Hello. My name is Akatsuka, and I am the representative of Bajau Trip Iriomote Field Services. In recent years, many people have been visiting the Yaeyama Islands, using Ishigaki Island as a gateway. While each person's needs may vary, I believe most come to enjoy the tropical nature unique to Okinawa. Iriomote Island, where we live, is a particularly pristine island, with 90% of the island covered by national forest, the entire island designated as a national park, and untouched coastlines. In July 2021, it was finally recognized as a World Heritage Site. Enjoying the island's natural beauty is not a problem. There are already many outfitters and guides offering a variety of activities, including diving, snorkeling, canoeing, kayaking, canyoning, caving, and trekking. If I had to say, there are so many outfitters and guides, it's hard to know where to go! The more you try to find the perfect outfitter and guide, the more difficult it becomes. We mainly use sea kayaks, avoiding the major areas of the island as much as possible, and guide small groups to the secluded areas that are typical of remote islands. Our guides not only have outdoor skills but also many years of experience, have expedition experience, and hold various official qualifications. However, they are not limited to outdoor work; they also participate in community events and are familiar with the island's nature and culture through hunting and gathering. If you are not satisfied with other shops, want to know more about Iriomote Island, or want an experience that will tickle your traveler's heart a little more, we are sure you will be satisfied with our shop.
We offer outdoor activities, mainly sea kayaking and trekking, in the seas, rivers and forests of Iriomote Island, and we will propose and guide you through tour content taking into consideration the weather, wind direction, tides, and your physical strength and requests on that day.
The tours are small group tours (maximum 8 people per guide). The guide is the owner himself, who has plenty of experience (over 20 years of experience as a guide on Iriomote Island). His selling point is his generosity, which allows him to accommodate even a little selfishness.
As a guide on Iriomote Island, I want to be able to confidently say that there is no place I can't go. If there is someone who wants to go somewhere, I will take them there. I believe that is the spirit of a guide. Our company guides the entire area of Iriomote Island, from the eastern to western parts of the island, to Oku-Iriomote and the southwest coast. However, if I sense that the person does not have the ability or stamina to go to a certain place, or that the weather is bad, I want to constantly hone and maintain the judgment and decisiveness to not take them. Above all, I will not blindly take people to places I do not know or have never been to. It may seem obvious, but rather, I want to be a guide who runs tours that "maybe it's possible...I think it's possible..." rather, "I will go 10 times and be successful 10 times."
Born October 4, 1978, in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward, and raised in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture. In the summer of 1998, he first landed on Iriomote Island to study mangroves with a university club. He became so engrossed that he took a leave of absence and lived there. He also wrote his graduation thesis on Iriomote Island. After graduation, he made his debut as a guide at a long-established guide shop on Iriomote Island. He then returned to the mainland, but then paddled across Japan carrying his Feather Craft Kahuna, from as far south as Iriomote Island to as far north as the Shiretoko Peninsula. In the summer, he worked as a sea kayak guide, and in the winter, he honed his culinary and service skills at restaurants in Tokyo. In his spare time, he began taking his kayak and going on expeditions. He studied in New Zealand, where he was deeply impressed by the authentic outdoor and sports leisure culture. He also discovered the beauty of Japan's natural environment and began to yearn for Iriomote Island. After returning to Japan, he realized that he truly loved Iriomote Island and moved there. He eventually became independent, and continues to do so to this day.
| Member organizations and associations | Okinawa Kayak and Canoe Association (OCKA), Iriomote Island Canoe Association, Iriomote Island Ecotourism Association, Okinawa Prefectural Hunting Association, Taketomi Town Branch, Taketomi Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
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| Operating hours | 8: 00-19: 00 |
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| Regular holidays | No scheduled holidays |
| Remarks | We are generally open all year round, but occasionally we leave the island for business trips. |
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