Ishigaki

Dearest Rachel –

Sometimes, even the countries I intended to visit right from the jump include locations I know next to nothing about. You’ll recall me scrambling to come up with information on Takamatsu and Shimizu last year, and this particular location is no different from those – apart from the fact that I’ve got a shore excursion booked to get me into town, rather than relying on there being shuttles to get me there (assuming there is a there there).

So, what can I find out about this place, given that we’re not even out of Taipei?

Well, the city of Ishigaki (which, for all intents and purpose, covers the entirety of Ishigaki island) serves as the political, cultural, and economic center of the Yaeyama Islands, the remotest part of Japan from the main islands, containing both Japan’s southernmost (Hateruma) and westernmost (Yonaguni) inhabited islands. It also administers the Senkakus, a group of uninhabited islands that are part of a dispute between China, Taiwan and Japan (which is part of why they’re uninhabited, as any attempt at settlement would be effectively considered an invasion by the other two parties involved in the dispute).

Despite its remote location, the island has been inhabited since antiquity, with evidence of settlement dating back to the prehistoric Jomon period. It was part of the Ryukyu Kingdom throughout its existence between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries and served as an important trading hub before coming under Japanese control during the Meiji Restoration, at which point it was incorporated into Okinawa prefecture.

While Japanese is most widely spoken here, many residents also speak Yaeyama, a dialect of the Ryukyuan language group. Ishigaki’s culture is distinct from Japan at large due to its Ryukyuan heritage, as well as from its historical interactions with neighboring China and Taiwan. It has its own traditions in terms of art, music and dance based on this heritage; although I don’t know how much we’ll get a chance to see. It also has a unique cuisine, incorporating tropical fruits, seafood, and its very own beef cattle.

For my part, I’ll be going to Kabira Bay for a glass-bottomed boat tour of the area. I’ve seen the water of the bay described as both emerald green and turquoise; it will be interesting to see what color the camera catches – or, for that matter, what color the locals think the waters are. I’ve been of the understanding that Japanese traffic lights are actually considered to be blue because Japanese didn’t have a word for ‘green’ until only fairly recently – and even now, 緑 or midori is still considered cumbersome in comparison to 青 ao (blue) – but it’s possible that Yaeyama speakers might see colors differently, given their own distinct linguistic heritage. For what it’s worth, when I asked ChatGPT about this subject, it claimed that it wasn’t aware of any research on the subject. So I guess it’s up in the air as to the color of the water in Kabira Bay.

We’ll also be stopping at Tamatorizaki Lookout, a scenic viewpoint located on the northern coast of the island, with its breathtaking panoramic views of the rugged coastline, turquoise waters, and the surrounding natural landscape. From there, it appears we’ll be given time to shop (and although I’m definitely going to have to get some yen before then, I’m not entirely sure if I’ll be able to find an ATM or something similar in a rural setting such as this – after all, despite qualifying as a city, Ishigaki is barely half the size of our hometown, with only some forty-seven thousand inhabitants) before returning to the ship. I don’t know where these stores are going to be, as the Chat suggests that there is shopping to be had at the Port Ritoh terminal itself, which would seem to render that part of the excursion unnecessary unless there was somewhere else.

That’s the thing about this research; there are so many unknown quantities involved. Well, I’ll find out about them soon enough, I suppose. Until then, honey, remember to keep an eye on me, and wish me luck; I’m still going to need it.