Southern Island Star Festival in Ishigaki, Okinawa through Aug. 27

Venue: Painuhamacho Ryokuchi Park, Ishigaki When: Aug 19th - Aug 27th 2023
Ishigaki Island is located in the southernmost part of Okinawa Prefecture, and it's known for having some truly incredible stargazing opportunities. Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park has even been certified as an International Dark Sky Park (along with only a few other spots in all of Japan), owing to its lack of light pollution and clear views of stars and other celestial objects.

The annual Southern Island Star Festival is a celebration of the island's sparkling night skies, and the event has several different components. From stargazing parties complete with live music to guided tours of the Ishigaki Island Astronomical Observatory, the festival provides plenty of fun and wonder for astronomy enthusiasts and regular travelers alike.

While the stargazing component of the festival is free, certain activities have participation fees – more information about those can be found on the official event website.

GETTING THERE

The event takes place at Painuhamacho Ryokuchi Park and other destinations around Ishigaki island. The park is around 30 minutes driving time from the Ishigaki Airport area.