Getting there and away:
ANA and JAL both fly frequently to Ishigaki for approx 500US$, sometimes less. From Ishigaki airport, the city bus (200Y) or taxi (1000Y) take you to the port. From there, you hop on the ferry to Iriomote. Ferries leave every 1-2 hours, and go to Ohara and Uehara. There are a couple companies, so only buy round trip tickets if your company offers a return ferry that is convenient. In poor weather, the ferry goes only to Ohara, then you get on a bus to Uehara (approx 2000Y one way). When purchasing the ferry ticket, you will get a bus transfer ticket as well. Getting around: the bus runs from end to end about 7 times a day, and costs 130Y for 1-2 stops and approx 1000Y for the whole distance. A 3 day pass can be bought for 1500Y, which also includes 10% off Iriomote's primary attractions. A 1 day pass is 1000Y. As the bus is not terribly convenient, many people rent cars. In Uehara, rental agencies include Yamenote, the gas station, and some of the pensions. We paid 5500Y for 12 hours which included insurance. An international drivers license (not a SOFA license) is required on Iriomote.
Resources:
The minshuku Kanpira-so maintains an excellent website full of helpful information about Iriomote. http://www.kanpira.com/english/ We also used the Lonely Planet Japan, the LP Hiking in Japan, and Paul Hunt's book about hiking in Japan. On island, try to get a copy of the colourful Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park map and the public bus schedule. In Ishigaki, our taxi driver handed us a copy of the helpful Yaeyama English language version booklet published 
by Yokoso Japan.
by Yokoso Japan. What to do:
Iriomote's interior is unsettled by humans and blanketed in dense subtropical forest. There are multiple river systems with intact mangrove estuaries. Most visitors experience these through a boat/canoe/kayak trip up either the Urauchi or Nakama rivers. The Urauchi river trip is 1800Y and runs about every hour starting at 9:30am. The schedule is pictured on this post. The boat docks and visitors then walk 2km up an easy trail to the impressive Kanpire waterfall. This trip was well patronized on January 1, but there was still 
room on the boat. In high season it could be quite hectic. Kanpire waterfall is the start point for the cross-island hike. Behind the boat launch (starting from the employee parking area), there is a somewhat overgrown trail that leading about 2km to the Utara coal mine ruins, and interesting site to observe the way nature obliterates man-made structures over time.
room on the boat. In high season it could be quite hectic. Kanpire waterfall is the start point for the cross-island hike. Behind the boat launch (starting from the employee parking area), there is a somewhat overgrown trail that leading about 2km to the Utara coal mine ruins, and interesting site to observe the way nature obliterates man-made structures over time. The cross island hike: this is a demanding 22km hike across the island, starting at Kanpire and ending at Otomi (north of Ohara). It requires much advance preparation. A permit must be downloaded from the Kanpire-so website and filled out with the assistance of a Japanese-speaker. This must be dropped off at the koban in Funuara (behind the community center) and an agreement made to call the police upon return to inform them of your safety. The lady at the Uehara boat ticket office will request to see a copy of the form before selling you the tickets. There are no half price tickets - you pay the full 1800Y to go one way to Kanpire. As you board the boat, she and her colleagues will laugh and
wish you good luck with a tone of voice that indicates they expect you to return later that day. The hike is fantastic, scenic, and rewarding, but quite tiring. The trail is marked with red and pink tape on trees and occasional signs, but there are still several areas where the course is unclear due to landslides or other changes in the landscape. A GPS with trail markers programmed in comes in very handy. The first day includes non-stop uphill and downhill on the slope north of the Urauchi river, dodging fallen trees, navigating rivers and landslides, and generally making about 0.5km/hr worth of progress. We camped at kilometer 12 when it started to get dark. The second day was slightly less demanding, but still involved lots of crawling, pebble-hopping, and hill-climbing. The last 8km are on a gravel/asphalt forestry road and then the paved streets into Otomi. This is much easier walking, but feels long after doing the previous 14km. At Otomi, one can catch the bus to town for accomodations. The last bus of the day is at 1654. It is not 
advisable to plan on doing the hike in one day, especially in winter. There is just not enough daylight. And if you go self-guided, inevitably you will get lost once or have to trek further than you were expecting due to river rapids or landslides. Two days is much more comfortable, and of course during a hike like this one should be prepared with rain gear, a warm dry place to hang out in foul weather, water filtration capability, back-up food. There are plenty of streams and rivers to filter water so you don't have to carry too many kilos of water. Long sleeve shirt, pants, and sturdy gloves are also recommended, as the trails are narrow, steep, overgrown in places, full of obstacles, and often require holding on to vines/trees/plants to steady yourself. A walking stick is handing of the same reason. Along the way, we encountered two ticks on our pants and a leech on our bag. Thus, one should consider permethrin on clothing, DEET on exposed body parts, and a thorough self-exam for parasites at the conclusion of the hike. During winter, mosquitos were not a significant issue, but would be bad in warmer weather. Doing this hike in rain or the summer heat would be quite unpleasant.
wish you good luck with a tone of voice that indicates they expect you to return later that day. The hike is fantastic, scenic, and rewarding, but quite tiring. The trail is marked with red and pink tape on trees and occasional signs, but there are still several areas where the course is unclear due to landslides or other changes in the landscape. A GPS with trail markers programmed in comes in very handy. The first day includes non-stop uphill and downhill on the slope north of the Urauchi river, dodging fallen trees, navigating rivers and landslides, and generally making about 0.5km/hr worth of progress. We camped at kilometer 12 when it started to get dark. The second day was slightly less demanding, but still involved lots of crawling, pebble-hopping, and hill-climbing. The last 8km are on a gravel/asphalt forestry road and then the paved streets into Otomi. This is much easier walking, but feels long after doing the previous 14km. At Otomi, one can catch the bus to town for accomodations. The last bus of the day is at 1654. It is not 
advisable to plan on doing the hike in one day, especially in winter. There is just not enough daylight. And if you go self-guided, inevitably you will get lost once or have to trek further than you were expecting due to river rapids or landslides. Two days is much more comfortable, and of course during a hike like this one should be prepared with rain gear, a warm dry place to hang out in foul weather, water filtration capability, back-up food. There are plenty of streams and rivers to filter water so you don't have to carry too many kilos of water. Long sleeve shirt, pants, and sturdy gloves are also recommended, as the trails are narrow, steep, overgrown in places, full of obstacles, and often require holding on to vines/trees/plants to steady yourself. A walking stick is handing of the same reason. Along the way, we encountered two ticks on our pants and a leech on our bag. Thus, one should consider permethrin on clothing, DEET on exposed body parts, and a thorough self-exam for parasites at the conclusion of the hike. During winter, mosquitos were not a significant issue, but would be bad in warmer weather. Doing this hike in rain or the summer heat would be quite unpleasant. Other diversions: We rented a car on our final day and explored the island. The Sumiyoshi peninsula is worth exploring, both for the Star-Sand beach 
and for the abandoned golf-course/cottages that overlook some lovely cliffs. Kayaking trips can be arranged out of Shirahama in the pretty Funauki bay, or in the lagoon next to Funuara followed by a hike to Pinaisara falls (which most guidebooks say requires a guide). A quick stop in at the Omiya Road park is also nice - there are walkways through the mangroves and steps to a river. Lots of tourists, especially the tour-bus set, do the water-buffalo cart ride to Yubu island, but we don't see the appeal. They herd you into an oversized cart crrying 8-10 people, which then goes the short distance across the sand bar at low tide. The cost is approx 1200Y. If you don't like the idea of the water-buffalo cart, they even charge you to walk across the sand bar.
and for the abandoned golf-course/cottages that overlook some lovely cliffs. Kayaking trips can be arranged out of Shirahama in the pretty Funauki bay, or in the lagoon next to Funuara followed by a hike to Pinaisara falls (which most guidebooks say requires a guide). A quick stop in at the Omiya Road park is also nice - there are walkways through the mangroves and steps to a river. Lots of tourists, especially the tour-bus set, do the water-buffalo cart ride to Yubu island, but we don't see the appeal. They herd you into an oversized cart crrying 8-10 people, which then goes the short distance across the sand bar at low tide. The cost is approx 1200Y. If you don't like the idea of the water-buffalo cart, they even charge you to walk across the sand bar. The Iriomote Onsen is worth a trip after a long day of hiking or kayaking. It is set inland from the main road, between Funuara and Yubu island. The entrance to the complex is marked by dark signs with white kanji (so write them down in advance to help find it); the hours are 1200-2200. It is not far from a pastel multicottaged "Eco" lodge. The bus drives right to the main entrance. Admission is 1500Y, which is steep for an onsen. Towels are 100Y extra, so bring your own towel (a larger one is preferrable to a little face cloth). There are 2 baths, a sauna, and the showers in the single sex area, which is clothes off. Outdoors, there are 5 different rotemburo which are mixed gender and require swimsuits. One is ambient temperature, so was unused in winter. Another is rock lined and covered with a wooden shelter so a nice place to hide from the rain. The other three are simpler baths of slightly different temperatures. There is a creek running along the property which has been planted with attractive tree ferns and is visible from the women's bathing area and two of the three outdoor baths. There is no ocean view. Vending machines offer Orion and non-alcoholic beverages.
Where to stay:
We stayed at Kanpire-so as their website was so outstanding. We made advance reservations but didn't need them - it wasn't excessively crowded on the island over New Years. On the 31st, there were 10 guests, but they trickled out and by our last night on the 4th there were only 4 guests. We got a tatami room with bathroom, shower, bathtub, with breakfast and dinner inclusive for 6000Y pp per night. The room was clean and good-sized, although the futons were on the slender size. We augmented them with our camping sleep mats. Hot water is available only from 1600-2200, so plan accordingly. The proprietors were extremely helpful, despite our poor understanding of Japanese. The dinners were superlative - delicious oden and yaeyama soba, sushi, sauteed fish and chicken, 
miso with seafood, and dessert. The breakfasts were filling and included toast with multiple tropical fruit jams, miso and rice, fish, eggs, salad, and other tasty bits. Each of these varied day to day. There is a communal fridge downstairs to store your Orion beer.
miso with seafood, and dessert. The breakfasts were filling and included toast with multiple tropical fruit jams, miso and rice, fish, eggs, salad, and other tasty bits. Each of these varied day to day. There is a communal fridge downstairs to store your Orion beer.What to eat:
Most people eat at their minshukus/hotels/resorts for breakfast and dinner. We had lunch at Kitchen Inaba, just north of the Urauchi river mouth. They offer lots of lunch sets for approx 1000Y each. The waitstaff can translate the menu for you. The 
soup and coffee were mediocre. The mains were tasty and beautifully presented - we had a tempura set and a nice river crab soup. We dined at Kake-ta on the main drag in Uehara, just east of the port, which boasts a decorative motif of cats and paw prints and offers Italian garlicky food. They have an English menu and English-sepaking waitstaff. We had a delicious seafood-mayo-cheese pizza (2000Y) which was topped in whole oysters, shrimp, scallops, and other yumminess. We also got the house sauteed vegetables (1200Y), a lovely mix of bok choy and another 
unidentified by delicious green veg. Beers were 600Y each but at least they were large. The restaurant has a couple tables inside and a larger outdoor covered patio-bar. For self-catering, there is a good convenience store in Uehara, across the street from Kanpire-so. They have reasonable alcohol (large beers 280Y+), snacks (frozen pineapple on a stick 100Y), and gifts.
soup and coffee were mediocre. The mains were tasty and beautifully presented - we had a tempura set and a nice river crab soup. We dined at Kake-ta on the main drag in Uehara, just east of the port, which boasts a decorative motif of cats and paw prints and offers Italian garlicky food. They have an English menu and English-sepaking waitstaff. We had a delicious seafood-mayo-cheese pizza (2000Y) which was topped in whole oysters, shrimp, scallops, and other yumminess. We also got the house sauteed vegetables (1200Y), a lovely mix of bok choy and another 
unidentified by delicious green veg. Beers were 600Y each but at least they were large. The restaurant has a couple tables inside and a larger outdoor covered patio-bar. For self-catering, there is a good convenience store in Uehara, across the street from Kanpire-so. They have reasonable alcohol (large beers 280Y+), snacks (frozen pineapple on a stick 100Y), and gifts. Side-trip: a cruise around Ishigaki
On our return journey we rented a car for 3hrs (5000Y) and drove around the bottom part of Ishigaki. We got the car from the 
Nissan rental agency (they do take SOFA status licenses) across the street from the port; their actual offices are in the middle of town and they do free shuttles to there and the airport. Service was impeccable, but should be for that price. In three hours one can go up the west coast, check out some scenic overlooks, swing by Kabira park and nearby beaches, head east on the 79 until turning right into the Omoto tunnel and the 87, then stop by the overlook at Banna park. Those with more time could go to the botanical gardens at Takada. Another way to spend a few hours on Ishigaki would be to take the ferry to Taketomi (departures every 30min, cost approx 550 one way) and walk around there for awhile. There is not much to see in Ishigaki City, it takes about an hour to stroll around town and see a couple shrines. On Ishigaki, we ate at Freshness burger, which was quite bad. MOS is great by 
comparison. 
Nissan rental agency (they do take SOFA status licenses) across the street from the port; their actual offices are in the middle of town and they do free shuttles to there and the airport. Service was impeccable, but should be for that price. In three hours one can go up the west coast, check out some scenic overlooks, swing by Kabira park and nearby beaches, head east on the 79 until turning right into the Omoto tunnel and the 87, then stop by the overlook at Banna park. Those with more time could go to the botanical gardens at Takada. Another way to spend a few hours on Ishigaki would be to take the ferry to Taketomi (departures every 30min, cost approx 550 one way) and walk around there for awhile. There is not much to see in Ishigaki City, it takes about an hour to stroll around town and see a couple shrines. On Ishigaki, we ate at Freshness burger, which was quite bad. MOS is great by 
comparison. 
