Ishigaki Island

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Blog 11_Japan_2023



March 31 Port of Call: Ishigaki Island, Japan – Weather: Overcast skies – Temperature: 70°F/21°C – Wind 10 mph



Second stop on our way to Taiwan was at the Island of Ishigaki. Our shore excursion

experience, Highlights of Ishigaki, never came about as it was sold out early and our waitlisting

never was fulfilled. We could have walked into town, about 40 to 50 minutes or taken a shuttle

but that was a twenty-minute ride and from what other guests reported we made the right choice

as it really was not worth the effort. So, we stayed on board and enjoyed another relaxing day.

We have learned that due to the shortage of English-speaking tour guides not as many shore excursions were possible. The pandemic saw a large number of tour guides laid off for three years, so they sought other forms of employment and have not returned.

As this was our last day in Japan before heading off to Taiwan, we were required to report to the Main Stage area for inspection of our passports by the Japanese Immigration Officers. The crew organized the process, and everything went smoothly, with everyone being processed quickly. Once again, our passports were collected by the front office staff, as they need to be inspected by the Taiwanese Immigration Officers before we landed in their country. Upon inspection the passports were photocopied, the photocopies had an entrance stamp applied by the Taiwanese Officials before being returned to our cabins. In place of our physical passports, we were required to carry the photocopies ashore.

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