What's on in Ishigaki (Yaeyama), Japan through the year

Busy — Winter break (fuyuyasumi) in Japan, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: The Southern Cross is up (1 Dec – 15 Jun (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: The Southern Cross is up (1 Dec – 15 Jun (usually))

Busy — Spring break (haruyasumi) in Japan

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: The Southern Cross is up (1 Dec – 15 Jun (usually))

Peak crowds — travelers describe it as peak season, Golden Week

• Holiday

  Golden Week

  29 Apr – 5 MayCrowdedBook early

  The sea is already warm and every seat to the Yaeyamas is spoken for. Flights and the Iriomote ferries book out months ahead, and the dive boats run full with beginners. Source ↗

Still on: The Southern Cross is up (1 Dec – 15 Jun (usually))

Peak crowds — Golden Week, Golden Week in Japan

• Season

  Okinawa rainy season

  10 May – 21 Jun · usuallyMonsoon

  Okinawa enters and leaves the rainy season about a month before the main islands. It is warm rain in bursts rather than a grey month, and it is the cheapest the Yaeyamas get.

Still on: Golden Week (29 Apr – 5 May), The Southern Cross is up (1 Dec – 15 Jun (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Nature

  Manta season at Kabira

  1 Jun – 30 Nov · usuallyDive seasonBook early

  The cleaning stations off Kabira draw mantas through the second half of the year, with the best odds from August to October. Boats are capped and the good operators fill a season ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Okinawa rainy season (10 May – 21 Jun (usually)), The Southern Cross is up (1 Dec – 15 Jun (usually))

Busy — Summer break (natsuyasumi) in Japan, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Typhoon season

  1 Jul – 15 Oct · usuallyClosures

  The Yaeyamas sit in the busiest track in Japan. The ferries to Taketomi and Iriomote stop a day before anything arrives and restart a day after it leaves — budget slack at both ends of the trip. Source ↗

Still on: Manta season at Kabira (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — Summer break (natsuyasumi) in Japan, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Manta season at Kabira (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Manta season at Kabira (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Manta season at Kabira (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jul – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Manta season at Kabira (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — Winter break (fuyuyasumi) in Japan, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  The Southern Cross is up

  1 Dec – 15 Jun · usuallyDark-sky season

  Far enough south that the Southern Cross clears the horizon, low and briefly, on winter and spring nights. The island's dark-sky protection means you only need to leave the harbour lights. Source ↗