Taketomi and the Phantom Island in one day with a big family.
In spring: Taketomi in the morning, the Phantom Island at midday or in the afternoon
Taketomi is a small island where red-tiled roofs and white sand lanes survive, about 10–15 minutes by boat from Ishigaki. In the sea right next to it is the "Phantom Island" (Hamajima), a sandbar that only appears when the tide goes out. But the Phantom Island grows and shrinks with the tide, and for a three-generation family going all together, the hard parts are choosing the day and the tour, and whether the grandparents can join the tour at all. This article runs the JMA tide tables for every day of spring 2027 and sets out how to do Taketomi and the Phantom Island in one day, with prices for 6.
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Tide and toursThe Phantom Island changes size with the tide. In spring, the midday or afternoon tour tends to meet low water
The answer: around the spring tides of spring 2027, daytime low water comes from midday into the afternoon (roughly 12:40 to 15:50), and at 9 in the morning the tide is close to high. So the midday or afternoon tour tends to suit the Phantom Island, and the morning is better spent on Taketomi.
- The Phantom Island (Hamajima) is an uninhabited sand island between Taketomi and Kohama. There are no scheduled boats; you go on a tour boat.
- When the tide goes out the island comes up large, and when it comes in it shrinks. The official sites of the 3 companies we looked at do not give a tide level at which landing is possible, or say what happens on days when you cannot land.
- Shimeragi, which runs a landing-only tour, has 3 departures a day. Time on the Phantom Island is 8:40–9:50 on the 1st (morning) tour, 12:00–13:10 on the 2nd (midday) tour and 15:10–16:20 on the 3rd (afternoon) tour.
Tour times are Shimeragi's official itinerary (as of October 2026). The low-water window is the range of daytime low-water times on days when daytime low water is 30 cm or less in the JMA predicted tides (Ishigaki, 2027).
- Comparing the tide level at these 3 tours over the 92 days of March–May 2027 in the JMA tide tables (Ishigaki), the tide was lowest on the 3rd (afternoon) tour on 44 days, on the 2nd (midday) tour on 30 days and on the 1st (morning) tour on 18 days.
- On the candidate dates in the next section, the tide at around 9:15 averaged 140–160-odd cm by month (near high). At around 12:35 it was 42–68 cm, and at around 15:45 it was 32–42 cm (calculated).
- Low water comes about 40 minutes later each day. Once your dates are fixed, look up that day's low-water time again.
Choosing the day: look for "low daytime low water" in the JMA tide tables
The answer: look up your candidate dates in the JMA tide tables (station "Ishigaki") and make the day with the lowest daytime low water your Phantom Island day. For spring 2027, the periods below are the candidates.
- In the JMA tide tables (Ishigaki, in Japanese), check the low-water times and levels on your candidate dates.
- Make a day with low low water (around the new or full moon) your Phantom Island day.
- Choose the tour closest to the low-water time.
| Month | Candidate periods | Days at 30 cm or less (of which weekends) | Tour with the lowest tide |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 10–12 Mar, 23–26 Mar | 7 days (0) | Midday tour on 23 Mar, afternoon tour on the others |
| April | 7–10 Apr, 20–24 Apr | 9 days (2: 10 Apr, 24 Apr) | Midday tour on 7, 20 and 21 Apr, afternoon tour on the others |
| May | 5–9 May, 19–24 May | 11 days (4: 8, 9, 22 and 23 May) | Midday tour on 5–7 and 19–21 May, afternoon tour on the others |
- Low water gets later each day, so in the first half of each period the midday tour fits the tide, and in the second half the afternoon tour.
- Days when low water comes after 16:00 (for example 10 May) are not in the table, but the tide on the 3rd (afternoon) tour can still be quite low. Check that day's tide table.
- The lowest tide of the spring is −3 cm at 14:42 on Saturday 8 May, then 0 cm at 13:59 on Friday 7 May and 1 cm at 15:29 on Sunday 9 May (calculated).
- In March and the Golden Week holidays in May, the Taketomi water buffalo cart charges peak-season prices (see below).
- Tours can be cancelled or changed for weather or wind. Get the confirmation that the tour is running, and the meeting time, from the tour company the day before or on the morning.
The tide at 14:42 on Saturday 8 May, the lowest of spring 2027 (calculated).
The day the afternoon tour fits the tide best.
Planning the day: Taketomi in the morning, the Phantom Island at midday or in the afternoon
The answer: on spring-tide days, the best fit for the tide is to cross to Taketomi on a morning boat and board the midday or afternoon Phantom Island tour from Taketomi Port. Shimeragi's via-Taketomi option (on its landing-only tour, 3 a day) lets you board from Taketomi without going back to Ishigaki Port.
| Time | Days the afternoon tour fits the tide (recommended) | Days only the morning is free |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Boat from the outer-island ferry terminal at Ishigaki Port to Taketomi | Take Shimeragi's 1st tour (on the Phantom Island 8:40–9:50) |
| Morning to midday | Buffalo cart, a walk round the village and Yugafu-kan on Taketomi | Get off at Taketomi (via-Taketomi option) |
| Afternoon | Take Shimeragi's 3rd tour from Taketomi Port (on the Phantom Island 15:10–16:20) | Look round Taketomi |
| Evening | Back to Ishigaki (the 3rd tour returns at 16:50; if you boarded at Taketomi Port, check the return port when you book) | Evening boat back to Ishigaki |
- The via-Taketomi option costs ¥1,000 per person (adults and children of elementary-school age and up) and must be booked by the day before.
- On days the midday tour fits the tide (the first half of each period), leave Taketomi early, take the 2nd tour from Taketomi Port (on the island 12:00–13:10), and rest on Ishigaki in the afternoon.
- Know that on spring-tide days the morning tour runs near high tide, so the island tends to be smaller.
- There are no showers at Taketomi Port. Bring clothes that can get wet, a change of clothes and towels.
- Shimeragi says that when you land you wade in seawater up to below the knee (the referring page also says "around the knee"). At elementary-school height, expect children to get wet above the knee.
- The boat companies, fares and tickets from Ishigaki Port to Taketomi are covered in Ferries from Ishigaki Port to Taketomi and Iriomote for a family of 6.
3 companies run Phantom Island tours. With grandparents, "landing only" is the easiest to arrange
Prices in this article are worked out for a family of 6: parents, 2 children (elementary school) and grandparents. Neither the buffalo cart nor the tours has a senior price band, so the grandparents pay adult prices.
The answer: if all 6 are going on the same boat, a "landing-only" tour with no published upper age limit is the easiest to arrange, at ¥27,800 for 6. Some tours with snorkelling do not take anyone aged 60 or over.
| Tour | What it is | Adult / child | 6 (4 adults + 2 elementary-school children) | Age conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shimeragi | Landing only, about 2 h 20 min, 60–70 min on the island | ¥4,800 (13 and over) / ¥4,300 (6–12) | ¥27,800 | No upper limit stated |
| SeaChan Ishigakijima | Landing only, about 2 h, about 60 min free time | ¥4,800 (12 and over) / ¥4,300 (5 and over) | ¥27,800 | No upper limit stated |
| Ishigaki Tours (No. 458) | Landing + boat snorkelling, about 3 h | ¥7,900 (junior-high age and up) / ¥6,900 (under junior-high age) | Not possible if the grandparents are 60 or over | Ages 3–59 (60–65 may ask about landing only) |
- With a different number of people (Shimeragi and SeaChan landing-only tours): 5 (4 adults + 1 elementary-school child) is ¥23,500, and 7 (4 adults + 3 elementary-school children) is ¥32,100.
- With a different mix: preschoolers make it cheaper (Shimeragi charges ¥3,800 for ages 2–5 and nothing for age 1 and under; SeaChan charges ¥2,500 for age 4 and under).
- Shimeragi and SeaChan take people who do not swim. Shimeragi has sand-play sets and rubber rings for little children.
- An upper age limit that is "not stated" does not mean "anyone can join". Give the grandparents' ages and health when you book and check.
- The meeting point differs by company. Shimeragi meets at the outer-island ferry terminal (departing from Hamasaki Marina); SeaChan meets at Hamasaki Marina.
- With Shimeragi, there is no cancellation fee when a tour is cancelled for weather. For cancelling on your own account, the product page and the FAQ on Shimeragi's official site do not agree, so check when you book.
- Average sea surface temperatures in spring are about 24°C in March, about 25°C in April and about 27°C in May (JMA, sea south of Ishigaki). Precautions for going in the sea are covered in Okinawa jellyfish season and typhoons: family safety.
On a day without the grandparents (parents and children only), a tour with snorkelling is also an option Ishigaki Tours official site
Another company's tour with the same content (Ishigaki Tours) does not take anyone aged 60 or over. If the grandparents are 60 or over, use it on a day when the 4 of you go alone. The grandparents can spend the time at Yugafu-kan or on the buffalo cart on Taketomi.
For a parents-and-children day: half-day landing + snorkelling tour
This tour includes snorkelling. Another company's tour with the same content does not take anyone aged 60 or over, so if the grandparents are 60 or over, use it on a day when only parents and children go. Check the age conditions before you book.
Check price, operating days and age conditions on the booking page. Whether you can land depends on the tide and weather.
Taketomi by buffalo cart or bicycle. For 6, the buffalo cart keeps everyone together
The answer: for 6 with grandparents and elementary-school children, the water buffalo cart, where everyone rides in the same cart, is the easiest to arrange, at ¥17,600 for 6 (regular season). Bicycles are for confident riders, as many of the lanes are sand.
1. The buffalo cart takes about 20–30 min Taketomi Tourist Center
First ride at 9:00, last departure at 15:30. Taketomi Tourist Center is about 15 minutes' walk from Taketomi Port, and there is a free shuttle bus from the port.
2. Cashless payment only Taketomi Tourist Center
Cash is not accepted. They do not take bookings by phone directly: book through a plan from a travel or tour company, or ride on the day at the counter (booked guests go first when busy).
3. No luggage in the cart Taketomi Tourist Center
Suitcases and pushchairs go in the storage area inside (limited space). There is an accessible cart you can ride in a wheelchair (booking through travel companies only).
| Party | Regular season | Peak season (March, Golden Week, July, August, New Year) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 (4 adults + 1 elementary-school child) | ¥15,400 | ¥18,500 |
| 6 (4 adults + 2 elementary-school children) | ¥17,600 | ¥21,400 |
| 7 (4 adults + 3 elementary-school children) | ¥19,800 | ¥24,300 |
- Prices are ¥3,300 for adults (junior-high age and up), ¥2,200 for children (elementary-school age and up) and ¥1,600 for infants (age 3 and up) in the regular season. In peak season they are ¥3,900, ¥2,900 and ¥1,900. Ages 0–2 ride free, one per adult.
- As long as the scheduled boats are running it generally runs in the rain, and it closes on days the boats are cancelled.
- Bicycles: Nitta Kanko has children's bikes (20-inch, no stabilisers) and bikes with a child seat (preschoolers), and Taketomi Tourist Center rents by the day only. Nitta Kanko recommends bikes only for people well used to riding, as most of the island's lanes are sand.
- Somewhere to rest: Yugafu-kan, the visitor centre about 2 minutes' walk from Taketomi Port, is free to enter and has a rest area and a theatre showing a film of about 7 minutes.
Return boats and a Taketomi activity in one
A plan that bundles the return boats and a Taketomi activity (such as the buffalo cart). Check the boat company and sailings on the booking page (tickets are issued per company and are not shared).
Check price, contents and usable sailings on the booking page. The buffalo cart takes cashless payment only.
A day for 6: about ¥56,000 in the regular season, about ¥60,000 in March and Golden Week
The answer: doing Taketomi and the Phantom Island in one day costs about ¥56,000 for 6 (regular season), or about ¥60,000 in March and Golden Week.
| Item | Regular season | March / Golden Week |
|---|---|---|
| Boat Ishigaki ⇔ Taketomi (return) | ¥9,500 | ¥9,500 |
| Phantom Island (landing only) | ¥27,800 | ¥27,800 |
| Buffalo cart | ¥17,600 | ¥21,400 |
| Island entry fee (voluntary, 4 adults) | ¥1,200 | ¥1,200 |
| Total | ¥56,100 | ¥59,900 |
- If you use the via-Taketomi option in the spring-tide plan, the boat is one way only, Ishigaki → Taketomi (¥970 adult, ¥510 child; ¥4,900 for 6), and the option fee (¥6,000 for 6) is added. The total is about ¥1,400 more than with a return ticket, but you no longer have to go back from Taketomi to Ishigaki Port and board again (check the tour's return port when you book).
- The island entry fee is a voluntary contribution of ¥300 per person; junior-high age and under are not included. You pay it at ticket machines at Ishigaki Port and Taketomi Port and so on (as stated in Taketomi Town's 2019 plan; the current amount could not be confirmed).
- Taketomi Town passed a bylaw in 2025 to charge visitors a "visitor tax" of ¥1,000 per person, but in June 2026 the national government did not consent (Ryukyu Shimpo). As of October 2026 it has not started. Check Taketomi Town's information before you travel.
Why come all this way after Tokyo and Kyoto
The answer: the village on Taketomi and the sea around Ishigaki are a kind of scenery you will not see on a trip around Honshu.
- Taketomi's village is a nationally designated Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (designated 1987). Stone walls, red-tiled houses and lanes laid with white coral sand survive as part of island life.
- Sekisei Lagoon, the sea between Ishigaki and Iriomote, is the largest coral reef area in Japan (Ministry of the Environment). The Phantom Island appears within it only when the tide goes out.
- Average temperatures on Ishigaki in spring are 20.9°C in March, 23.4°C in April and 25.9°C in May (JMA normals).
- Where to stay on Ishigaki is covered in Where a family of 6 can share one room on Ishigaki.
Honest caveats (5 things we could not confirm or that are not yet announced)
These are things we have not been able to verify, so we do not assert them.
The tide level for landing
The official sites of the 3 companies we looked at give neither a tide level at which landing is possible nor what happens on days when you cannot land. This article picks "the time the island comes up largest" by the tide, and does not state that you will be able to land.
2027 times and closing days
Times and prices for the tours, the buffalo cart and the boats are figures as of October 2026. 2027 times and closing days have not been announced yet.
The return port when boarding at Taketomi
Shimeragi does not state officially which port you return to if you board at Taketomi Port with the via-Taketomi option. Check when you book.
Age conditions on the Klook tour
The operator of the Phantom Island + snorkelling tour on Klook is ISHIGAKI ADVENTURE PiPi (as shown on the Klook product page, October 2026). We could not confirm its age conditions. Another company's tour with the same content does not take anyone aged 60 or over, so check before you book.
The current island entry fee and the visitor tax
The island entry fee (voluntary, ¥300 per person) is the figure in the town's 2019 plan; the current amount could not be confirmed. The national government did not consent to the visitor tax in June 2026, and we found no plan to resubmit it since.
Taketomi and the Phantom Island (big families) FAQ
Can you land on the Phantom Island at high tide?
The tour companies' official sites give neither a tide level at which landing is possible nor what happens on days when you cannot land. What they say changes with the tide is the size of the island and how deep you wade. The island comes up largest around low water, which around the spring tides of spring 2027 is from midday into the afternoon (midday in the first half of each candidate period, afternoon in the second). If a day worries you, check when you book.
Can grandparents (in their 60s or 70s) go to the Phantom Island?
Landing-only tours (Shimeragi, SeaChan) publish no upper age limit. Some tours with snorkelling do not take anyone aged 60 or over (Ishigaki Tours). Whichever tour you choose, give the grandparents' ages and health when you book.
Can we use a pushchair or suitcase on Taketomi?
They cannot go in the buffalo cart and are left in the storage area inside (limited space). Many of the island's lanes are sand, so we recommend leaving luggage at your Ishigaki hotel and crossing with just your day bags.
What happens on a rainy day?
As long as the scheduled boats are running, the buffalo cart generally runs in the rain. Phantom Island tours may be changed or cancelled for weather; with Shimeragi there is no cancellation fee when a tour is cancelled for weather. On Taketomi you can shelter at Yugafu-kan (free entry) and watch a film about the island.
What if a child gets a fever on the trip?
Islands around Ishigaki such as Taketomi have no fire-service ambulance crews. When to call an ambulance and where to get advice are covered in If your child gets a fever while travelling in Japan.
📍 One of the articles in our Ishigaki trip plan (Ishigaki | Trip plan for large families / all tickets and experiences articles)