Thank you for joining Mare Ishigakijima. You are about to witness one of nature’s most magical and rarest shows: the glowing carpet of the Yaeyama Fireflies.
These fireflies flash for only 30 to 45 minutes right after sunset. To protect their delicate ecosystem and ensure you have the best experience, please read this guide carefully.
We will pick you up at your hotel (central area) or the Ishigaki Port Ritou Terminal. (To protect the environment and due to limited parking, you cannot drive your own rental car to the jungle.)
Enjoy the relaxing drive as the sky changes from orange to deep purple. Watch the beautiful Ishigaki sunset from the car window as we head to our secret location.
We get out of the car and walk into the jungle for about 5 minutes. From here, ALL artificial lights are strictly prohibited.
- PRO TIP: We highly recommend leaving your smartphone in the car. You won’t need it!
We will wait in the quiet darkness for about 15 minutes. As your eyes adjust, the magic begins. Hundreds of fireflies will start their synchronized glowing dance, creating a “Carpet of Light”.
After the show, we will drive you back. If you want to grab dinner, we highly recommend getting dropped off at the Ishigaki Port Ritou Terminal (Downtown area), where there are many great local restaurants and Izakayas!
Please help us protect these beautiful creatures.
- Fireflies communicate using their faint light. Any artificial light will ruin their mating dance.
- Smartphones, camera flashes, and glowing smartwatches are completely forbidden.
- It is almost impossible to capture the fireflies with a smartphone camera anyway. Please enjoy the view with your own eyes and save it in your memory!
- They are incredibly fragile. Because they are so small, human body temperature is too hot for them and can cause them to suffer burns. Please just watch them fly.
- You are entering a real jungle, which means mosquitoes. We highly recommend wearing long trousers, long sleeves, and comfortable shoes (no sandals).
- Please avoid using strong, chemical insect repellent sprays right before the tour, as it can harm the fireflies.
- The tour runs even if it rains. In fact, fireflies love high humidity, so a rainy or post-rain day often means a better light show!
- However, the tour may be canceled in case of heavy rain or strong typhoons for your safety.
Please keep your voices down during the walk and observation. The quieter we are, the closer the fireflies will fly to us. Let’s listen to the sounds of the night jungle.
We promise this will be a night you will never forget. Get ready to unplug and immerse yourself in nature.