- Update : 2023/12/5
- Sights
- Glass bottom boat, Kabira Bay
*This article confirmed the information in April 2023.
Standard sightseeing plan
1. Enjoy the view from the Kabira Park Observatory.
2. Enjoy the beautiful underwater on a glass bottom boat
Required time : about 1 hour
Contents
♦ Welcome to Kabira Bay
♦ How to get to Kabira Bay
– Go to Kabira Bay by route bus
– Go to Kabira Bay by taxi
– Go to Kabira Bay by rental car
♦ Facility Information of Kabira Bay
♦ Temporary baggage storage
♦ Glass Bottom Boats
♦ Restaurants around Kabira Bay
♦ Great view cafe near Kabira Bay
♦ Accommodations around Kabira Bay
♦ Rental Shop for mopeds and bicycles
♦ Map around Kabira Ishigaki area
Welcome to Kabira Bay
More photos : Instagram
Kabira Bay is the best scenic spot of Ishigaki Island. It is a wonderful view of the blue clear sea, white sand beach and the greenery of the small islands.
We recommended you to go here on a sunny summer day when the scenery here looks the most beautiful. However, the person who went for the first time is a beautiful view that will impress even if it is cloudy.
You can see this wonderful view from the Kabira Park Observatory.
The area around Kabira Bay is maintained as Kabira Park, and there is also the observatory in the park. You will be amazed to see this view for free, including the observatory.
Swimming is prohibited in Kabira Bay.
You are not allowed to swim here, but you can go around the bay by glass bottom boat. The boat has a glass bottom, and you can see colorful corals and tropical fish. The best time to see the underwater on the boat is from low tide to high tide on sunny day. But you can enjoy it even on rainy days. Even on raining days you can see the beautiful underwater.
In addition, the boat can be boarded by even young children, elderly people, and people in wheelchairs, and enjoys the beautiful underwater of Ishigaki Island.
Sightseeing in Kabira Bay takes about an hour.
The standard course for sightseeing in Kabira Bay is to enjoy the scenery from the Kabira Park Observatory and then enjoy the beautiful underwater on a glass bottom boat.
How to get to Kabira Bay
Transportation to get there
・Route bus
・Rental car
・Taxi
Kabira Bay is located in the western part of Ishigaki Island. It is about 35 minutes by car from the city center (around Bus Terminal or Ishigaki Port) and about 40 minutes from Ishigaki Airport.
Kabira Bay is the most famous tourist attraction on Ishigaki Island, so there is a taxi stand and there are suitable number of route buses.
Go to Kabira Bay by route bus (Azuma Bus)
Bus stop name : Kabira Park
The route bus to Kabira Bay is operated about every hour from the Bus Terminal, so Kabira Bay is a tourist attraction that can be easily accessed by route bus. In addition, the Kabira Park Observatory is about a 2 minutes walk from the bus stop.
How to get to Kabira Bay by bus
Bus stop name
Kabira Park ( 2-minute walk to Kabira Bay)
Bus Route
From Bus Terminal (11 buses / day)
No.2(700yen), No.7(700yen), No.8(700yen), No.9(730yen)
From Airport (3 buses / day) No.3(1,350yen), 11(830yen)
Azuma Bus Schedules from Bus Terminal
*Latest bus schedule as of December 2023
There are 11 buses a day from the Bus Terminal to Kabira Bay. It is about one per hour. There are four routes buses bound for Kabira Bay, but we recommend route 9 bus. This route bus runs along the seaside road via the resort hotel. Therefore, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the sea from the bus.
When you go to Kabira Bay, you can see the sea on the left side, so the seat on the left side is recommended.
The bus fare from the Bus Terminal to Kabira Bay is 700 yen or 730 yen (It depends on the route.), so it is better to buy a one-day Bus Pass (1,000 yen) for those who make a round trip by bus.
How to buy a Bus Pass is summarized on another page.
Riding Time
38 minutes – 53 minutes (It depends on the route.)
Fare
700 yen or 730 yen (It depends on the route.)
departure
return
download timetables
Route2 (PDF:0.4MB)
Route3 (PDF:0.4MB)
Route7 (PDF:0.3MB)
Route8 (PDF:0.4MB)
Route9 (PDF:0.4MB)
Azuma Bus Schedules from Airport
*Latest bus schedule as of December 2023
There is a bus from Ishigaki Airport to Kabira Bay. Therefore, you can also go to Kabira Bay from the airport as soon as you arrive at Ishigaki Airport. However, there are only two route buses from the airport per day (12:00pm or 3:00pm) considering the departure time.
The bus stop at Ishigaki Airport is ‘B’.
The bus fare Ishigaki Airport to Kabira Bay is 830 yen one way, so if you are traveling by route bus after that, it is better to buy a one-day Bus Pass (1,000 yen).
If you have large baggage such as a suitcase, the “Baggage Delivery Service” is convenient. There are no lockers in Kabira Bay.
Riding Time
43 minutes
Fare
830 yen
departure
return
download timetables
Route3 (PDF:0.4MB)
Route11 (PDF:0.4MB)
Kabira Bay Bus trip Best Plan
This is a proposal for a plan to enjoy the area around Kabira Bay with only a route bus.
Instead of visiting the Takamine Awamori Brewery (No,4) in the plan, it may be a good idea to take a walk in the Kabira village while eating gelato.
Best Plan
1. Route No.9「Bus Terminal」 Dep. (8:55) get off 「Kabira Park」(Kabira Bay)
2. Take a glass bottom boat and enjoy colorful fish and corals
3. Enjoy the view from the Kabira Park Observatory
4. Visit Takamine Awamori Brewery
5. Route No.8「Kabira Park」 Dep. (11:23) get off 「Yamabare」(11:37)
6. Lunch while looking at the sea at the Carib Cafe
7. Route No.8「Yamabare」Dep. (1:20pm) get off 「Bus Terminal」(2:11pm)
Go to Kabira Bay by taxi
There is a taxi stand in Kabira Bay.
You can call a taxi with the taxi app “DiDi”.
Taxi fare and riding time to Kabira Bay
Approximate fare
Airport Kabira Bay : 5,800
Bus Terminal Kabira Bay : 4,200
Riding Time
Airport Kabira Bay : About 40 minutes
Bus Terminal Kabira Bay : About 35 minutes
Go to Kabira Bay by rental car
You can see the beautiful sea the coastline around Nagura Bay, which you take when going from Bus Terminal to Kabira Bay.
It is convenient to use a MAPCODE 
to set the destination of the car navigation system.
*MAPCODE is numerical number that the latitude and longitude of a place in Japan are converted into.
How to get to Kabira Bay by rental car
address
911 Kabira, Ishigaki-shi, Okinawa
: 366 422 819*34
Riding Time
Airport Kabira Bay : About 40 minutes
Bus Terminal Kabira Bay : About 35 minutes
Parking Lot
Paid parking（About 100 cars）
Facility Information of Kabira Bay
There are several cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops around Kabira Bay, which are bustling with people. In addition, shops dot in the Kabira area, and it is fun to stroll through the area. But many shops close in the evening.
In addition, Kabira Bay has a large paid parking lot and a clean multipurpose toilet, but no lockers. Therefore, if you bring large baggage such as a suitcase, it will interfere with storage. We recommend a convenient “Baggage Delivery Service“.
Kabira Park
| Time required for sightseeing | about 1 hour |
|---|---|
| Business Hours | Always |
| Admission | Free |
| Closed | No Closing days |
| Web | – |
| Phone Number | – |
| Parking Lot | 〇 (Not Free, about 100 cars) |
| Toilets | 〇（Multipurpose Toilets : 〇） |
| Locker | × |
| Easy Access | Good You can go to the observatory with a wheelchair from bus stop or parking lot. The glass bottom boats are also available for wheelchairs. |
Kabira Bay Map
Temporary baggage storage
We introduce you how to sightseeing without your baggage before check in your hotel.
Two ways
・You can send it from the airport to your hotel.
・You can leave it at the glass bottom boat shop in Kabira Bay.
Buses from Ishigaki Airport to Kabira Bay operate daily, but baggage can interfere with sightseeing.
Therefore, we recommend the “Baggage Delivery Service“.
This service can be processed at the airport and will deliver baggage to partner hotels or Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal on the same day. Even if your hotel is not a partner hotel for this service, you can pick it up at the Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal. Therefore, if you plan to stay near the Ishigaki Port or on a remote island such as Taketomi Island, you can use it.
This service requires a reservation.
On the other hand, if you take a glass bottom boat, you can leave your baggage at the glass bottom boat shop you take for free. Even after you board the glass bottom boat, you can leave your baggage at the shop and go sightseeing for a short period of time, such as taking pictures at the observatory.
Glass Bottom Boats
More photos : Instagram
You are not allowed to swim in Kabira Bay, but you can enjoy the beautiful underwater on a glass bottom boat.
・The price is the same
・No reservations required
・Cheaper if you book in advance
There are two glass bottom boat companies. The services, such as fares and business hours of operation, are the same for these companies, and you can take both boats without reservation.
First, you pay the boarding fare at the reception. Then, the reception staff will explain the time and boarding place for the next boat.
On the boat, the captain will explain the fish and corals that are currently visible, but unfortunately only in Japanese.
The boat operates even when it rains. You don’t have to worry about getting wet because you observe the underwater in a boat with a roof.
However, it may be canceled on a typhoon or a windy day, so you might want to check the website in advance if the weather is bad.
Cancellation information
Marine House Gurukun (in Japanese)
Kabira Marine Service Facebook (in Japanese)
The boats cruise only in the bay and usually hardly shakes.
Marine House Gurukun
This is one of the companies that operates glass bottom boats in Kabira Bay.
・You can use free parking.
This company issues coupons on their website. When you buy a glass bottom boat ticket, show the staff a printed coupon or a screenshot of the coupon and you can buy the ticket at a 20% discount.
The coupons are placed in the leaflet area of the Bus Terminal and airpot, and you can get them freely. The coupon also gives you a 20% discount on the ticket. But we don’t know if it’s always there.
In addition, there are reservation discounts. If you book in advance through the official website, you can get a 23% discount on tickets.
Normally, when you go to Kabira Bay, you use a paid parking lot operated by the city. However, if you use the glass bottom boat of this shop, this shop has a customer parking lot and you can use it for free. Please see Map 5 (below) for the location of the parking lot.
| Business Hours | 9:00am to 5:00pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | No closing days |
| Required time |
30 mins |
| Departure time | Every 15mins |
| Fare | 1,300 yen (23% off if you book) |
| English | unclear |
| Web | Official (in Japanese) |
Kabira Marine Service
This is another company that operates glass bottom boat in Kabira Bay.
There are reservation discounts. If you book in advance through the official website, you can get a 30% discount on tickets.
| Business Hours | 9:00am to 5:00pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | No closing days |
| Required time | 30 mins |
| Departure time | Every 15 mins |
| Fare | 1,300 yen (30% off if you book) |
| English | unclear |
| Web | Official (in Japanese) |
Glass bottom boat comparison
*Information as of October 2023
This is a comparison of two glass bottom boat companies.
These regular prices are the same, but the lowest prices are different.
If you make a reservation for “Kabira Marine Service” from their website, you can buy a boarding ticket at a maximum discount of 30%.
On the other hand, “Marine House Gurukun” has a free parking lot for customers. If you go to Kabira Bay by car, you usually have to park in a paid parking lot (200 yen per hour).
Restaurants around Kabira Bay
There are several restaurants around Kabira Bay where you can have lunch. It’s fun to find your favorite restaurant while wandering through the area.
*Business hours and menu prices may have changed.
Oi-shi-sa-gu
This restaurant is a gelato shop, but the meal menu such as Kabira-Noodle (Yaeyama soba) is also popular.
| Business Hours | 11:00am to 4:30pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | unclear |
| Menu (English, Chinese, Korean) | Kabira-Noodle : 650yen ～ Pork Bowl : 850yen Gelato : 350yen ～ |
| Location | 2-minute walk from observatory |
| Map No. | 1 |
| View | × |
| Accepted Credit Cards | No |
| English | No |
| Web | Tabelog |
Koen Chaya
This restaurant is located near the Kabira Park Observatory and has the atmosphere of a traditional Japanese *Shokudo. Yaeyama soba is popular here.
*Japanese Shokudo
Japanese Shokudo is a small restaurant where you can eat home-cooked meals at a reasonable price.
| Business Hours | 11:00am to 4:00pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | Thu. |
| Menu (English) | Yaeyama soba : 700yen ～ **Goya Chanpuru : 900yen |
| Location | 1-minute walk from observatory |
| Map No. | 2 |
| View | × |
| Accepted Credit Cards | No |
| English | No |
| Web | Official (in Japanese) |
**Goya Chanpuru
This is a traditional dish of Okinawa prefecture. Bitter Melon Stir Fry with Tofu and Egg.
R’s Cafe
You can have lunch at this restaurant while looking at Kabira Bay.
| Business Hours | 10:00am to 5:00pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | Always open |
| Menu (English) | Yaeyama soba : 850yen Taco Rice : 1,300yen *Raw cheesecake : 550yen |
| Location | 1-minute walk from observatory |
| Map No. | 3 |
| View | Good |
| Accepted Credit Cards | unclear |
| English | unclear |
| Web | Official (in Japanese) |
*Raw cheesecake
This is a Japanese style no bake cheesecake.
Ajiya Jimbei
This restaurant is an Izakaya at night. You can eat fresh fish at night.
| Business Hours | 12:00pm to 2:00pm 6:00pm to 10:00pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | Sun. |
| Menu (English) | Sushi Plate, Pork cutlet bowl, Tuna sashimi bowl |
| Location | 2-minute walk from observatory |
| Map No. | 4 |
| View | × |
| Accepted Credit Cards | No |
| English | unclear |
| Web | Tabelog |
Umaru
Let’s try *Okonomiyaki !!
*Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is a dish of flour, eggs, water mixed with cabbage, pork, seafood, etc. and cooked on an iron griddle. It is Japanese pancake.
| Business Hours | 6:00pm to 10:00pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | Tue. |
| Menu (only Japanese) | Okonomiyaki, Ishigaki Beef steak, Ishigaki Beef hamburg steak |
| Location | 3-minute walk from observatory |
| Map No. | 5 |
| View | × |
| Accepted Credit Cards | No |
| English | unclear |
| Web | Tabelog |
| Official |
Great view cafe near Kabira Bay
There are several restaurants around Kabira Bay. However, there are few restaurants where you can eat while looking at the sea.
Therefore, we recommend the Yamabare area, which is about 15 minutes by bus from Kabira Bay. There are several restaurants in this area with great views, and you can have lunch while looking at the beautiful sea.
*Business hours and menu prices may have changed.
Carib Cafe
You can eat while looking at the beautiful sea. It is a restaurant where you can see beautiful scenery, which was introduced in Japanese TV shows.
More information on Carib Cafe can be found on another page, “A popular superb view cafe on Ishigaki Island Japan“.
| Business Hours | 11:00am to 8:00pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | unclear |
| Menu (only in Japanese) | *Hayashi Rice : 1,300yen Taco Rice : 1,050yen Mango juice : 500yen |
| Map No. | 6 |
| Address | 1216-113 Kabira, Ishigaki-shi |
 MAPCODE |
366 395 250*27 |
| Bus (from Kabira Bay) | Bus stop name : Yamabare 1-minute walk from bus stop Route : No.2, 8, 11 7 buses / day 14 mins from Kabira Bay by bus |
| Parking Lot | 〇 (12 cars) |
| Accepted Credit Cards | unclear |
| English | unclear |
| Web | Tabelog |
*Hayashi Rice
Hayashi Rice is hashed beef and rice. It has demiglace sauce on top of the rice.
Cafe sunkiss
This is a cafe on a hill where you can have lunch while looking at the beautiful sea. Meals such as curry soup and bubble waffle are also delicious.
| Business Hours | unclear |
|---|---|
| Closed | unclear |
| Menu (English) | Chicken curry soup, Bubble waffle |
| Map No. | 7 |
| Address | 1216-355 Kabira, Ishigaki-shi |
| MAPCODE |
366 395 254*85 |
| Bus (from Kabira Bay) | Bus stop name : Yamabare 3-minute walk from bus stop Route : No.2, 8, 11 7 buses / day 14 mins from Kabira Bay by bus |
| Parking Lot | 〇 (10 cars) |
| Accepted Credit Cards | unclear |
| English | unclear |
| Web | Tabelog |
| Official |
Accommodations around Kabira Bay
There is no supermarket around Kabira Bay. In addition, many restaurants are closed at night and there are only a few restaurants where you can eat dinner.
It is recommended for those who want to stay in a quiet place, rather than convenience. There are no hotels in this area, only guest houses.
The hotel is about a 30-minute walk from Kabira Bay, and there are resort hotels Seaside Hotel and Club Med facing the sea.
iriwa
It is a dormitory with private rooms.
| Address | 599 kabira, Ishigaki-shi |
|---|---|
| MAPCODE |
366 451 136*67 |
| Bus | Bus stop name : Kabira Rotary 1-minute walk from bus stop Route : No.2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11 11 buses / day (from Bus Terminal) 3 buses / day (from Airport) |
| Map No. | 4 |
| Price range | economical |
| Room type | western・domitory |
| View | × |
| WiFi | 〇 |
| Parking Lot | 〇 |
| Handicapped-accessible room | × |
| Web | Official |
joya
This guest house has a bathroom in all rooms.
| Address | 920-1 kabira, Ishigaki-shi |
|---|---|
| MAPCODE |
366 422 754*84 |
| Bus | Bus stop name : Kabira Park 1-minute walk from bus stop Route : No.2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11 11 buses / day (from Bus Terminal) 3 buses / day (from Airport) |
| Map No. | 1 |
| Price range | economical |
| Room type | western・Japanese |
| View | × |
| WiFi | 〇 |
| Parking Lot | 〇 |
| Handicapped-accessible room | × |
| Web | Official (in Japanese) |
Lulaliya
It is a guest house where all rooms are private rooms.
| Address | 921-1 kabira, Ishigaki-shi |
|---|---|
| MAPCODE |
366 422 753*54 |
| Bus | Bus stop name : Kabira Park 2-minute walk from bus stop Route : No.2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11 11 buses / day (from Bus Terminal) 3 buses / day (from Airport) |
| Map No. | 2 |
| Price range | economical |
| Room type | western |
| View | × |
| WiFi | 〇 |
| Parking Lot | 〇 (7 cars) |
| Handicapped-accessible room | × |
| Web | Official (in Japanese) |
SORAYADO
It is a guest house operated by a diving shop.
| Address | 861 kabira, Ishigaki-shi |
|---|---|
| MAPCODE |
366 451 022*34 |
| Bus | Bus stop name : Kabira Rotary 1-minute walk from bus stop Route : No.2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11 11 buses / day (from Bus Terminal) 3 buses / day (from Airport) |
| Map No. | 3 |
| Price range | economical |
| Room type | western |
| View | × |
| WiFi | 〇 |
| Parking Lot | 〇 |
| Handicapped-accessible room | × |
| Web | Official (in Japanese) |
Rental Shop for mopeds and bicycles
This shop seems to be closed. (Confirmed in 2022)
There are no rental shops in the Kabira area.
This is the only rental shop in this area.
*No new information was found.
