Yaeyama Islands – Japans Treasure

The Yaeyama Islands are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and cover 591.46 square kilometres and consists of 10 inhabited islands and several islets. They are home to numerous species of subtropical plants and mangrove forests. The islands produce sugarcane and pineapples. Coral reefs around the islands are ideal habitats for dolphins, sea turtles, and larger fish such as manta rays and whale sharks. Ishigaki is the most populated and most developed island of the Yaeyama archipelago and serves as the region’s main transportation hub.

credit: Pierre Bear