Ishigaki Island Hopping: Ferries, Fares and How to Plan Taketomi, Iriomote and Kohama

The boat from Ishigaki to Taketomi takes 15–20 minutes and costs ¥1,880 round trip for an adult; Ohara Port on Iriomote is 40–50 minutes direct. Both ferry companies use unreserved seating and sell tickets at the counter on the day, so you don't need to book the boats. Three things to know first: the Kariyushi pass is currently off sale, the Taketomi ticket counter takes cash only, and the Uehara route on Iriomote is the one that tends to stop when the sea is rough. Based on official information as of 14 September 2026, here are the fares, how often boats run, how to choose between Ohara and Uehara, and three- and four-day plans from a base in Ishigaki town.

Where do the island ferries leave from?

From the Euglena Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal; Yaeyama Kanko Ferry uses berths 3 and 4. Two companies run the scheduled Yaeyama boats: Yaeyama Kanko Ferry and Anei Kanko. Fares on the same route are identical, but each runs its own timetable, so the boats you see at the pier are both companies combined.

Yaeyama Kanko Ferry describes its scheduled boats as being like a local bus or train: unreserved seating, you board and find a seat. So you don't need to book; just buy at the counter on the day.

• Yaeyama Kanko Ferry online tickets: credit card prepayment only, and you go straight to the boarding area without queuing. Buy each direction as a separate one-way; one-ways are discounted so the pair equals the round-trip fare, but mixing online and counter purchases loses the round-trip discount. Online tickets have a quota, and the company states that online sales ending does not mean the boat is full.
• Anei Kanko counters: Ishigaki Port takes cash, credit cards, Edy, WAON, iD, nanaco, transit IC cards, PayPay, au PAY, Merpay, d-barai and OKIPay. The island ports accept far less; see each island below.

When buying a round trip, ask at the counter which company's boats you can use for the return.

How much are the tickets?

Taketomi is cheapest at ¥1,880 adult round trip; Hateruma is the most expensive at ¥9,670. Fares as published by Yaeyama Kanko Ferry and Anei Kanko, identical on shared routes (only Anei Kanko serves Hateruma):

Adult means junior high school and up; child means elementary school. On Yaeyama Kanko Ferry one adult can take one lap infant free, with any further infants paying the child fare. Fares include a fuel surcharge and can change with oil prices.

A round trip costs a little less than two one-ways, and buying it at Ishigaki means you won't need cash at a small island port for the return. If I knew I was coming back to Ishigaki the same day, I'd buy the round trip at Ishigaki.

How many boats a day?

Taketomi is the busiest route, with 10 Yaeyama Kanko Ferry sailings a day; Hatoma has just 2. The table shows Yaeyama Kanko Ferry's March–September 2026 timetable, valid only until 30 September:

This is Yaeyama Kanko Ferry only; Anei Kanko runs its own sailings, so a route like Kuroshima that shows 3 boats here actually has more at the pier. There is also a direct Uehara–Hatoma boat: 09:00 from Uehara, 16:40 from Hatoma.

Travelling from October? Don't use this table. Yaeyama Kanko Ferry announced on 5 September that a new timetable applies from October 2026 to February 2027, and that dates and sailings may change. The new timetable is published as an image; plan from the timetables on the Yaeyama Kanko Ferry and Anei Kanko sites. This table still shows which routes are frequent: Taketomi has boats all day, while Kuroshima and Hatoma mean planning around a few sailings.

Can you buy the Kariyushi pass now?

No. Yaeyama Kanko Ferry says sales of the pass are suspended because of high fuel prices. It used to cover all eight of the company's routes to five islands for 3 or 4 consecutive days; the page still lists prices and rules, but the first line says sales are paused, so don't be misled by the prices below it.

The company gives no dates for when the suspension started or will end. If you see a pass with the same name on a booking platform, the official suspension is what counts. Without the pass, buy a round trip for each island and add up the fares above.

How to plan Taketomi

Taketomi is the easiest island to fit in: a 15–20 minute crossing and the most frequent boats, so half a day or a full day both work. Bring cash. Anei Kanko's payment list shows the Taketomi port counter takes cash only. Buying a round trip at Ishigaki is simplest; with only a one-way, you'll pay cash for the return on Taketomi.

For the water-buffalo cart, Yaeyama Kanko Ferry sells a Taketomi buffalo-cart course at ¥5,000 for adults and ¥3,000 for children, plus a bike-rental course (adult ¥4,200) and a bus sightseeing course (adult ¥4,300, 9:30 from Ishigaki). The company lists them on a page of tours that include island ferry tickets; check each course page for exactly what is included. For the cart ride alone with your own ferry ticket, see the buffalo-cart operators' own sites; no official price was found for that here.

Skip Taketomi on 10–13 November. Anei Kanko's tour page says that during a traditional festival (種子取祭) almost all sightseeing facilities, restaurants and shops close, leaving only walking. The dates come from Anei Kanko, not Taketomi town, so check the town's site if you travel in November.

Iriomote: Ohara or Uehara?

If unsure, choose Ohara: it's cheaper, has more sailings, and the recent cancellation notices all hit Uehara.

Yaeyama Kanko Ferry's 26 August notice reads that the Uehara and Hatoma routes were cancelled all day while other routes ran normally, and the 14 and 15 September status updates said the same, all for rough seas. Three cases aren't statistics, but they point one way: when the sea turns, Uehara stops first. If you've booked a stay on the Uehara side, check the ferry company's service status on the morning you travel.

Landing at Ohara, note Anei Kanko's connecting-bus changes: the connecting bus changed from 1 June 2026, and from 1 July the shuttle bus runs straight to Uehara Port with no drop-off in the Funaura area. If you plan to use it, check Anei Kanko's Ohara route page first.

Kohama, Kuroshima, Hatoma, Hateruma: worth adding?

Start with whether the boats fit: Kohama's 6 sailings a day are easy, Kuroshima and Hatoma mean fitting around a few boats, and only Anei Kanko serves Hateruma. Official information gathered for this guide covers the ferries only, not getting around or sights on these islands.

• Kohama: adult round trip ¥3,340. 6 Yaeyama Kanko Ferry sailings a day in March–September, from 7:30, last return 18:00; a half or full day both work.
• Kuroshima: adult round trip ¥3,590. Only 3 Yaeyama Kanko Ferry sailings in March–September, plus Anei Kanko's; read both timetables together. Cash only at Kuroshima port.
• Hatoma: adult round trip ¥6,370. 2 Yaeyama Kanko Ferry sailings a day in March–September (08:00 and 15:45 from Ishigaki), so a day trip means going early and returning late; it shares the Uehara route and stops with it in rough seas. Cash only at Hatoma port.
• Hateruma: adult round trip ¥9,670, Anei Kanko only. Hateruma port takes cash and PayPay. Sailings weren't checked here; see Anei Kanko's timetable.

With only three or four days, I'd keep the slack for Taketomi and Iriomote and save these for a second trip.

Ferry on your own or a tour?

Take the ferry yourself to Taketomi; for Iriomote, if you want the Nakama River and Yubu Island in one day without driving, a package with ferry tickets is easier. Packages like these are what really need booking ahead, not the scheduled boats.

Going to Iriomote on your own, you'll handle island transport, the Nakama River boat and Yubu Island costs yourself on top of the ferry; no official prices for those were checked here. First visit and not driving, I'd take the package; if you drive and want longer on Iriomote, the ferry alone gives more freedom.

The Yaeyama Kanko Ferry course can also be booked on KKday: you meet at the Yaeyama Kanko Ferry counter at Ishigaki port, with the same 9:00 and 10:30 departures, and it includes the Nakama River boat, the buffalo cart to Yubu Island and lunch on Yubu, but not Taketomi. Guiding is in Japanese; cancellation is free up to 6 days before, and not possible within 5 days.

See the Iriomote & Yubu day tour on KKday →

Three- and four-day plans

Stay in Ishigaki town, do one island a day, and on the day you leave only do Taketomi, with its short crossing and frequent boats. Putting Iriomote in the middle leaves a spare day if its boats stop.

Short on time, you can combine Iriomote and Taketomi in one day: Anei Kanko runs a 14:00 boat from Ohara Port to Taketomi, about 40–50 minutes, adult one-way ¥2,320; then take a boat from Taketomi back to Ishigaki. On the March–September timetable the last Yaeyama Kanko Ferry boat from Taketomi to Ishigaki was 17:50; recheck against the new timetable from October.

Travelling 10–13 November, swap Taketomi for Kohama (see the Taketomi section). For driving rules and the outer islands, see our Okinawa car rental guide.

Two different lists for finding a room: Agoda's Ishigaki page covers Ishigaki Island only, while Booking.com uses a Yaeyama Islands region page that mixes in Taketomi, Iriomote and Kohama, so check each property's location if you want to stay in Ishigaki town. Both open on today's date; change it to your nights.

Agoda: Ishigaki Island stays → Booking.com: Yaeyama Islands stays →

What to do when the boats don't run

Stay on Ishigaki: look at the sea at Kabira Bay and eat in town. Ishigaki island itself isn't this guide's focus. To compare other Okinawan islands, see our Miyakojima guide; for winter trade-offs, our Okinawa winter escape guide; and for the main island gateway, our Naha guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1：Do I need to book Ishigaki island ferries in advance?

No. Yaeyama Kanko Ferry's scheduled boats are unreserved seating and you can buy tickets at the counter on the day. Online tickets have a quota, and the company states plainly that online sales ending does not mean the boat is full. What does need booking ahead is a package tour to Iriomote and Yubu Island; Anei Kanko's online booking closes four days before departure.

Q2：How much is the round-trip ferry to Taketomi?

Ishigaki–Taketomi round trip is ¥1,880 for adults (junior high and up) and ¥990 for children (elementary school). Yaeyama Kanko Ferry and Anei Kanko charge the same, fuel surcharge included. The crossing takes about 15–20 minutes.

Q3：Can I buy the Kariyushi island-hopping pass now?

No. Yaeyama Kanko Ferry says sales of the pass are suspended because of high fuel prices. The page still shows the 3-day and 4-day prices, but the first line says sales are paused, and no resumption date is given. For now, buy a round-trip ticket for each island.

Q4：What if the ferry to Uehara Port on Iriomote is cancelled?

If you are not sure which port you need, choose Ohara. On 26 August, 14 September and 15 September 2026, Yaeyama Kanko Ferry cancelled sailings for rough seas and only the Uehara and Hatoma routes were affected; all other routes ran. Anei Kanko also notes that the connecting bus at Ohara Port changed from 1 June 2026, so check its Ohara route page before you go.

Q5：Can I pay by card on Taketomi?

Not at the ferry counter. Anei Kanko's list of payment methods shows Taketomi, Kuroshima and Hatoma ports take cash only, while Ishigaki Port takes cards, transit IC cards and PayPay. Buy a round trip at Ishigaki and you won't have to pay again on Taketomi.

Q6：Anything to watch for on Taketomi in November?

Avoid 10–13 November. Anei Kanko's tour page says that during the traditional festival (種子取祭) almost all sightseeing facilities, restaurants and shops on Taketomi close, leaving only walking. Those dates come from Anei Kanko, not from Taketomi town.

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