Tips · Japan
Renting a Car in Ishigaki: Is It Worth It, and What to Prepare
Most of Ishigaki is within an hour's drive. When a car helps, licence and driving-on-the-left points, and a Kabira Bay to Hirakubo-zaki day by car.
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Is a rental car worth it in Ishigaki?
The guide calls a rental car the easiest way to explore Ishigaki. Most of the island is within an hour's drive: Kabira Bay is about 30 minutes from the airport and Tamatorizaki Observatory about 20 minutes. If you want to combine the northwest coast (Kabira Bay, the Yonehara coast) with the Hirakubo Peninsula in the northeast (Tamatorizaki, Hirakubo-zaki) in one day, a car makes it far easier.
Some days you won't need one. Ferries to Taketomi and Iriomote leave from the Ishigaki Port island terminal in town, and route buses run from the bus terminal in town across the island. The guide also lists the town center and port terminal area as a good base for car-free trips.
If you rely on buses, remember that only two buses a day go straight from the airport toward Kabira Park (leaving the airport at 12:15 and 15:00). At other times you change at the bus terminal in town.
- Car days: Kabira Bay, the Yonehara coast, Tamatorizaki and Hirakubo-zaki in one day
- No-car days: ferry trips to Taketomi or Iriomote, days in town
- Route buses: 24-hour pass JPY 1,000, 3-day pass JPY 2,000 (cash or contactless credit card only; no transport IC cards)
Licence, driving on the left and eagles on the road
Japan drives on the left. If you are used to driving on the right, take your time when you first set off.
The guide notes that foreign licences usually require an International Driving Permit. Licence rules can change, so always check the official rules before you go.
Ishigaki is home to the crested serpent eagle, a protected special natural monument. The birds keep getting hit by cars, so slow down and watch the roadside.
- Driving side: left
- Licence: the guide says an International Driving Permit is usually required; check official rules
- Crested serpent eagles: slow down and watch the roadside
Picking up the car, parking and costs
Rental company shuttle pick-up points are inside the airport's general car park. Pick-up arrangements can differ by company, so check with yours in advance.
The Kabira Bay car park gets busy, so check the city's YouTube live camera before you go. The Ishigaki City Yaeyama Museum has free parking.
Rental prices vary by company, car and season. The guide has no details on fuel, toll roads or insurance, so when you pick up the car, ask your rental company how to return it fuelled and what the insurance covers.
- Shuttle pick-up: inside the airport's general car park
- Kabira Bay car park: busy; check the live camera first
- Yaeyama Museum: free parking
- Prices, fuel and insurance: check with your rental company
A day by car: Kabira Bay to Hirakubo-zaki
Day 1 of the guide's itinerary is built around a rental car. Pick up the car on arrival and drive to Kabira Bay. Swimming is not allowed because of black pearl farming, but glass-bottom boats leave every 15 or 30 minutes without reservations, and the lookout at Kabira Park shows the whole bay.
Next is the Yonehara coast, a good snorkeling spot, but with no lifeguards or jellyfish nets and strong currents. With young children, nearby Sukuji Beach is better: very shallow water and a sandy bottom, with jellyfish nets in summer.
In the afternoon, head to the Hirakubo Peninsula in the northeast. Tamatorizaki Observatory looks over Ibaruma Bay on the left, Mt. Hanna ahead and coral reefs on the right, and from the lighthouse at Hirakubo-zaki, the northern tip, the Pacific spreads out on the right and the East China Sea on the left. At night, look up: Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park was Japan's first Dark Sky Place, and you can see 84 of the 88 constellations.
- Arrival: pick up the rental car at the airport
- Kabira Bay: glass-bottom boat, Kabira Park lookout
- Yonehara coast: look around (no lifeguards or jellyfish nets)
- Hirakubo Peninsula: Tamatorizaki Observatory, then Hirakubo-zaki
- Night: stargazing
Day two: leave the car and take the boat to Taketomi
Day 2 of the guide's itinerary is a morning boat to Taketomi Island. It is 10-15 minutes by high-speed boat from the port terminal (JPY 970 one way), and cycling is the main way around the island, so you won't need a car. Buffalo-cart tour operators and bike rental shops run free shuttles between the port and the village, and Kondoi Beach is a 15-minute walk from the village.
Ask your hotel or rental company in advance where to leave the car on boat days. Back on Ishigaki in the afternoon, you can stop at the Yaeyama Museum (closed Mondays and national holidays, last entry 16:30).
Sailings are cancelled in rough seas, so keep your plans flexible. Small ports such as Taketomi take cash only.
- Taketomi: 10-15 min by high-speed boat, JPY 970 one way
- On the island: bicycles, free port-village shuttles
- Yaeyama Museum: closed Mondays, last entry 16:30, free parking
Typhoons, storm warnings and a pick-up checklist
Typhoons often approach from late June to October. Flights and ferries to the islands are cancelled, and route buses stop when a storm warning is issued for the Yaeyama area. Shops and restaurants may close during warnings, so stock up on water and food in advance and don't push on with driving.
Check the items below before you pick up the car. General rental advice (insurance, deposits, returns) is in the checklist article linked below.
- Driving licence and International Driving Permit (check official rules)
- Your booking details and the shuttle pick-up point (inside the airport's general car park)
- Insurance cover and fuel return policy (ask your rental company)
- Driving on the left; watch for crested serpent eagles
- Some cash for small ports and route buses
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FAQ
Do I really need a rental car in Ishigaki?
Not necessarily. You can stay around the town center and port terminal and get around by ferry and route bus. But to see Kabira Bay and the Hirakubo Peninsula in one day, a rental car is the easiest option.
Can I drive with my foreign licence?
The guide notes that foreign licences usually require an International Driving Permit. Rules can change, so check the official rules before you go.
How long is the drive from the airport to Kabira Bay?
About 30 minutes. Tamatorizaki Observatory is about 20 minutes, and most of the island is within an hour's drive.
What should I watch out for when driving?
Japan drives on the left. Crested serpent eagles keep getting hit by cars, so slow down and watch the roadside.
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