Ishigaki: Destination on the Rise

JAPAN'S Ishigaki is today revealed as the top trending #destination in the world for 2018 in the sixth annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations on the Rise announced by TripAdvisor, the site that helps you find the latest reviews and lowest prices. #Ishigaki, an island in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture is home to a varied landscape including sandy beaches, rare coral, mountains and mangrove forests.

Ishigaki in Japanese, means “stone wall”. Contrary to its name, Ishigaki is an island in Okinawa and is therefore surrounded by water. Home to sandy beaches and coral reefs, the destination is a popular diving spot. Also great for food lovers, Ishigaki is known for its soba noodles - called Yaeyama soba - made of flour instead of the more traditional buckwheat.

Average annual Ishigaki hotel price, £114 per night and the most highly-rated value hotel ART Hotel Ishigaki – Low TripAdvisor pricing from £87 per night in June.

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Okinawa Day at London Spitalfields

OKINAWA Day returns to London Spitalfields market again this year 24 June 2017, 10:00 - 18:00 for an enjoyable day filled to the brim with fun, food, and folk dancing aimed at introducing the unique culture of #Okinawa to an ever-larger UK audience.

Okinawa is a chain of hundreds of around 160 small, subtropical islands stretching over 1,000 kilometres off the coast of southern #Japan. Tropical islands may not be the first thing which spring to mind when you think of Japan, but the islands of Okinawa thoroughly deserve to be on any Japan visitor’s radar, for their gorgeous and wild natural scenery and immaculate, honeymoon-worthy beaches as much as for their unique culture.

Today, Okinawa is Japan’s southernmost prefecture, but in ancient times it was its own island kingdom called the Ryukyu Kingdom, meaning that it possesses a unique culture very different from that of mainland Japan.

Launched in 2009 by Okinawa Sanshinkai group, who wanted to introduce Londoners and visitors to the city to the rich and vibrant Okinawan culture and its distinct differences from that of mainland Japan, this year’s event will be the ninth annual Okinawa Day.

The prospective program for this year’s event includes:

Ryukyu Music, Eisa Dance, Karate performances - Performances of Ryukyu performing arts and martial arts by individuals and  groups from the UK and Okinawa, Entertainment for kids, Okinawan food stalls - selling a variety of Okinawan food and drinks, including awamori (Okinawan liquor), brown sugar milk, fruit juice, Okinawan sweets and more and Okinawan arts and crafts stalls - selling a variety of unique and original arts and crafts objects from Okinawa as well as Okinawa Day original t-shirts.

Don’t miss the displays of Okinawan performing arts in the main square - the lively yet lilting melodies of traditional drumming, Eisa dancing, and Okinawan folk and classical songs accompanied by sanshin lute will instantly transport you to this island paradise in the sunny south of Japan.

Admission to this day of authentic Okinawan-style entertainment is completely free, so make sure you stop by Spitalfields to catch some of the musical performances and sample some of the delicious Okinawan treats on offer.

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Japan: Island getaways

BEACH holidays may not spring to mind when you think of #Japan, but it is after all an archipelago made up of nearly 7,000 islands. Island getaways feature heavily in the new tours, from Shikoku, Japan’s fourth largest island, to the tropical Ogasawara Islands, known as the Galapagos of Japan, and Okinawa, Japan’s southern #beach resort #paradise.

The perfect add-on to any tour of Japan an island retreat to Japan’s southern resort paradise of Okinawa. Domestic flights from Tokyo or Osaka, accommodation, and daily breakfasts are all included, leaving you free to focus on what matters - relaxing, relaxing, and more relaxing.

Called the Ryukyu Kingdom, Okinawa was a separate kingdom until the 17th century, so it also has plenty to offer in the way of cultural, historical and gastronomic delights, making it a hugely interesting destination for everyone - not just beach-goers. Take time out from topping up your tan to visit unusual and eye-opening historical and cultural sights such as Chinese-influenced Shuri Castle, tropical landscape garden Shikinaen, and Tamaudun Mausoleum, built for the Ryukyuan royal family in the 16th century.

www.japantravel-centre.com

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Picture Credit: 71453924@N00/14901363991 panorama: Dragon Lady, Zamami via photopin

Top holiday destinations for 2017 . . .

SKYSCANNER has released its lists of the top seven #holiday #destinations for 2017 with #Malta topping the list at number 1 with Cornwall at number 4.

Skyscanner’s Top Seven Hotspots for 2017 

1. Malta 

2. Asturias, Spain 

3. Barbados 

4. Cornwall, UK 

5. Romania 

6. Okinawa, Japan 

7. Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

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