Three seasons in one day – A trip to Ishigaki island (Apr 6, 2022)

I had a chance to travel to Ishigaki island in Okinawa via Tokyo from March 29 to April 2. When I left Uonuma, Niigata, snow still remained on the rice fields. Uonuma had a heavier snowfall this winter, so it thawed a little more slowly than usual year. As our train approached Tokyo, we began to see cherry trees in full bloom. After a three and a half hour flight from Tokyo, we could see the clear blue ocean of the southern island of Ishigaki. At Ishigaki island, which is 1,560 km away from Tokyo, ocean beaches had just opened to swimmers for the season!

Japan’s total land area is only about 378,000 square km. The Japanese archipelago stretches 3,500 km from northeast to southwest, so climates vary considerably from north to south. A trip to Ishigaki island made me truly understand!