10 minutes by ferry from Ishigaki, Taketomi Island sits in Okinawa's Yaeyama archipelago and is home to just 400 people, a handful of red-roofed hamlets, and now a fourth village built specifically to match the others. HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island had to follow the same building code as its neighbours: Ryukyu limestone walls, coral-sand paths, terracotta roofs guarded by squat little shisa lions. Inside, though, it's all soft linens, deep soaking tubs and a 46-metre pool shaded by banyan trees. Chef Tatsuo Nakasu cooks Okinawan seafood through a French lens, and after dark, the island's Dark Sky status means the stars do most of the talking. Slow travel, done properly.
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All 48 villas are freestanding, each with its own patch of garden and a low hinpun screen for privacy, so nobody can peer in. Choose Gajoni for its wide, freestanding tub with twin garden views, Kyangi for proper Ryukyu tatami and futon bedding, or family-friendly Zuki if you're travelling with children. Every villa opens fully on its south side to catch the sea breeze and keeps its lighting deliberately low. Given how seriously Taketomi guards its night sky, you'll want the ceiling, not the lamps, doing the work after dinner.
Climbing to the observation deck at dusk, when the terracotta roofs turn sunset-pink and Ishigaki's lights flicker on across the water. It's a hilltop view no other stay on the island can offer.
Skip the gift shop 'star sand' and hunt your own at Kaiji Beach on a falling tide. The grains are fossilised sea creatures, fiddly to spot, but finding your own beats buying a jarful.
This is a lived-in village of 400 people, not a film set, so skip the shirtless wandering and go easy with the camera near private homes. Good manners here get you a warmer welcome all round.
HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made Japan trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended Japan trips featuring HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island or get advice and suggestions from one of our Japan specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island start from around $150, or US$150, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
Boat from island to island, strolling along coral beaches and trekking to waterfalls deep in the jungle.
