Ishigaki Island-Ishigaki Central Athletic Park
Early reservations are recommended as they fill up quickly.
◆Tuk-tuks and electric trikes are also popular!
About Ishigaki City Central Sports Park
Ishigaki City Central Sports Park is a large park located on the northeast side of downtown Ishigaki.
The park features a baseball field, an athletic field, tennis courts, a sports field, and a gymnasium.
Every year in January, the Ishigaki Island Marathon is held, and in February, the island serves as the training camp for the Chiba Lotte Marines professional baseball team. During these times, the number of visitors increases, and the area becomes lively with rows of street stalls.
Directions to Ishigaki City Central Sports Park
It is located about a 20-minute drive from New Ishigaki Airport, about a 10-minute drive from the Remote Islands Terminal, and about a 5-minute walk from the "General Sports Park Entrance" bus stop on the Higashi Unyu bus route.
If you're coming by car
・After exiting the Ishigaki Island Remote Islands Terminal, turn right, head north on National Route 390, and then take Route 87 from the Bunkan-mae intersection.
Turn right at the Konami-Motohashi intersection and go one block to reach Ishigaki City Central Sports Park.
・Leave New Ishigaki Airport, head south along National Route 390, and turn right at the Maezato North Intersection.
Head west on the Industrial Road, turn right at the intersection in front of the FamilyMart Ishigaki-Hiraitokuten, and you will arrive at Ishigaki City Central Sports Park.
If you're traveling by bus
・Take the Higashi Unyu Bus or the JAL Yaeyama ANA InterContinental Line (southbound) from the bus terminal. After about 20 minutes, you’ll arrive at "Chuo Sports Park Entrance," where you should get off.
・Take the Higashi Transport Bus or the JAL Yaeyama ANA InterContinental Line (upbound) from New Ishigaki Airport, get off at the Chuo Sports Park Entrance bus stop, and walk a short distance to arrive.
It will take about 40 minutes to arrive.
How to Enjoy Ishigaki City Central Sports Park
The Chiba Lotte Marines are famous for holding their annual training camp from early to mid-February.
In February, you can see Mariners fans coming to watch spring training.
If you're planning a trip in February and you're a baseball fan, why not stop by?
Related columns are here↓.
Details on Ishigaki City Central Sports Park
Ishigaki City Central Sports Park is a sports park located near the city center. The park features a main arena and a sub-arena, a training room equipped with a variety of exercise machines, a martial arts dojo, a seminar room, and an elevator for people with disabilities.
It is also accessible to people with disabilities, making it a welcoming environment for everyone.
Because it is a very spacious facility with a wide variety of amenities, it is used for various sports tournaments and cultural events, as well as by many people as a practice and recreational facility for the island’s school sports teams.
The Main Arena is the most frequently used facility at Ishigaki City Central Sports Park, and visitors can take advantage of the following services.
・Two basketball courts
・3 volleyball courts
・1 handball court
・12 table tennis tables
The second floor has 850 seats and 8 wheelchair-accessible seats, so the venue is also used for sporting events.
On the day of the event, the venue will be bustling with cheers from the large crowd.
It’s one of the popular spots because it’s sometimes used for training camps.
In addition, the sub-arena—the second-largest venue after the main arena—is also a popular facility within the comprehensive gymnasium.
Like the main arena, the sub-arena also has sports courts as shown below.
・One basketball court
・3 volleyball courts
・4 badminton courts
・One handball court
・6 table tennis tables
Although there aren't many tourists at the sub-arena, so you can't watch games there, you can still visit for fun or use it for pre-game warm-ups.
Ishigaki City Central Sports Park features a competition pool in addition to the general-purpose gymnasium. The pool is 24 meters wide, with a depth ranging from 1.1 to 1.3 meters, and is a 50-meter competition pool.
The facility also has separate changing rooms and restrooms for men and women, each equipped with showers, so you can feel free to drop by and practice swimming.
Since the admission fee is low, local children often come here to practice swimming.
In addition, the grounds feature a 29,000-square-meter area equipped with bleachers and an athletics stadium with an 8-lane, 400-meter track.
The stadium is a massive facility featuring a main grandstand with a capacity of 2,700 and side and back grandstands with a combined capacity of 11,000.
Tennis courts are also among the popular facilities.
This tennis facility has at least six artificial turf courts, and the clubhouse features separate men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers and restrooms.
The usage fees are reasonable, as shown below, so it’s a facility you can use without hesitation.
Children and Students: 200 yen per page per hour
College students and general public: 400 yen per page per hour
Ishigaki Island is well known as the spring training site for the Chiba Lotte Marines, and the baseball field at Ishigaki City Central Sports Park is used for this purpose.
The field measures 99.5 meters at both outfield corners and 122 meters at center field. The stadium has a total capacity of 8,000 spectators, with the infield stands seating 2,200 and the outfield stands seating 5,800, allowing large crowds to enjoy the games.
Approximately 300 million yen has been spent on construction work within the facility, soil replacement, and the installation of additional fences and nets.
For those who’d rather take it easy instead of getting into intense sports, we recommend the Tako-Chu performance.
The park features a variety of playground equipment, such as a sandbox and swings, where local children play.
This park is called Takochu Park because an octopus statue used to be installed here.
Recommended Sightseeing Spots Near Ishigaki City Central Sports Park
inside the palace grounds
To reach Miyara Hall from Ishigaki City Central Sports Park, head south on Sports Park West Street and turn right onto Route 4.
Go straight for a while, turn left at FLOWER FOREST, an eyebrow and eyelash extension salon on Ishigaki Island, and then turn left again—you’ll see it on your left as you pass the kimono salon Yui on your right.
The Miyara Residence is the only house that preserves the architectural style of the samurai class of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
This residence was built in 1819 by Miyara Chikunjo Tōen, a member of the Ryukyuan samurai class, and has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The grounds feature a beautiful garden dotted with massive Ryukyu limestone boulders, designed by Shuri gardener Gusukuma Pechin; it has been designated a National Scenic Spot.
Address: 178 Okawa, Ishigaki City
Phone Number: 0980-82-2767
Ryukyu Glass Glass Island
Ryukyu Glass Glass Island appears on your right at the end of the road if you head south from the west entrance of Ishigaki City Central Sports Park.
Ryukyu Glass Glass Island is a long-established Ryukyu glass workshop with a 28-year history. In addition to selling a variety of glass products, visitors can also create their own items using Ryukyu glass.
The workshop lasts about 15 minutes, so you can stop by during a short break to make a keepsake.
Since it can get crowded during the peak season, be sure to make a reservation in advance.
Ryukyu glass is sold for about 2,000 yen per piece, and since they offer nationwide shipping, it’s easy to take some home with you.
With our helpful guidance, even young children can make them!
Address: 178 Hiratoku, Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture
Directions: About an 8-minute drive from the Remote Islands Terminal; about a 25-minute drive from Ishigaki Airport
Parking: Available
Meals (nearby): Available
Toilet: Yes
Euglena Mall
To get to Euglena Mall, follow the same route as for Miyara: head south from Ishigaki City Central Sports Park along Sports Park West Street, then turn right onto Route 4.
Go straight for a while, then turn left at FLOWER FOREST, an eyebrow and eyelash extension salon on Ishigaki Island.
Go straight for a while, then turn left onto Yui Road, and you'll arrive.
Euglena Mall, home to more than 100 stores, is Ishigaki Island’s largest shopping district.
They sell souvenirs and daily necessities, so you can pick up everything you need for your trip.
There are also cafes and restaurants, so it’s a great place to take a leisurely break when you’re tired from sightseeing.
They also sell fresh food, so you can buy ingredients for a barbecue.
They also sell souvenirs and items unique to Ishigaki Island, so be sure to check them out!
Location: 207 Okawa, Ishigaki City, Okinawa, Japan
Access: 25 minutes by car from Ishigaki Airport, 7 minutes on foot from the remote island terminal
Parking: Available
Meals (nearby): Available
Toilet: Yes
Details on Ishigaki City Central Sports Park
| Location | 1408-1 Tonoshiro, Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture (View in MAP) |
| Access | About a 5-minute walk from the "Higashi Unyu Bus Sogo Undo Koen Iriguchi" bus stop |
| parking lot | ant |
| toilet | ant |
| Business Hours | - |
Related columns are here↓.
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