In this third installment of our Hoshinoya Taketomi Island stay review, we introduce "Minishi Island Time," which takes place in the fall, when the island's culture is most vividly experienced in the lead-up to the Seed-Gathering Festival. A full program awaits visitors, allowing them to fully enjoy island time unique to autumn, including the rare experience of experiencing Taketomi Island's farming culture, a special autumn-only breakfast, and music that can only be heard at festivals.
The sunlight shines brightly and the green of the trees shines brilliantly, but suddenly you notice a north wind blowing. Autumn has arrived on Taketomi Island. This north wind, which signals the change of seasons to the island, is called "Miinishi" in the island dialect. When this "Miinishi" blows, the islanders realize that the island's biggest traditional event, the Seed-Gathering Festival known as "Tanadui," is approaching.
Hoshinoya Taketomi Island will be running a stay program called "Meenishi Island Time" from September 1st to November 30th. In the run-up to the Seed-Gathering Festival, visitors will be able to experience firsthand the island culture unique to Taketomi.
To fully appreciate "Meenishi Island Time," you must first understand the "Tane-tori Festival." This festival, designated a nationally important intangible folk cultural asset, is held annually during the ninth month of the lunar calendar (October to November in the Gregorian calendar), spanning 10 days from Kinoe-Saru to Mizunotomi in the Chinese zodiac. It is a traditional event on Taketomi Island that prays for bountiful harvests and prosperity for descendants. The two days of the votive performances, in particular, see many people who have left Taketomi return home, making the island the most lively of the year. Autumn, when the "Tane-tori Festival," said to have a 600-year history, is the time when island time on Taketomi Island gradually condenses in preparation for the festival. A stay to fully enjoy Taketomi Island in autumn is what we call "Meenishi Island Time."
A special welcome as part of a Shinto ritual to pray for a bountiful harvest
After checking in, we were guided by Yonashiro Hinata, one of the staff members who came up with the idea for "Minisi Island Time," to a section of the facility. Surprisingly, that section was a large field. Created to preserve the farming culture unique to Taketomi Island, the field apparently cultivates millet, a variety of medicinal herbs called "Nuchigusa," and Obama soybeans.
In this field, three "san" (Japanese pampas grass leaves) with their ends tied together as a talisman against evil spirits are placed on the ground. Yonashiro clasped his hands together in front of the "san" and began to pray.
Yonashiro's reverent appearance as he sits at the edge of the statue envelops the fields in a pure energy, making the viewer feel as if their hearts have been enriched as well.
Three "san" sticks, made by tying the tips of pampas grass leaves together, are inserted into the fields to purify the soil and pray for a bountiful harvest.
"Meenishi Island Time" begins with a special welcome in honor of the Seed-Gathering Festival.
We spoke to Yonashiro after he had finished welcoming the guests.
"I was born and raised on the main island of Okinawa, and when I came to live on Taketomi Island as a staff member, the first thing I noticed was the cultural differences between Okinawa and Taketomi. Of course, Okinawa also has its own unique culture, but Taketomi Island has a stronger cultural legacy that seems to be firmly rooted in everyday life. I wanted people who visit Hoshinoya Taketomi Island to get a taste of Taketomi's unique culture, so I came up with the idea of "Miniishi Island Time," which is unique to the autumn when the Seed-Gathering Festival is held."
"By helping with the preparations for the island's festival, I feel like I'm gradually being welcomed onto the island," says Yonashiro.
"This year's (2025) Seed-Gathering Festival will be held from November 11th to 20th due to the zodiac, but various religious ceremonies begin before that. What I just did was part of a ritual called 'Seed-Doroshi', which takes place during the Seed-Gathering Festival. The right side of the tied pampas grass leaves is offered to the god of earth, the left side to the god of heaven, and the middle side to Arumai, the legendary fisherman who saved Taketomi from disease. Millet seeds are then sown in the purified land and prayers are offered for a bountiful harvest, which is said to be the origin of the Seed-Gathering Festival."
Japanese silver grass leaves used to make "san" and a seed basket containing millet seeds.
"When I first started living in Taketomi, I didn't know what to do, but after helping out at the island's many festivals a few times, people started asking me to help out with something next time. This made me feel like I was gradually becoming part of island life, and it made me happy. Autumn, with the Seed-Gathering Festival, may be the season when Taketomi Island feels most like Taketomi Island. I hope that the various programs available at Minisi Island Time will allow guests to experience as much Taketomi culture as possible."
Enjoy festival-related songs and dances, as well as the sounds of the sanshin
After relaxing in your room for a bit, head to the Yuntaku Lounge. As part of the "Minisi Island Time" program, the lounge will host "Yunagi no Uta ~Autumn Melody~," a performance by singers and dancers from Taketomi Island. This 30-minute performance features autumn festivals and votive performing arts that can only be seen at the Tanedori Festival, allowing you to get a sneak peek at the atmosphere of the Tanedori Festival.
As the sun gradually set and the surface of the pool visible outside the window began to dim, the singing and dancing began. The dance continued with slow, yet somewhat humorous movements accompanied by the swaying sounds of the sanshin.
You can get lost in the slow dance that is set to the tune of Taketomi Island's ancient songs. There are also performances that can only be seen during the Seed-Harvesting Festival.
The songs sung are mainly "ancient songs." Born from the daily life of Taketomi Island and passed down through the generations, these songs are truly imbued with the history of the land. The songs vary, from songs praying for a bountiful harvest, unique to the Seed-Gathering Festival, to songs praying for longevity, or even songs about love. Guests relaxing on sofas in the "Yuntaku Lounge" are immersed in the relaxed island time. Before they know it, the sky has changed from indigo to crimson, and dusk is slowly approaching.
Miyara Tsuguko, who performed the dance, and Hanashiro Toshiaki, who played the sanshin and sang.
The dinner at Hoshinoya Taketomi Island is beautifully presented using an abundance of pork and seafood, which are specialties of the Yaeyama Islands, as well as vegetables and herbs called nuchigusa (life grass), and is named "Island Terroir." After enjoying this unique "Island Terroir" with a recommended wine, we returned to the Yuntaku Lounge. We had a Yaeyama shochu as a nightcap before returning to our room. Looking up at the night sky, we saw a sky of stars that seemed to be spilling down.
"Island Terroir" uses an abundance of Yaeyama ingredients and incorporates French techniques, making it a perfect match with wine. The main course for the day was "Aged Beef Sirloin and Charcoal-Grilled Tuna with Island Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Accents." ©Hoshino Resort
"Tanegatari Festival Breakfast" made with plenty of ingredients associated with the festival
The next morning, we woke up refreshed. Small birds were alighting and chirping in the garden, which had been swept clean with a broom. A breakfast in "Minisi Island Time" awaited us. It was called the "Seed-Gathering Festival Breakfast." As the name suggests, it was a fun and delicious breakfast that incorporated plenty of ingredients associated with the Seed-Gathering Festival, allowing us to savor the food culture of Taketomi Island with our eyes and tongues.
First, we try a type of sacred sake called "mishaku." Its subtle sweetness and slight acidity, similar to amazake, whets the appetite. It's non-alcoholic, so even those who don't like alcohol can enjoy it. Nine dishes are beautifully presented in a bowl divided into nine squares: simmered rafute sunshi, pintaku edamame with açaí bean paste, and island tofu with andansu in millet miso... We check each dish one by one, checking it against the slip of paper on which the name of the dish is written. The staff explains any words in the dish names that we don't understand. Incidentally, "pintaku" refers to garlic and octopus. Apparently, garlic is called "pin" on Taketomi Island.
The nine dishes in the squares are all healthy and tasty. "Rafute Sunsi stew" is in the bottom center, and "Pintaku edamame with arsar paste" is in the bottom left.
There were many dishes I had never seen before, but they all had gentle flavors, and I felt as if the power of the land that flows through Taketomi Island was reaching my body. I also enjoyed the miso soup with its surprisingly large wheel-shaped gluten and the nutritious mixed grain rice.
Taketomi Island was formed by the uplift of a coral reef, and the soil is not fertile, making it unsuitable for rice cultivation, so the islanders have carefully cultivated grains such as millet and wheat. The Seed-Gathering Festival Breakfast is a reminder of the islanders' lives, which prayed for a bountiful harvest, and the meaning of the Seed-Gathering Festival, which was born from that.
Make a charm filled with the prayers of a Shinto priest
The Yuntaku Lounge is home to a loom that was made over 100 years ago. One of the programs at Minisi Island Time is to use this loom to make the outer pouches of amulets. You go to the loom where the warp threads are already set, and you weave the weft threads by passing them from side to side. With each weave, you can see the cloth being woven a little at a time, which is very satisfying.
The fabric is woven on an old-fashioned loom. It's painstaking work, but it's fun to watch the fabric being woven little by little.
The blessed grains and salt are then wrapped in a woven outer bag to complete the amulet. The threads used to weave the fabric are dyed with plants from Taketomi Island.
Yonashiro-san explained the meaning of the amulet.
"The outer bag is woven on a loom that was originally used to weave festival costumes, and it contains a small vial filled with the five grains associated with the festival and salt to ward off evil spirits. This amulet has been blessed by a woman called a kantsukasa, who is responsible for connecting people with the gods and conveying the feelings of the people to the gods at Taketomi Island's traditional festivals. It is an amulet that is filled with the thoughts of the people of the island who live together with the gods."
Spending time on Taketomi Island in autumn, when the Seed-Gathering Festival is held, is more vibrant than any other season, allowing you to experience the island's unique culture. Witnessing a part of the festival to pray for a bountiful harvest, listening to music that can only be heard at festivals, and tasting food made with ingredients associated with the festival. This "Meenishi Island Time" allowed me to fully enjoy island time with all my senses.
Hoshinoya Taketomi Island "Meenishi Island Time"
・A special welcome to start your island life
April 1th ~ October 30, 2025
・Song of the Evening Calm ~Autumn Melody~
Free / Tuesdays, September 1st to November 30th, 2025 / 4:45pm to 5:15pm / Yuntaku Lounge
・Seed Festival Breakfast
September 1st to November 30th, 2025 / 4,961 yen per person (tax and service charge included) / 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM / Dining
・Making a five grain charm
2025年9月1日～11月30日 火曜日・土曜日／1名4,000円（税・サ込）／10時30分～、11時30分～／ゆんたくラウンジ／
Each session is for 2 people, please make a reservation by 10:1 on the day.
The contents may change.
photos by Nathuko Okada (Studio Mug)
text by Sakurako Miyao
Stories
Japan Premium
Stay at Hoshinoya, get to know Hoshinoya
Japan Premium