A Travel Price Comparison for Japan Yaeyama Islands vs. Mashiko for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Yaeyama Islands or Mashiko?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Yaeyama Islands and Mashiko. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Yaeyama Islands or Mashiko?

Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.

Mashiko

Mashiko is a town in Japan famous for its pottery, called "Mashiko yaki." Large noborigama kilns were first brought to the area in 1853 by immigrant potters from a neighboring community in the Ibaraki prefecture. It is also home to the site of Saimyoji temple, one of the oldest temples in Tochigi prefecture, as well as the shrine of the Utsunomiya han.

When is the best time to visit Yaeyama Islands or Mashiko?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Mashiko in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Yaeyama Islands as well as Mashiko.

In July, Yaeyama Islands is generally a little warmer than Mashiko. Temperatures in Yaeyama Islands average around 29°C (85°F), and Mashiko stays around 24°C (75°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Yaeyama Islands this time of the year. In the summer, Yaeyama Islands often gets more sunshine than Mashiko. Yaeyama Islands gets 279 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Mashiko receives 130 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Mashiko. Yaeyama Islands receives a lot of rain in the summer. Yaeyama Islands usually gets more rain in July than Mashiko. Yaeyama Islands gets 179 mm (7 in) of rain, while Mashiko receives 117 mm (4.6 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Mashiko in the Autumn?

Both Mashiko and Yaeyama Islands are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities.

Yaeyama Islands is much warmer than Mashiko in the autumn. The temperature in Yaeyama Islands is usually 26°C (78°F) in October, and Mashiko stays around 16°C (60°F).

Yaeyama Islands usually receives more sunshine than Mashiko during autumn. Yaeyama Islands gets 177 hours of sunny skies, while Mashiko receives 133 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Mashiko. It's quite rainy in Yaeyama Islands. In October, Yaeyama Islands usually receives more rain than Mashiko. Yaeyama Islands gets 173 mm (6.8 in) of rain, while Mashiko receives 145 mm (5.7 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Mashiko in the Winter?

Both Mashiko and Yaeyama Islands during the winter are popular places to visit.

It's quite cold in Mashiko in the winter. In the winter, Yaeyama Islands is much warmer than Mashiko. Typically, the winter temperatures in Yaeyama Islands in January are around 18°C (64°F), and Mashiko is about 3°C (38°F).

In the winter, Yaeyama Islands often gets less sunshine than Mashiko. Yaeyama Islands gets 97 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Mashiko receives 181 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Yaeyama Islands. Yaeyama Islands usually gets more rain in January than Mashiko. Yaeyama Islands gets 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain, while Mashiko receives 44 mm (1.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Yaeyama Islands or Mashiko in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Yaeyama Islands and Mashiko.

In April, Yaeyama Islands is generally much warmer than Mashiko. Temperatures in Yaeyama Islands average around 23°C (74°F), and Mashiko stays around 12°C (53°F).

Yaeyama Islands usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Mashiko during spring. Yaeyama Islands gets 154 hours of sunny skies, while Mashiko receives 160 hours of full sun in the spring.

Mashiko receives a lot of rain in the spring. Yaeyama Islands gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Yaeyama Islands usually receives more rain than Mashiko. Yaeyama Islands gets 147 mm (5.8 in) of rain, while Mashiko receives 118 mm (4.6 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Mashiko and Yaeyama Islands