How to get to Yonaguni Island from Ishigaki? We'll also introduce the fares in detail.

November 30, 2022March 30, 2024

Yonaguni Island is attracting attention with the upcoming release of a new series of Dr. Koto, which was originally broadcast in 2003.

Yonaguni Island, the westernmost point of Japan, is part of the Yaeyama Islands, but is a popular island with dramatic cliffs that are different from the other islands, as well as wild Yonaguni horses.

It is also closer to Taiwan than Ishigaki Island, and Taiwan can be seen several times a year. In fact, I live on Yonaguni Island, and have seen Taiwan about four times, albeit faintly.

This time, we will explain in detail the access and costs for two ways to get to Yonaguni Island from Ishigaki Island.

TOC

Access to Yonaguni Island from Ishigaki Island

plane
ferry

It is possible to go in two ways.

Let me introduce them in order.

Access by plane from Ishigaki Island

The easiest way to get to Yonaguni from Ishigaki Island is by plane. It takes about 35 minutes to get from Ishigaki to Yonaguni.

Ryukyu Air Commuter(RAC) operates flights to the airport with 2-4 flights per day depending on the season. It is a group company of Japan Airlines (JAL), and tickets can be booked through the JAL website.

Please note that there is a high possibility of cancellations during the bad weather period from November to February. By the way, I have had two cancellations and two flights that were turned back due to landing failures in 2022. Please check the flight status on the day on the JAL official website, Twitter, app, etc.

If you see a red mark like the one in the image below, be careful. There is a high possibility of significant flight delays and cancellations, so be sure to check.

The weather around Yonaguni Airport is often bad, which means flights are often unable to land, but it is rare that it is not possible to land from Yonaguni to Ishigaki.

Flight prices from Ishigaki to Yonaguni

The flight fare from Ishigaki to Yonaguni is about 13,950 yen one way for adults. Since only RAC operates the flight, the price is a little high.

If you use the round-trip discount, the one-way fare will be 8,400 yen or 8,950 yen. Because it is a peak-time variable type, there will be a difference of about 500 yen depending on the time of year. If you are a JAL shareholder, you can fly for 7,000 yen one way, so using a shareholder discount ticket may be a good idea.

Things to note when traveling by plane

The plane is a small propeller plane that can only carry around 60 people, so it's best to make your reservation early!

Reservations especially for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays tend to fill up a month in advance, and with Dr. Koto's influence, there is a high possibility that reservations will fill up even faster.

Access by ferry from Ishigaki Island

Next, access by ferry. The Yonakuni ferry departs from Ishigaki Ferry Terminal twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00.

The time on board is about four and a half hours. Of all the ferries in Japan, this one is the most rocking and is nicknamed the "vomit boat," as many people vomit on it, so please be careful if you are traveling to Yonaguni by ferry.

Apparently the ship was replaced with a new one in 2014, but it's rumored that it still shakes.

Please be aware that ferries may also be cancelled or departure times may change depending on the weather.

The ferry leaves at 10am and arrives at 2:30pm, so most of the passengers on board are tourists.

Ferry fare

The one-way fare for the ferry to Yonakuhi is 3,550 yen, and 1,780 yen for children. There is also a round-trip discount, which is 6,750 yen for adults and 3,560 yen for children. The fare for a passenger car is 24,840 yen.

I took the Ishigaki-Yonaguni ferry once. It was sunny and the ferry was smooth and rock-free. There were only about 10 people on the ferry, so it was interesting to see a mysterious sense of unity.