Taketomi
Encyclopedia
Taketomi is an island
in the Yaeyama District
of Okinawa Prefecture
, Japan
. Located a ten-minute boat ride away from Ishigaki
island, this island has a village in the center, also named Taketomi
. Taketomi has a population of approximately 361 (as of 2006) and an area of 6.32 km². As the island is quite circular in shape, everywhere is within walking distance. There are also various places to rent bikes in the village.
Taketomi is known for its traditional Ryukyuan houses, stone walls, and sandy streets, making it popular with tourists. Various rules are in place to prevent the more aesthetically-displeasing aspects of modern construction from ruining the beauty of the island, such as replacing concrete walls with hand-packed stone. Popular tourist activities include relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, taking an ox-cart ride through the village, and simply walking or biking around the island while enjoying the quaintness of the village and the natural scenery.
The island is also famous for its beautiful beaches and "star-sand" (星砂 hoshizuna); remains of tiny sea animals.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Yaeyama District
Yaeyama District, Okinawa
is a district located in Okinawa, Japan. The district covers all of the Yaeyama Islands except Ishigaki and the disputed Senkaku Islands.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 5,579 and the density of 15.37 persons per km²...
of Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Located a ten-minute boat ride away from Ishigaki
Ishigaki
*Ishigaki Island*Ishigaki, Okinawa*Ishigaki Airport*Japanese escort Ishigaki*Ai Ishigaki , guitarist for The Mad Capsule Markets*Ishigaki Rin...
island, this island has a village in the center, also named Taketomi
Taketomi, Okinawa
is a town located in Yaeyama District, Okinawa, Japan. The town includes all of the islands in the Yaeyama District excluding Ishigaki, Yonaguni, and the Senkaku Islands. This includes the islands of Iriomote, Taketomi, Kohama, Kuroshima, Hateruma, and Hatoma...
. Taketomi has a population of approximately 361 (as of 2006) and an area of 6.32 km². As the island is quite circular in shape, everywhere is within walking distance. There are also various places to rent bikes in the village.
Taketomi is known for its traditional Ryukyuan houses, stone walls, and sandy streets, making it popular with tourists. Various rules are in place to prevent the more aesthetically-displeasing aspects of modern construction from ruining the beauty of the island, such as replacing concrete walls with hand-packed stone. Popular tourist activities include relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, taking an ox-cart ride through the village, and simply walking or biking around the island while enjoying the quaintness of the village and the natural scenery.
The island is also famous for its beautiful beaches and "star-sand" (星砂 hoshizuna); remains of tiny sea animals.