For those who want to enjoy a group trip to the fullest. The latest resort villas that will make your stay in Ishigaki Island special.

*Prices include tax.

Ishigaki Hills®️: A luxurious private space filled with many pleasures

It's about a 15-minute drive from Painushima Ishigaki Airport by rental car. As you drive along, feeling the pleasant breeze, you'll see a stylish red-roofed building standing on a hilltop with a great view. Ishigaki Hills®️, which just had its grand opening in April this year, is a luxurious private villa with only two buildings standing on a spacious site of about 1,050 square meters.

The two buildings, named "OPEN SKY VILLA" and "OUTDOOR VILLA" respectively, feature a spacious living room, two bedrooms and a loft with ample privacy, a garden with exclusive ocean views, a heated infinity pool, a BBQ area, and more.

The relaxing wooden interior was designed by an architect who has worked on resort hotels and famous restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia, while keeping in mind the "Yaeyama-esque appearance." Not only does the building and interior make generous use of building materials from Ishigaki Island and Okinawa Prefecture, and the carefully selected amenities, but it is also fully equipped with wine glasses, beer glasses, and high-quality tableware and cutlery.

The original label Ishigakijima local beer and wine in the refrigerator are a small gesture of consideration for guests, befitting the owner, who is a drink lover. You can also buy local ingredients and cook in the kitchen, which is equipped with stylish cooking appliances. In the open living room with high ceilings and the garden with a star-filled sky overhead, you can share a special time to your heart's content with your precious friends and family.

Additionally, the garden of "OPEN SKY VILLA" features a sky deck with a 360-degree view, as well as a jet bath for nighttime jacuzzi and garden beds.

This villa is a place where you take off your shoes at the entrance before going up to your room, so families with babies or children who have just started walking can stay here safely.

Meanwhile, at the "OUTDOOR VILLA," there are four electric bicycles on standby. You can choose to enjoy active activities such as cycling around the island, referring to the Ishigaki Island map with its pop illustrations on the wall. There is also a ping-pong table made from limestone from Ishigaki Island in the garden, so both adults and children can have fun playing.

There are six adult beds in the "OPEN SKY VILLA" and eight in the "OUTDOOR VILLA." They can also accommodate extra futons, so feel free to inquire on their official website.

Ishigaki Hills®️ will create a special stay in Ishigaki Island for you and your loved ones. Another great thing about this accommodation is that it is conveniently located halfway between the airport and the city center, where the remote island terminal is located. Once you have fully enjoyed your stay at the villa, head out on a trip around the island's attractions!

Ishigaki Hills®️

Recommended spots to visit on Ishigaki Island starting from the villa

From here, we will introduce recommended spots for group trips starting from "Ishigaki Hills®️". From spots where you can experience the island's nature, to gourmet food, and craft experiences, come visit with your friends or family and make lots of memories!

Prefectural Banna Park: Experience the island's magnificent nature and stunning scenery

Ishigaki Island is blessed with magnificent natural scenery, including the sea, mountains, forests, and rivers. Prefectural Banna Park is where you can encounter rare insects and plants that can only be seen on Ishigaki Island and other Yaeyama islands, as well as breathtaking views.

The vast park, centered around Mt. Banna, which is 230 meters above sea level and located in the center of the island, is divided into five zones, including a zone where you can observe waterfowl and take a walk in the forest, and a zone with a playground for children to enjoy, and you can travel between each zone by car.

Within the park there are several uniquely shaped observation decks, an insect museum (fee required) which displays insects found on Ishigaki Island as well as insects from around the world, and in some areas you can even take a Segway walking tour (fee required).

This is a spot where you can fully experience Ishigaki Island's nature, enjoying the spectacular view of the emerald green ocean spreading out before you and enjoying a forest walk among the tropical trees.

The park also has a walking path called the "Firefly Highway," where you can observe fireflies from late March to early May. If you're lucky, you might even be able to see the Yaeyama Hime firefly, Japan's rarest firefly species, which glows only for 30 minutes after sunset.

Prefectural Banna Park

Ishigaki Public Market: A wide selection of Ishigaki Island delicacies and souvenirs

The villas are equipped with kitchens, so it is recommended to buy ingredients and enjoy cooking. Ishigaki City Public Market is located in Euglena Mall, in the center of Ishigaki Island, close to the remote island terminal. This historic "island's kitchen," opened in 1899, is home to about 30 shops, including butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers, restaurants, and souvenir shops.

The market was renovated in May 2021, and a new eat-in space was created. In the eat-in space on the first floor, you can enjoy a wide variety of Ishigaki Island gourmet food, such as Ishigaki beef hamburgers, juice made with fruits from Ishigaki Island, freshly fried sata andagi, and Okinawa soba.

On the second floor, you'll find the Ishigaki City Specialty Products Sales Center, which has a wide selection of Ishigaki Island souvenirs, as well as shops selling specialty products such as the sanshin. You'll also have fun chatting with the islanders who work at each shop. If you're looking for local Ishigaki Island products, this is the place to visit first.

Ishigaki Public Market

Euglena Garden: an island Italian restaurant serving delicious locally produced dishes

Euglena is a type of microalgae that has limitless possibilities as a health food. Euglena Garden opened as an antenna shop on Ishigaki Island, the first place where outdoor mass cultivation of Euglena was successfully carried out. In November 2023, it was renovated into a cafe and restaurant where you can enjoy authentic dishes and sweets.

Located near Euglena Mall, this restaurant serves "island Italian" cuisine made with plenty of locally produced ingredients from the Yaeyama region. They have a variety of dishes on the menu that will impress even the most discerning travelers, including a salad of locally grown vegetables served with a dressing made with Euglena, roast beef made from Yaeyama Gori beef, a brand of beef from Ishigaki Island, sausages and bacon made with Ishigaki Island pork, homemade bread, and seasonal soup in the "Garden Set" (1,600 yen) and "Yaeyama Gori Beef Hashed Beef" (1,600 yen).

In addition to food, they also offer a wide range of alcoholic beverages and cafe menu items. The store is equipped with the finest Italian espresso and gelato machines, and they offer delicious coffee and soft serve ice cream, making it a convenient place to use as a cafe or for takeout. It has become a new attraction on the island that you should definitely visit when you are strolling around the center of Ishigaki Island.

Euglena Garden

Make matching glass pieces to remember your trip at Glass Studio PONTE

Fusaki District is the most popular resort area on Ishigaki Island. Glass Studio PONTE is the westernmost glass studio in Japan, located on the west side of the island overlooking Fusaki Beach. Here you can try out the Ryukyu glassblowing experience, where you can create your own original glass, small bowl, or flower vase.

In the shop, which sells stylish glasses and wind chimes perfect as souvenirs, you can first decide on the design, such as the shape, pattern, color scheme, and whether or not to have the bubbles that are unique to Ryukyu glass. The playful process of imagining the finished product from the many colored glass fragments, deciding on the color scheme, and arranging the small glass fragments is sure to tickle your sense of fun.

Then, by applying molten glass to the arranged glass pieces and blowing air into them with a pipe, the piece will take shape in no time. Of course, you may not get the shape you want, but the staff will help you with every step of the process, so even small children can make great pieces of art.

The cost of the Ryukyu glassblowing experience is 5,500 yen, and the time required is 45 minutes or more per piece (75 minutes or more for 3 people). The finished piece will be delivered 2 business days later (can be mailed), so it is recommended to visit at the beginning of your stay on Ishigaki Island. Making matching pieces with your friends is sure to be a great memory of your trip!

Glass Studio PONTE Ishigakijima

Ishigakijima Mirumiru Honpo Main Store: A gelato shop using island ingredients where you can encounter a stunning view

"Milmil Honpo Main Store" is run by Imori Farm, a dairy farm on Ishigaki Island. This store is very popular with locals and tourists alike, and the gelato they serve is made with milk from their own farm and fruits from Ishigaki Island, using only the best ingredients to bring out their flavor.

The menu offers a wide variety of gelato (from 495 yen) made with freshly squeezed, pasteurized milk and local ingredients such as pineapple and mango purchased from contracted farmers on the island, as well as purple sweet potato, salted brown sugar, and pepper.

You can choose two types of gelato in one cup. Other popular light meal menu items include the "Milmil Burger" (858 yen) and "Taco Rice" (880 yen) made with Ishigaki beef. You can also enjoy shopping for homemade additive-free jams and Ishigaki Island souvenirs at the attached shop.

The restaurant is located on a hilltop grassland overlooking the sea, and the terrace seats at the back are special seats with a panoramic view of the Yaeyama Islands on a clear day. It is also known as a power spot, where you can encounter the "Green Flash" (a phenomenon in which the setting sun shines green) several times a year, which is said to bring happiness to those who see it.

Ishigakijima Milmil Honpo Main Store

Of course, Ishigaki Island has many other attractive spots and activities besides those introduced here. Plan a memorable group trip with your dear friends and family, starting with a villa or cottage that can accommodate a large number of people!

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