Water buffalo
Even today, water buffalo is the main form of transport on Taketomi Island.
On tiny Taketomi Island where there are no cars, a novel form of transport has been used for centuries. Meet the beautiful water buffalo who pull passengers on carts around the island. Today tourists can be taken on a 30 minute water buffalo cart tour of Taketomi Village accompanied by a guide who plays Okinawan music on a sanshin (Okinawa stringed instrument).
Taketomi Village is a beautiful preserved ryukyu village characterised by one storey houses with dark red roofs and lots of lion statues believed to ward off evil spirits. Closer to Taiwan and mainland China than Japan, the Okinawa archipelago was once a sovereign state known as the Ryukyu Kingdom until the 17th century.
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Important notice: We are pleased to be able to offer so many amazing experiences in Japan. However, we are sorry that we can only include these as a part of a full Japan holiday package which includes your accommodation and transport alongside the experiences presented in this section of the web site.
Interested in this Experience? It is included in this tour:
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A luxury honeymoon combining iconic cities, stunning countryside and relaxing subtropical beaches
Beach & Culture Deluxe Honeymoon
Japan is a fabulous destination for a luxury honeymoon. On this itinerary we've included five-star hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto, a beautiful hot spring ryokan in Hakone National Park and a luxurious beach resort on the tiny subtropical island of Taketomi.
Other Wildlife experiences
View more >Japanese Giant Salamanders Conservation
Wade into the clear rivers of remote Tottori Prefecture for a wildlife research experience with Japanese giant salamanders.
Steller's sea eagles
Take a small ice breaker cruise into the ice flows of the Nemuro Straits to photograph Steller's sea eagles fishing for Pacific cod.
Blakiston's fish owl
Meet Blakiston's fish owl, the largest owl in the world, which feed on river fish around the Shiretoko Peninsula.