Local Products Ishigaki

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Ishigaki has a long history of producing fine food products, clothing and crafts. An island tour highlights many of these local treasures and offers a wonderful opportunity to see the sights.

Begin with a visit to the Tojin Tomb (Chinese Tomb). This sacred site pays tribute to the tragic events of 1852, when an American/British ship transporting Chinese workers to California wrecked off Ishigaki's rocky coast. The workers were involved in a mutiny and may have lost their lives in an attempt to escape poor conditions. The Chinese influence is seen in the building's architecture and decorative pieces.

Nearby, there is also a newer monument dedicated to three American soldiers who were shot down and captured in 1945, toward the end of World War II. Erected in 2001 and recently renovated, the monument acknowledges that their deplorable treatment was in violation of the Geneva Convention.

Next door to the monument, a sweet little candy shop, Yashiya, makes and sells its own sugar cane candy. Here you can sample the brown sugar treats for yourself.

Ishigaki is famous for its deep blue sea and the salt that comes out of it. Ishigaki salt is known for its variety and intense flavors. The salt factory, located on rural Nagura Bay, is a small operation with an on-site store where you can watch the staff making salt. The owner, Togo, an Ishigaki native, is often on hand to explain the process or walk down to the sea to show the pipes that remove salt from the ocean water. The salt produced here is 100% pure and changes in relationship to the tides and moon phases.

Your next stop is a local crafts studio, where you'll learn about the vibrant cloth that has been a tradition in Ishigaki for many centuries. Women have long woven the "minsa" textiles for prospective husbands in a pattern that represents eternal love. Today this cloth is used in a variety of traditional items. You can try hand-dying a handkerchief or scarf using the dye from plants that grow wild on Ishigaki. The pattern is up to you.

Continue on to Kabira Bay, a picture perfect spot to enjoy lunch. After your meal, enjoy a leisurely walk to the Ryūkȳū Black Pearl Centre, one of only two cultivation sites of black pearls in Japan. Here, you can learn more about these lustrous beauties and do some shopping.

The splendor of the ocean can be seen in local pottery as well; watch a demonstration at your next stop, the Ishigaki Pottery Studio. The ceramic pieces are decorated with natural Okinawa ocean-colored glass and yutekitenmoku, which has silver dots in black.

On your way back to port, you'll stop for a refreshing treat at a local farm. This is an opportunity to sample the famous Ishigaki ice cream, with such unusual flavors as milk - from local cows - and salt, a local delicacy. Enjoy!

Special Notes: