Packed with picture-perfect beaches that offer world-class diving, snorkeling and surfside bliss, Ishigaki is the gateway to the Yaeyama archipelago, the southernmost and westernmost inhabited islands of Japan. Admire the colorful fish and flourishing coral reefs of Kabira Bay aboard a glass-bottom boat before enjoying panoramic island views from the Tamatorizaki observatory or Hirakubozaki Lighthouse. The islands of Taketomi, Kuroshima and Kohama make for fantastic day-trip destinations, all of which can be explored by bicycle within a few hours. Listen to folk songs accompanied by the sanshin, a banjo-like instrument made of snakeskin, and see artisans crafting styles of pottery that are unique to each island.