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Ishigaki, Ehime
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Iriomote is the world's smallest island known to support a wildcat.
The entire wild population of Iriomote cats consists of roughly one hundred animals living naturally on a single island.
Sekisei Lagoon is Japan's largest coral-reef area, with coral diversity comparable to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
More than 80 percent of Japan's known reef-building coral species occur in the Yaeyama waters around the park.
An Ishigaki soul food called kara soba mixes Yaeyama soba noodles with canned fish.
Scientists recorded the Iriomote cat in the 1960s, while island residents already knew the animal and had local names for it.
Sekisei Lagoon contains Japan's only well-developed barrier reef system.
Some coral reefs in Sekisei Lagoon began growing roughly 7,600 years ago.
Every mangrove species naturally distributed in Japan can be found on Iriomote Island.
Shiraho supports the Northern Hemisphere's largest-scale blue coral community.
Barasu Island is formed almost entirely from pieces of coral.
Manta rays regularly travel through an area off Ishigaki known as Manta Scramble.
Iriomote's Urauchi River is the longest river in Okinawa Prefecture.
Pinaisara Falls drops about 55 meters, the greatest waterfall drop in Okinawa Prefecture.
Iriomote promotes an island speed of 40 kilometers per hour or less to reduce collisions with rare wildlife.
Visitors to the Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center can smell Iriomote cat urine as part of an educational exhibit.
Sagaribana flowers open after sunset and many fall from their trees by the following morning.
Yaeyama palms naturally occur only on Ishigaki and Iriomote islands.
Iriomote-Ishigaki became Japan's first recognized International Dark Sky Park.
Taketomi's Tanadui festival carries a tradition said to extend for about 600 years.
Iriomote's Setsu Festival has been passed down for roughly 500 years.
Yaeyama traditions can differ from island to island and even between villages on the same island.
Taketomi is an uplifted coral island whose preserved village features coral-stone walls and pale sandy streets.
An abandoned coal mine operated inside what is now Iriomote's subtropical forest during the twentieth century.
Iriomote became part of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage property in 2021.
Ishigaki beef is Japanese Black Wagyu raised in the Yaeyama Islands, prized for its tender, juicy flavor.
Yaeyama soba uses wheat noodles, often topped with shredded pork and kamaboko fish cake.
Ishigaki's traditional awamori is produced by several island distilleries.
Minsa weaving's four-and-five geometric motifs traditionally express a wish for lasting love.
Yaeyama's island traditions include distinctive songs, dances and sanshin music.
Fresh tuna and bonito are part of Ishigaki's local seafood culture.
Ishigaki's island cuisine also features tropical fruit such as pineapple and mango in season.
A water-buffalo cart crosses shallow water from Iriomote to Yubu Island, sometimes accompanied by sanshin songs.
