Local Guide
5 recommended souvenirs from Taketomi Island to decorate your memories of your trip

Taketomi Island is an island blessed with beautiful townscapes lined with red tile roofs, a strong culture of traditional performing arts, and nature that heals the soul. Here are five souvenirs you'll want to bring home when you visit Taketomi Island. The creators are fully inspired by the rich island life, producing heartwarming handmade products that are unique to Taketomi Island.

Eco-bags dyed with plants native to Taketomi Island

If you carry an eco-bag (1,600 yen) in the calming "Ayoi TAKETOMI color," you will naturally walk at a slower pace.
If you carry an eco-bag (1,600 yen) in the calming "Ayoi TAKETOMI color," you will naturally walk at a slower pace.

The "TAKETOMI color" eco-bags, a product of "Ayoi," a female unit based on Taketomi Island, are dyed one by one carefully and slowly from plants that grow naturally on Taketomi Island, such as Fukugi, Momotama-na, and Shell Ginger. The colors vary depending on the season and the condition of the plants, but since the colors are a gift from the plants, the products are made in their current colors as they are. The colors created by the plants that have grown strong in the scorching sunlight and pleasant southern breezes embodi the natural charm of Taketomi Island.

There is a workshop on the island, but you can only buy them at the "Tedun Kariyushikan" in Taketomi Port. It's convenient for picking out souvenirs on your way to and from the island.

This eco-bag is useful for everyday use and when traveling. It has a gusset so you can put your belongings securely inside, and it folds up compactly so it's easy to carry around. Choose your favorite one and enjoy discovering your own TAKETOMI color.

Comments Local Guide
I'm drawn to soft peach and vibrant yellow colors, but I also love the fun of finding my favorite gray among the various gray gradations.
Tedun Kariyushikan (NPO Takidun)
  • 住所Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama District Taketomi Town Taketomi East Port MAP
  • アクセスTaketomi East Port
  • 営業時間7:30 - Last ferry departure time (varies depending on the season)
  • 定休日During typhoons and during the Seed-Gathering Festival
  • TEL0980-84-5633
  • 駐車場Yes

"Piyashi" is an island pepper made from plants that grow naturally on stone walls.

Just a sprinkle of the fragrant and spicy "Piyashi" (600 yen) on your dish will instantly give you a tropical feel.
Just a sprinkle of the fragrant and spicy "Piyashi" (600 yen) on your dish will instantly give you a tropical feel.

Original island pepper is manufactured and sold by a cafe and shop that sells local products from the island. One popular product that has been loved by many customers for many years is "Pi-yashi." It is made from the fruit of the pepper plant called Hibatsumodoki, which grows wild on stone walls. The fruit turns red in spring and autumn and is hand-picked, dried in the sun, and ground into powder.

These handmade spices, which are made with great care, go perfectly with Yaeyama soba. They can also be used in stir-fries, grilled dishes such as meat dishes, sweets such as cookies, dressings, etc. in the same way as pepper. A sprinkle of pea-yashi will fill the air with a spicy aroma, and you're sure to enjoy the tropical atmosphere.

Comments Local Guide
Yaeyama soba is best with "Piyashi." It's not that spicy, but the spicy aroma is addictive.
Chaya Takanya
  • 住所518 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • アクセスAbout 10 minutes walk from Taketomi East Port
  • 営業時間10:00～17:00
  • 定休日Irregular holidays
  • TEL0980-85-2980
  • 駐車場Yes
  • メモPayment is by cash only

T-shirts and bags stencil-dyed with motifs of Okinawan plants and animals

All T-shirts (from 2,500 yen) and bags (from 1,600 yen) are one-of-a-kind items dyed using original design stencils.
All T-shirts (from 2,500 yen) and bags (from 1,600 yen) are one-of-a-kind items dyed using original design stencils.

Stencil-dyed T-shirts, bags, and other items are made by a small workshop and shop that produces and sells original products. At Handmade Workshop KUMA, all processes from design to stencil making and dyeing are carried out in-house. Design motifs include animals and plants that are part of the daily life of Taketomi Island, such as sea turtles, hermit crabs, bougainvillea flowers, and banyan trees. Each product is dyed by hand, so they are all one-of-a-kind originals.

By combining the encounters with the animals and plants of Taketomi Island with stencil-dyed designs, you're sure to find a special product just for you. Handmade aroma gels and shell accessory holders are also sold in the store.

Comments Local Guide
The pictures and colours are like illustrations in a picture book, and I'd love to use them to tell my own story.
Handmade Workshop KUMA
  • 住所353 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • アクセスAbout 20 minutes walk from Taketomi East Port
  • 営業時間10:00～17:00
  • 定休日Sundays (and other irregular holidays)
  • TEL0980-85-2377
  • 駐車場None

Accessories that evoke the sea and sky of Taketomi Island

Glass accessories with star-shaped sand (from 1,650 yen), luminous shell accessories (from 3,850 yen)
Glass accessories with star-shaped sand (from 1,650 yen), luminous shell accessories (from 3,850 yen)

Original accessories made from materials harvested from the seas of Yaeyama. You can wear the nature of the islands. Each piece of jewelry made from luminous shells with a soft luster is carefully cut out by hand, shaped, polished, and crafted before being put on display in the store. Even the same design can look different depending on the part of the shell and how it is polished. Wearing your own original accessories will make your travels even more special.

The star sand accessories are trapped inside translucent glass, and are designed to look as if the stars of the night sky have wandered into the sea off Taketomi Island.

In addition to selling original T-shirts, the shop also offers accessory-making Experience (reservations required). The owner's beautiful collection of shells is also on display in the shop.

Comments Local Guide
The floor of the shop is covered with coral, and large giant clams and wooden carved fish are also on display. It is a wonderful space where you can feel the owner's attention to detail in everything, not just the accessories.
ISLAND
  • 住所164-5 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • アクセスAbout 10 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi East Port
  • 営業時間10:00～17:00
  • 定休日Irregular holidays
  • TEL0980-85-2403
  • 駐車場None

Yachimun pottery from Taketomi Island enriches our lives

You can find a wide variety of unique Yachimun pottery, from mugs (starting at 3,800 yen) to bowls, soba cups, small plates, and large plates.
You can find a wide variety of unique Yachimun pottery, from mugs (starting at 3,800 yen) to bowls, soba cups, small plates, and large plates.

"Yachimun" is an Okinawan word for pottery. "Atelier Gokaya" is a pottery studio that aims to create pottery rooted in island life. Their "Chrysanthemum Design" blue and white pottery, which uses two colors, gosuyu and ameyu, based on Okinawan folk art, is a popular product that continues to be loved by many customers. The bold and generous designs evoke the strength of Okinawa's vibrant plants and liven up your dining table.

Atelier Gokaya's Yachimun pottery will liven up your daily life and enrich it. In addition to cups and plates, we also recommend sake cups and flower vases. Why not choose your favorite tableware and create a relaxing island time in your daily life?

Comments Local Guide
The deep, vivid blue color is reminiscent of the sky and sea of Taketomi Island, and the bold, generous brush strokes are truly Okinawan.

MAP

Nearby Hoshino Resorts Property
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