When we sailed into Ishigaki we were greeted with a rainbow. 

We did not know if we would get into Ishigaki.  Tropical Depression 20 became Typhoon Kathon and threatened our call.  Ishigaki is off the east coast of Taiwan, opposite Hualien.  Kathon’s track looked like it would head east of Taiwan and hit Ishigaki.  Instead, it tracked west and hit the West Coast of Taiwan, taking several lives and causing a good deal of damage.  But because the Typhoon went west, the Island of Taiwan sheltered Ishigaki, and we were able to make our port call.  Ishigaki is far closer to Taiwan than it is to Japan.

We were students in Taiwan when the United States started discussions with Japan about returning the Ryukyu Islands. They remained under United States jurisdiction after the battle of Okinawa (and were returned to Japan in 1972.).  Ishigaki is part of the Ryukyu Island chain.  Japan only annexed the Ryukyu kingdom in 1879.  Before that the kingdom had been a tributary of both China and Japan.  The islands, originally, were culturally more Chinese than Japanese, speaking a language similar to the South Fukien dialect spoken on Taiwan.   The Islands did very well in trade.  As tributaries of both China and Japan (although for a long time they did not tell China they were paying tribute to both countries) they could trade freely with each.  They were not subject to trade restrictions that either country imposed.  They could also trade with anyone else, the Dutch in Indonesia, the Portuguese in Timor and Malacca, The English in Singapore, with India and all Southeast Asia.  They were a conduit for goods from these lands to get into Japan.  After Japan opened to world trade they were not as useful to Japan as a tributary.  In 1879 Japan annexed the islands outright.  Although assimilation of Ryukyu people had started centuries before through intermarriage and trade, making Japanese the language taught in schools sped up the process.  In 1895 Japan used protecting Ryukyu interests as a pretext to invade and take over Taiwan.  So, Taiwan was not happy that the Ryukyus were going back to Japan.  They wanted to keep Japan at a safe physical distance.  This return brought Japan very close.  Taiwan and China do not claim Ishigaki but both do claim some islands north and west of Ishigaki that are part of Ishigaki City.  As recently as May Chinese patrol boats have had stand offs with Japanese Coastguard near these uninhabited islands.  Recent news reports say that Ishigaki is nervous about a possible Chinese/Taiwan confrontation.

There was (and still is) a Ryukyu independence movement that wants to restore nationhood to the islands.  Their main issue is removal of US bases from Okinawa.  The United States had no interest in this, especially in the early ‘70s when we were using Okinawa as a base for the Viet Nam war, and as a hedge against China.  (Still important strategically.)  So, if the US were going to unload the islands, it was preferable to return them to Japan. 

Because of this history, these islands have interested me for a long time.  I had only been to Okinawa once before, on a stopover between Taiwan, and Guam. 

In Ishigaki we took a bus to the ferry terminal to get a high speed15-minute catamaran ride to Taketomi Island.  Gori, our Japanese student friend from Sitka’s Outer Coast College recommended this as the way to spend our day.  Taketomi tries to maintain its traditional lifestyle.  Private cars are not allowed (although there are a lot of vans).  There is a pubic bus system but people also travel by carts pulled by water buffalo. 

The roads are crushed coral fences and house walls are coral or limestone.  Houses must meet traditional architectural standards and islanders cannot sell them of off islanders.

Everything is guarded by Shisa, guardian lions (more about that in the next post.)  Houses,  businesses and even wells have guardian lions.  We found ourselves at ease.  It reminded us of the Taiwan of more than half a century ago   

The island is fringed by beaches.  The houses are, as Gori says “cute” and the flowers are beautiful.  The town center is kind of air conditioned.  All along the main street streams of fine mist shoot out to cool pedestrians.