Geography
Taketomi Island is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Ishigaki Island. The island has a village in the center, also named Taketomi. The island covers 5.42 square kilometres (2.09 sq mi), and runs 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) east to west and 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi) north to south. Taketomi is a raised coral atoll. The island is circular in shape, and is surrounded by coral reefs. Taketomi Island is part of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, established in 1972.
Taketomi is known for its traditional Ryukyuan houses, stone walls, and sandy streets, making it popular with tourists. Various rules are in place to prevent the more aesthetically displeasing aspects of modern construction from ruining the beauty of the island, such as replacing concrete walls with hand-packed stone. Popular tourist activities include relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, taking an ox-cart ride through the village, and simply walking or biking around the island while enjoying the quaintness of the village and the natural scenery.
The island is also famous for its beautiful beaches and hoshizuna or hoshisuna, meaning "star-sand", which is composed of the remains of tiny sea animals.
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