Ishigaki is a Japanese island west of Okinawa Hont? and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group. It is within the City of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture. The city functions as the business and transport center of the archipelago. Ishigaki Airport is the largest airport in the Yaeyamas and Japan's largest third-class airport.
Much of the island and surrounding waters including Mount Omoto and Kabira Bay are protected as part of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park.
Ishigaki Island, like the rest of Okinawa, is culturally influenced by both Japan and Taiwan ? as well as China ? due to its location off the north eastern coast of Taiwan.
A tsunami of record height hit Ishigaki Island in 1771
