survive in the form of city sections now as well as other more official "on" were outfitted with "torii" é³¥å± - Japanese shrine ç¥ç¤¾, "jinja" gates - after the annexation of the Ryukyu kingdom today's Okinawa Prefecture, but there are subsequently still many that don't have such gates but are instead marked off in other ways, for example, with low stone walls and Japanese signage. Please don't venture inside.