Tarama

Understand

Tourist information site Tarama Village's official site has a Japanese-only tourism section with integrated machine translation. The local tourist association has a one page stuff, also Japanese-only.

Getting there

While Tarama is geographically closer to Ishigaki, the only way to travel to the island is via Miyako.

By plane RAC operates two return flights per day from Miyako Airport. The flight costs from ¥7000 and takes 20 minutes.

By ferry Tarama Kaiun operates one return ferry daily from the port of Hirara on Miyako, taking two hours each way. The standard adult one-way fare is ¥2,510.

See

Hachigatsu Odori (り; Literally meaning is "August dance"; but the real meaning is "The theater; celebrating paid all taxes.") Every year, from 8th to 10th of eighth month of the traditional calendar, the village has a traditional festival called "Hachigatsu Odori" lasting 3 days and 3 nights. All schools and most businesses are closed for the duration. There's also an increased media presence, and anthropologists come to document it as well. Also, many Taramans who are now living off-island return for this festival. The island is basically stretched to its seams for the festival. If you're not interested in the festival, you'll probably want to make sure you're not on Tarama during it. Although there's a lot of drinking, things stay relatively calm, or at least as calm as a festival of this magnitude could ever be. Tarama Village Ethnographic Learning Center (ふるさと Tarama-son furusato minzoku gakushukan). Find out more about the history and culture of Tarama. Tel: 0980-79-2223. 09:00-17:00, closed Monday. Discounts for primary and secondary students.

Do

Yaeyama Toomidai. Location: 1097 (1097 Aza-nakasuji; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2674 (not to the tower itself; but rather to the organization responsible for its maintenance). Because Tarama is very, very, very flat, the highest point is not a geological feature such as a hill or a mountain, but rather a 33-m-high structure on a small hill. It's named "Yaeyama Toomidai" because, on a clear day, if you look west from the tower, you can see clearly the Ishigaki island, the nearest part of the Yaeyama Islands, ("Toomidai" means that it allows you to see way out into the distance beyond the forest). You can also see all of Tarama (Tarama island and Min-na island). You might see Miyako, but other than that you probably won't see much more than open water. Obviously, there aren't any obstructions, so you can see as far as the current visibility conditions permit, in all directions. Hometown Beach Park (ふるさと).Local name is "Nagashak".It has nice beach and shower. Also some benches with roof.

Eat

Agari-shokudo. Location: 513 (513 Aza-shiokawa; Trrama village). Tel: 0980-79-2621. Serves meals. Giriki (ぎりき). Location: 196 (196 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2280. Izakaya. Serves meals. Tukaama (とうかあま). Location: 564-3 (564-3 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2488. Izakaya. Serves meals. Adan (あだん). Location: 528 (528 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2088. Izakaya. Serves meals. Fuji (ふじ). Location: 56 (56 Aza-nakasuji; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2813. Oden only. Mamigapana (が). Location: 1687 (1687 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2025. Snacks only.

Sleep

Chitose Ryokan (ちとせ). Two meals are included. Location: 37 (37 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2332. ¥5600/night. Midoriya Ryokan (みどりや). Two meals are included. Location: 142 (142 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2232. Pension Adan (ペンションあだん). Two meals are included. Location: 528 (528 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2088. Minshuku Marumiya. Two meals are included. Location: 141 (141 Aza-shiokawa; Tarama village). Tel: 0980-79-2881.