The classic tour is by cart, drawn by a buffalo, half an hour through the three hamlets.
The white-sand streets run between low red-roofed houses, each enclosed by a low coral-stone wall and surrounded by フクギ as a windbreak. On the roofs sit the shīsā (シーサー), the ceramic lion-dogs that in Okinawa protect houses from evil spirits: here there is a different one for every house. The classic visit is by cart drawn by a water buffalo (水牛車), which goes round the three hamlets of the village for about half an hour. It has not been possible to climb the なごみの塔 tower, a landmark in the centre of the settlement, since 17 September 2016.
The centre of the village, 38.3 hectares, was designated a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings on 28 April 1987, one of only two in the whole of Okinawa Prefecture, together with Tonaki. It is an island of raised coral south-west of Ishigaki, reachable only by ferry.
ℹ️ The village is always accessible and free. Bicycle hire and buffalo-cart rides are available near the port, for a fee and with their own hours, tied to the ferry arrivals.
🚉 タカミネ · 2 min walk
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