Sense Of Place

Place The InterContinental-ANA Ishigaki Resort presents laidback, luxury living in beguiling lands that time almost forgot

- Elle Kwan

The plane offers us our first view of the islands at a right angle. Gazing through the oval window feels like glimpsing a box of twinkling jewels. Blue zircon and aquamarine seas sparkle, surrounding jade fields and emerald jungle. We flip. Now cotton ball clouds float in a turquoise sky.

HOW IS THIS JAPAN?

Sure, Tokyo and Osaka can be dazzling, flashing electronic signs a constant backdrop. But here in the Yaeyama Islands, kaleidoscopic views are natural and disappear each day following heart-melting syrupy sunsets into thick, silent black.

We land with a gentle bump on a tiny airport. This is Ishigaki, the first port of call for those exploring the Yaeyama Islands and a proud tropical getaway in its own right. The archipelago contains Japan’s southernmost and westernmost inhabited islands. This is as far as you can get from Japan’s main islands and the difference is palpable. Once out of the airport’s pocket office-sized arrivals hall, we wind our way through narrow roads divided by tall sugarcane, just one of Ishigaki’s many cultural treasures. The brown sugar it produces is prized for its high mineral content and during our stay we would find it packaged and portable as candy, syrup, cubes, jagged crystals, in cookies and desserts and ice cream.

There’s not a Hello Kitty insight. Instead, you’re more likely to spot Shisa, mythical half lion half dogs employed, despite their wide-eyed cuteness, to ward off evil spirits.They stand to attention in pairs at gateways and porches, and two bronzed creatures welcomed us at the entrace of the InterContinental-Ana Ishigaki Resort Hotel, our home for the next four nights.