Located southwest of
Okinawa Island and east of
Keelung, Ishigaki serves as a gateway to the
Yaeyama Islands. Ishigaki Port is the 5th most popular of Japan's cruise ports as of 2017, and 4th for port calls by non-Japanese ships with a weekly call by
Star Cruises from Taiwan. Several companies offer daily ferry service to
Hateruma,
Iriomote,
Kohama, and
Taketomi Island. Due to
Japan's increased focus on
grey-zone challenges, Ishigaki Port has been expanded so more than a dozen large (over 1,000 tons)
Japan Coast Guard ships can be stationed there. There are currently 11
Kunigami-class large patrol vessels and 2
Hateruma-class large patrol vessels, as well as a
Bizan-class small patrol vessel, and a
Kagayuki-class patrol craft have been
homeported at Ishigaki along with facilities for housing up to 600 crew, making Ishigaki JCG's largest base, surpassing JCG's facilities in
Yokohama. Tokyo has currently earmarked ¥21.2 billion yen (US$205 million) in FY2021 to build new patrol boats and buy helicopters for the region, with plans to assign 22 ships of over 1,000 tons (including the 3
Tsugarus, a
Kunigami, and a
Hateruma class patrol vessel based in Naha) in the region by 2024. Tokyo has also bulked up the JCG presence on
Miyako-jima between Ishigaki and Naha with nine
Shimoji-class small patrol vessels and a
Tokara-class medium patrol vessel The
Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) are also considering deploying short range anti-ship missiles (possibly the
Type 96 multi-purpose missile system) on the island. These reinforcements are mostly in relation to the
Japanese uninhabited
Senkaku Islands, which lie north of Ishigaki and are under the control of the mayor of Ishigaki, which has been given civic authority over the territory since the
Senkaku Islands reverted from
the US to the Japanese government control in 1972.
China and to a lesser extent
Taiwan have challenged Japan's sovereignty over these islands since 1972, with more intensity since 2012. File:Ishigaki port - 1 (1).jpg|Ishigaki port File:JCG-KunigamiClass-Ishigaki.jpg|Japan Coast Guard vessels at Port of Ishigaki ==Culture==