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How to Get to Shin-Ei Park, a Tourist Attraction on Ishigaki Island, and What to Do There!
Hello everyone!
Ishigaki Island, renowned as Japan’s No. 1 resort destination, hosts numerous events every year and is always bustling with activity. Shin-ei Park is frequently used as a venue for these events. This large park is located quite close to the Ishigaki Island Remote Islands Terminal, and its spacious grounds feature playground equipment, making it a popular spot for locals and families alike.
In this article, we’ll introduce the Shin-Sakae performances, which are well-loved even by locals.
Table of Contents
About Shin-Ei Park
Shin-Ei Park is a large park that hosts many of Ishigaki Island’s major events, such as the Orion Beer Fest and the Tuba-Rama Tournament. While Shin-Ei Park is often used as an outdoor venue for these events, on a typical day it’s a peaceful and tranquil place where people can play sports on its vast grounds and children can enjoy the playground equipment.
Since it’s close to the Remote Islands Terminal and the city center, it’s easy to stop by; some people even buy lunch there and choose it as a place to eat while enjoying a hike-like atmosphere. In addition to historically significant sites within the park—such as the World Peace Bell and the monument commemorating the City’s Declaration of Peace—there’s also a statue of “Pai-guru,” Ishigaki City’s official mascot, making the park feel welcoming even to first-time visitors.
Directions to Shin-Sakae Park
Go straight down the road to the left of the entrance to the Remote Islands Terminal. Turn left at the intersection where it crosses Misaki Center Street, and you’ll see Shin-Ei Park straight ahead and a parking lot on your right.
It takes about 3 minutes by car or about 6 minutes on foot to get there.
Detailed Information on Shin-Sakae Park
Shin-Ei Park is a large park located near the city center and the remote island terminal. Within the park, there are playground equipment featuring Shisa motifs, the World Peace Bell, and a monument commemorating the city’s declaration as a City of Peace.
The spacious grounds feature grassy areas that resemble a meadow and are fully equipped with playground equipment such as swings and slides. It’s a great place to buy a packed lunch in the city and spend some leisurely time here.
Shin-ei Park, with its laid-back atmosphere, often hosts island events. During the summer season, it serves as the venue for major events such as the “Tubarama” music festival and the Orion Beer Fest. There are several highlights within Shin-ei Park. One of them is the World Peace Bell. There are only five of these World Peace Bells in Japan, and only 21 in the entire world. One of them is located at Shin-ei Park on Ishigaki Island.
The World Peace Bell was cast and donated with the cooperation of the 98 member states of the United Nations at that time, in order to widely convey the horrors of war and the preciousness of peace.
The first bell to be installed in Japan was in Wakkanai City, Hokkaido. Subsequently, in 1988, the second bell was sent to Shin-ei Park on Ishigaki Island. This bell symbolizes the wish for world peace and is rung on occasions such as the end of the war, the memorial day marking the end of the Battle of Okinawa, and the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake—to remind people of the tragedies of war and disasters and to reaffirm the importance of peace.
It may be hard to imagine in today’s Japan—a country free of war—what it means to wish for peace or to advocate for it, but the very fact that we can live as we please right now is the foundation of peace. Visiting this place gives us pause to reflect anew on how deeply we should appreciate peace. It is precisely because of this peaceful present that Shin-ei Park serves as a place of relaxation where visitors can enjoy themselves with smiles on their faces. Within Shin-ei Park, there are various sculptures and monuments. One of them is a map centered on Ishigaki Island. Looking at it, you can see that Taiwan is closer than the Japanese mainland. Also, when you look around the park, you’ll see many foreign visitors. There are no barriers between nations, and many people visit this area as tourists with smiles on their faces. One might even say that this very situation is a symbol of peace. Since the park is close to the city center and surrounded by many restaurants and hotels, it’s a great place to casually stop by before or after a meal.
How to Enjoy Shin-Sakae Park
Since various events are held at Shin-Ei Park, it’s a great idea to time your visit during the event season to enjoy festivals and live performances! With plenty of festivals and music events on Ishigaki Island, it’s highly recommended for music lovers and festival-goers. Many people on Ishigaki Island love fun activities like music and dancing, and they’re generally very friendly, so when you participate in an event, you can easily strike up conversations with strangers and join in on the excitement together! Unlike the more exclusive festivals on the mainland, you can mingle with people you don’t know here, so you’re sure to have a great time. Even outside of event seasons, Shin-Ei Park is so spacious that you can play ball games there, and it’s always bustling with people enjoying themselves and moving their bodies freely.
It’s also nice to take a leisurely stroll while admiring the flora unique to the tropics.
Address: 4 Shin-ei-cho, Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture
Directions: About a 5-minute walk from the Remote Islands Terminal
Parking: Available
Dining Options: Available (in and around the city center)
Toilet: Yes
summary
We’ve introduced Shin-Sakae Park. What did you think?
Shin-Ei Park, which is also used as an outdoor venue for major events on Ishigaki Island, was one of the few places in the world to receive a World Peace Bell.
Here are some highlights of Shin-Sakae Park:
・An outdoor venue for one of Ishigaki Island's major events
・Bell of World Peace
・It's close to the city, so you can visit it as if you were going on a hike
・A vast grounds and a wide variety of playground equipment
・The many stone monuments and memorials
Be sure to check out the points mentioned above and pay a visit to Shin-Sakae Park.
Thank you for reading to the end.
This article was written by.
