Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands lie at the southwestern end of the Ryūkyū chain, amid warm seas and extensive coral reefs. Between Ishigaki and Iriomote stretches the great Sekisei Lagoon, dotted with smaller islands. In 1771 a devastating tsunami struck Yaeyama and Miyako, sweeping over shores and carrying great blocks of coral rock inland. The disaster claimed thousands of lives across the southern islands.