Timeline
13:00
Start at Yugafukan, the national parks authority museum. The entrance is free and the building is near the ferry terminal. Spend twenty minutes watching the 15-minute film and trying the audio sets of Yaeyaman stories and songs. The information is in Japanese but the audio and visuals are engaging for everyone.
13:25
Walk 15 minutes to Shidame-kan, a cafe-restaurant-bar located right below the Nagomi-no-to tower. Order the rafti-don, a rice bowl dripping with pork that is the place's specialty. The kitchen is open until 22:00 so you will have plenty of time to eat and relax.
14:10
Head to the West Pier, a disused pier located about 22 minutes from the museum area (or roughly 10 minutes from the restaurant if you take a direct route, though the context notes a 22-minute walk from the anchor). This is the island's best spot to watch the sunset. The villagers used to set off from here by canoe to tend rice fields on Iriomote. Stay until the sun dips below the horizon.
Local tip
The museum is free but all text is in Japanese. The audio sets are the best part for non-Japanese speakers. Shidame-kan serves Okinawan and Japanese staples; the rafti-don is the recommended dish.
Check before you go
- Yugafukan is free to enter.
- Shidame-kan is open 10:00-22:00.
- West Pier is an outdoor public space with no opening hours.
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Taketomi (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).