National Apr 23, 2022
U.S. Marines to take part in disaster drill on Okinawa's Ishigaki island
U.S. Marine officers taking part in the drill also may look into preparedness for potential conflicts on remote Japanese islands.
DEEP DIVE Jan 19, 2022
Trouble in paradise: Why is Ishigaki building a missile base?
by Oscar Boyd and Ben Dooley
The New York Times' Ben Dooley joins Deep Dive to discuss his recent reporting trip to Ishigaki, and why the island is currently building a missile base.
National / Politics | FOCUS Jan 13, 2022
Okinawa's busy political year set to have major impact on national security
by Eric Johnston
Voters in Nago go to the polls Jan. 23 to choose a mayor in the first of a series of elections that could shape the prefecture's relationship with Tokyo.
Asia Pacific Dec 17, 2021
Japan's island paradise near the front line of tensions over Taiwan
by Ben Dooley and Hisako Ueno
Not long ago, Japan saw mostly economic opportunity with China, but with security challenges growing, the calculus has changed.
National Aug 23, 2020
A fishing boat with four crew members has vanished off Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture and the Japan Coast Guard has dispatched a patrol boat to find it. The 7-ton Hiro Maru's crew last contacted a port official on Ishigaki Island at around 4:30 p.m. ...
National | Regional Voices: Okinawa Apr 24, 2020
Okinawa islanders conflicted over tourism amid virus pandemic
As more people in Tokyo and elsewhere were beginning to hole up at home during the coronavirus pandemic, others were venturing out to visit islands in Okinawa Prefecture. People on the resort island of Miyako as well as others in the Yaeyama archipelago, which had ...
Travel Aug 23, 2019
Enjoy Ishigaki's island life without sea, sun or sand
by Mio Yamada
The Okinawan island of Ishigaki is a haven for beach lovers, but there's plenty to experience for those with no love for the ocean, including fresh fruit, star gazing and limestone caves.
Travel May 18, 2018
Scuba diving in Japan: Beneath the sea, a paradise of color and life
by Bonnie Waycott
A carpet of sand stretches into the distance below me. As clear and still as the water, the light seems muted, creating a peaceful, subdued scene. Surrounding each rocky feature are small oases of life. At one, there are two nudibranchs (sea slugs) and, as ...
Travel Mar 16, 2018
A journey by kayak through Iriomote's mangrove forests
by Lily Crossley-Baxter
Thanks to the maze of narrow waterways that crisscross Iriomote Island, kayaking is a popular choice for anyone wishing to venture deeper into the island's jungle.
National | OKINAWA BEAT Dec 13, 2017
Ishigaki package tour has couples scaling cliffs and diving into the sea before tying the knot
A unique package tour on Okinawa's Ishigaki Island for soon-to-be-married couples is creating a buzz. The Ishigaki Municipal Government and travel agency H.I.S. Co. have teamed up to offer a proposal for couples: travel across the island, scale a steep cliff and dive into the ...
Travel Sep 1, 2017
Iriomote: Remote island is home to a unique state of mind
by Lance Henderstein
Approaching the house of 80-year-old Akiko Ishigaki, a three-legged dog rises to signal our arrival. From inside the house, Ishigaki gently scolds the dog, emerges from the doorway and invites us in. She's dressed in layers of woven purple cloth and her face maintains the ...
National / Science & Health May 19, 2017
A human skeleton thought to be the oldest in Japan has been found in a collapsed cave in Okinawa, a local museum said Friday, adding that it appears to be around 27,000 years old. The nearly complete skeleton, dating from the Old Stone Age, appears ...