How Do You Get to Iriomote Island by Ferry From Ishigaki and Get Around?
This guide is for visitors who want to reach Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture and plan how to get around it. It uses the English page of the Taketomi Town Tourism Association, which covers Iriomote as part of the town, and six English pages of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Two of the association's pages are written in Japanese and are summarised here in English.
The sources do not give ferry timetables, fares or rental prices. This guide leaves those out.
The short answer
You reach Iriomote by high-speed ferry from Ishigaki Island. JNTO says it takes about 35 to 40 minutes to reach Ohara Port in the south of the island and 40 to 50 minutes to reach Uehara Port in the north. The association gives 35 to 40 minutes for Ohara and 40 to 60 minutes for Uehara. The two sources agree on Ohara and differ on the upper end for Uehara, so allow up to an hour for Uehara.
Getting to Ishigaki first
JNTO's page on the World Heritage region says that you can reach Iriomote by plane from Tokyo, Osaka or Kagoshima to Naha Airport, then transfer to another plane for 60 minutes to Ishigaki. Direct flights are also available from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Narita and Kansai International Airport. At Ishigaki you board a ferry that takes 40 minutes. The association explains that the ferries leave from the Ishigaki Remote Island Terminal, where you buy tickets at the window of the ferry company.
Which port to choose
Ohara Port is in the south and Uehara Port is in the north, and the choice depends on what you plan to do. The association's page on the eastern part of the island and its page on the western part group the sights that way. Ask the tour operator which port is closest to your meeting point. JNTO says most of the tour companies provide transportation before and after the tour.
Moving around the island
The association says that transport options on the island include rental cars, rental motorcycles, fixed-route buses and taxis, and that taxis require booking. It adds that charter taxis and sightseeing buses are available. JNTO says you may want to rent a car for more freedom if your tour does not provide transport.
If the ferry to Uehara Port is cancelled because of bad weather, the association says there may be a free shuttle bus from Ohara Port to the Iriomote area, which can help you reach the western part of the island.
A JNTO blog written some years ago says only one road snakes around the coast of the island, serving some 2,000 residents. That is the writer's own account and the figures may have changed, but it shows why you should plan your day around the road rather than expect to cut across the island.
Driving on Iriomote
JNTO's feature on the island's ecosystems says that the local government built underpasses for animals, installed roadside gutters to prevent small creatures falling onto the road, and set an island-wide speed limit of 40 km/h. It says road signs warn drivers about Iriomote cats, and that the cat is nocturnal and can sometimes be seen on the road at night. The feature was published in 2020, so check whether the limit is still the same.
Getting to Yubu Island
The association says that Yubu Island, across a shallow strait from Iriomote, is reached from the Yubu water buffalo cart stand. The stand is about 20 minutes from Ohara Port by fixed-route bus, taxi or rental car. Another association page says the bus ride takes 22 minutes from Ohara Port or 40 minutes from Uehara Port, and the cart crossing takes 15 minutes.
Phones and the forest
The association's English page notes that there is no mobile phone reception on some parts of the islands and almost all of the Iriomote jungle. Before entering the jungle on Iriomote, you must notify the local police and the forestry office. Tour operators usually do this, but it explains why guided tours are common.
Weather and the boats
The association warns that the Yaeyama region is on a frequent typhoon path. Two to three days before a typhoon arrives there are high waves and strong winds that affect ferry and airline service. JNTO's feature recommends late March to the end of April as cooler, with fewer visitors, while it says the mountains are hotter and more humid than many people expect in summer.
What we could not verify, and therefore left out
- Ferry timetables, fares and the names of the operators.
- Bus timetables and fares, and rental car or motorcycle prices.
- Whether the free shuttle from Ohara Port runs after a cancellation on a given day.
- The present speed limit and the number of residents.
Related guides
- What Is Iriomote Island? Mangroves, Waterfalls and the Iriomote Cat
- What Should You Know Before Hiking, Kayaking and Swimming on Iriomote Island?
Sources
All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.
- English (Taketomi Town Tourism Association) — (ports, ferry times, transport, shuttle, phone reception)
- Access to the islands (Taketomi Town Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (Yubu Island access, terminal)
- Iriomote Island (JNTO) — (ferry times, tours, car rental)
- World Heritage: Iriomote Island and neighbours (JNTO) — (flights to Ishigaki, 40-minute ferry)
- Iriomote Island and Yanbaru (JNTO) — (speed limit, road signs, spring season)
- A Day in the Wild in Iriomote (JNTO blog) — (one road, residents)