Taketomi Island Vlog｜Our Fat Bike Tour of Okinawa Countryside Japan!

Taketomi Island Vlog｜Our Fat Bike Tour of Okinawa Countryside Japan!

Hi, I’m Kate from KETOTABI Slow Travel. Today, we’re heading even further south than Okinawa’s main island. Let’s explore Taketomi Island together! Alright, time to board! So excited! We’re riding on the “Yaima” ferry today. It’s so big! (Taketomi Island, right?) (Thank you!) The ocean is already unbelievably beautiful. It’s so clear. It looks like paint dissolved in water. Yeah, it really does. It’s just a quick 15-minute ferry ride from Ishigaki to Taketomi Island. Gliding across the cobalt blue sea… …we land on Taketomi Island in the middle of summer. We’ve arrived! No wonder it’s so popular. There’s only one ferry every 30 minutes. So everyone gets off at once. What a nice day! It’s sunny. Beautiful weather. Next, we’re renting some bikes. We’ve booked fat bikes for today. Can’t wait to ride them! Yeah! We actually reserved our fat bikes in advance. If you tell them what time you arrive from Ishigaki, they’ll pick you up at the port by car. These bikes handle the sandy roads with ease. First things first—let’s go see the ocean of Taketomi Island! This is amazing! Woohoo! Wow… Did you hear that scream? Wow… Incredible. So beautiful! Gorgeous. It’s stunning. Wow… It’s just so beautiful here. Absolutely stunning. Beautiful. So pretty. It’s hot, but… the breeze feels so nice. Yeah, it’s pretty breezy today. It actually feels comfortable. Yeah, totally. This is incredible. Absolutely amazing… See over there— across from Kondoi Beach, that white sandbank you can see? You can only cross over there during certain times of the day. It’s called “Phantom Island.” Really? Is that so? Yeah! I think we can go right now. Want to check it out? Let’s go! Let’s hurry before the tide changes. Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s pedal fast and get there. Woohoo! Oh wow! Look at that! That’s amazing. Unbelievable. Wow… This is unreal… It’s so beautiful! Should we park over there? There’s a spot open in the back. Amazing! It’s just gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful! Incredible! Wow… Oh wow… So beautiful. Gorgeous. That’s it! That’s what we saw earlier. The one we saw from before. I want to go over there. Should we try? Looks doable, right? Yeah, let’s keep going. Let’s go check it out. But first, let’s take a little break. I prepared this back at the port. Huh? What’s that? They were selling frozen mango at Ishigaki Port. That’s the best! I was planning to eat it when I hit my heat limit… …but I’ve already reached that limit, so I’m eating now. Let’s eat! Nice! It’s still kind of half-frozen. Mmm! So good! Eating mango with this view is just the ultimate luxury. Seriously. Look, it’s made in Ishigaki. Um, sorry to ask… …but can I have one? I guess I’ll share! Yes! So good! Delicious. Shouting to the ocean— So good! Yum! This is something you should definitely bring! Yeah, you really should bring this. And also… I have pineapple too! Oh, really? You can also buy this at Ishigaki Port. You’re so well prepared! Mmm! Delicious! How sweet is it? It’s super sweet! It’s a really sweet pineapple. This one is just about fully thawed now. It’s so good. You definitely need to buy this. Um, sorry to ask but… Can I have one, too? It’s just so hot over here… I only brought a towel with me. So you came with zero gear! Yeah, just a towel and swimsuit. I guess I’ll share! Yes! So good! Is there really a demand for this? For Ikeda-san constantly saying “So good!” Maybe not? Hope our audience retention doesn’t drop here. Beautiful. Amazing. Is this where we cross to Phantom Island? I think so? Let’s go that way! Let’s go! Wow. Whoa! The water is just so— It’s crystal clear. Seriously, I mean, it’s not just blue or light blue— It’s colorless! Completely clear! Didn’t think this was possible. It’s as clear as spring water from a mountain. For real! Okay, let’s cross over. Let’s do it. Feels amazing! This is quite the adventure. Whoa! But the water’s shallow for a long way. So it doesn’t seem to get deep. Yeah. We’re walking carefully, watching out for sea cucumbers. Yeah, seriously… There are tons of sea cucumbers at our feet! We’ve come pretty far. Yeah, really far. We’re almost there. We’re about to land! Landed! Amazing. Looks like we got here a bit early, though. All right. This way. Wow, incredible. We made it! Amazing. Wow. This is incredible. So cool. You can’t even tell where the sand ends and the ocean begins. Yeah, it all blends together. Look, look. You can’t tell where the sand is— Or where the ocean starts— it goes on like that forever. Wow. Wow… Beautiful. It almost feels like we’ve reached the end of the world. Yeah. So cool. So beautiful. Absolutely stunning. You know about minsa weaving from the Yaeyama Islands? It’s a kind of textile—have you heard of it? Yeah, I’ve heard of it. They often make coasters from it. It’s pretty common. They say the patterns are inspired by this scenery. Really? The blue sky, the deep blue of the far-off sea, the dark shades, the shallow blues, the white sand, and the pale blue up close— that’s what the textile represents. That’s what they say. I see. I always wondered what it meant, but… When I first saw this scenery in Ishigaki, I thought, “So this is it,” and I remember being really moved. And honestly, right now, I’m really moved again. Let’s eat! I’m starving. Taco rice! Looks delicious. And a small bowl of Yaeyama soba. Nice! Looks so good. It really does look good. Let’s dig in. Delicious. Taco rice is so good. Taco rice is just so tasty. Yum. The cheese and the taco meat go so well together. Why does taco rice taste even better in the heat? It’s mysterious, isn’t it? So good. Taco rice is the right choice! Now for the Yaeyama soba. Yaeyama soba is amazing, isn’t it? Can I add this? Yeah, go for it. Koregusu—Okinawan chili-infused awamori. It’s spicy and tangy. That’s perfect for a hot day. Let’s eat. So good! Delicious! Definitely the right choice. It’s perfect. Perfect combo! That’s what I ordered! The perfect set, right? Yeah, I ordered it! Kate, why did you— We’re in Taketomi Island, you know. Well, it’s fine! I don’t mind, but… Why did you get hamburger steak and fried shrimp? Because— It’s like a grown-up kids’ meal. It’s fun! Let’s eat. Looks so good! How is it? The hamburger steak on Taketomi? It’s amazing. Well… It’s hamburger steak. A really tasty hamburger steak. The best kind. The best flavor! So delicious. You can really taste the meat. It’s really, really good! That’s hamburger steak for you! We bought some popsicles. Looks delicious. This one’s shikuwasa. And this is salty milk. Wow, they both look good. Which one do you want? I’ll take the shikuwasa. Yay! So good. Delicious, right? Yeah! This is the Nagomi Tower. Here? Oh, wow. It says it’s a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Oh, it really does. It’s a small observation tower, about 4.5 meters tall, standing in the center of Taketomi village. But now, due to aging, you’re not allowed to climb it. Shall we go to the observatory instead? Yeah. Like a roadside station… Is this like a hill station? Akayama Hill Station. (You can pay the admission with PayPay.) Wow! Oh! This is amazing. Wow… You can see all those red-tiled houses. This is great. There are five promises here on Taketomi Island. “Don’t sell,” “Don’t dirty,” “Don’t disturb,” “Don’t break,” and “Keep it alive.” Under the Taketomi Island Charter, the scenery of red tiled roofs and white sand streets is protected and passed down. What a view. The stone walls, the red roof tiles, and those flowers… It’s exactly the Okinawa we imagine. It really is. It’s THE Okinawa. I saw a guide that said “the whole town is a tourist attraction,” but there are still people living here among it all. That’s amazing. I hope they can keep these views forever. Yeah, me too. Here it is! Ta-da! It’s huge! It’s really big. Seriously huge. This shaved ice looks delicious! Go ahead, try it! Passion fruit sauce! Looks so good! It’s so hot today. Delicious. There’s real fruit on top! Kind of like a purée. It’s so good! I wasn’t sure about coming somewhere so hot in the middle of summer, but… Summer definitely has its own charm. Yeah, for sure. There are sights you can only see in the summer. Honestly… this might be the best shaved ice I’ve had all year. Seriously. “The sun is the best spice for shaved ice.” I’ve heard that before! Right? I think I’ve heard it too. I feel like I just said that recently. That was from a recent episode, wasn’t it? Check out our Yokohama episode, too! That’s how we’re ending this? Traditions live on, both by the sea and in the town. The original Okinawan scenery, protected by islanders for generations. That spirit continues to reach our hearts today.

😊 Japasese vlog with Subtitles
🌿 Slow Travel Okinawa Japan – Explore Taketomi Island by fat bike! Visit the Phantom Sandbar, relax at Kondoi Beach, and enjoy local food at Kanifu restaurant and Parlor Ganjyuya—a perfect day trip from Ishigaki.

☞More Japan vlogs here!

🌏Google Map Links
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0:00 OP
0:26 🚢 Euglena Ishigaki Remote Island Terminal
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cS3dYBFR14rZaJJYA?g_st=ipc
1:23 🏝️ To Taketomi Island
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2ekhpheNTCu7nUBRA?g_st=ipc
1:55 🚲 Island Tour by Fat Bike
https://maps.app.goo.gl/y3VAnyizSdSHkP8s9?g_st=ipc
3:28 🏖️ West Pier
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JLkfEUhgvZQM68h68?g_st=ipc
5:22 🏖️ Kondoi Beach
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8mStqunhYfrHahhi7?g_st=ipc
6:19 🍑 Ishigaki Island Mango & Peach
8:47 🏝️ To Phantom Beach
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XvyAgciWmqqYBt9P6?g_st=ipc
12:45 🍽️ Kanifu (Restaurant)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VM8kbdXHJv6PzBmU7?g_st=ipc
16:15 🗼 Nagomi Tower – Hill Station Observatory
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1UdfoiYCxQ2U2sP58?g_st=ipc
18:36 🍧 Parlor Ganjuya
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LBXAnNDiin3jykq67?g_st=ipc
20:06 ED
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