Transferred to Ishigaki, Japan

These were taken by Cole from the plane as he flew to Ishigaki.




What a sweet aircraft!






Southernmost City of Japan
You are on your way to the southernmost city in all of Japan. Ishigaki Island is located 1,950km away from Tokyo, 450km away from Naha, and 270km away from Taiwan. The current population of Ishigaki is 47,804. The island is 222.57 sq. kilometers. Ishigaki is a part of the Yaeyama Island Chain. With Ishigaki as a main transportation center, it is easy to get to other islands via the extensive ferry system. Nearby islands include Taketomi, Kohama, Kuroshima, Aragusuku, Iriomote, Hatoma, Hateruma, and Yonaguni.




Ishigaki Island is famous for the coral reefs and diving. It is also a major vacation destination.





The sunsets are spectacular.





There are many white sand beaches located on this beautiful island.



Tropical Fruit, Pineapples, Mangos and Bananas.




Ishigaki bay seen from southern gate bridge.




Attached to the Fusaki Resort Village, Fusaki Beach is another beautiful beach on Ishigaki Island where marine sports such as wake boarding can be enjoyed. Fusaki Beach has a netted off swimming area to help protect swimmers from the poisonous Habu Jellyfish. The beach is also a great place to watch the setting sun. Even though Fusaki Beach is attached to the resort it is open to the public and free of charge along with showers and toilets.



Ishigaki Sunset Beach is a private beach located on the Kuura Coast, the northern peninsula of Ishigaki Island. It is a well kept beach with life guards on duty and a safety net to help keep Habu Jelly fish out of the swimming area.

Located on Ishigaki Sunset Beach is a small shop that sells snacks, drinks, sunscreen, and ice cream. Marine activities are also available here like snorkeling tour, glass bottom boat rides, fishing tours, GS boat Tour. Enjoy this white sandy beach, clear water and beautiful coral reef with the whole family. My New Companion is Elder Toomey (here is a clip of him from the MTC with me)

Elder Cole and Prime Minister Taro Aso

Elder Chandler sent this to us. He is with the Previous Prime Minister of Japan.

Taro Aso (麻生太郎 Asō Tarō?, born September 20, 1940) was the 59th Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.
He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General[2] of the LDP briefly in 2007 and in 2008. He was President [2] of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2008 to 2009. His successor, Sadakazu Tanigaki, was chosen 28 September 2009.

Aso, a Roman Catholic, was born in Iizuka, Fukuoka on September 20, 1940.[3] His father, Takakichi Aso, was the chairman of the Aso Cement Company and a close associate of Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka; his mother Kazuko Aso was Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida's daughter. Taro is also a great-great-grandson of Toshimichi Okubo, and his current wife, Chikako is the third daughter of Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki. His younger sister, Nobuko, is the wife of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, a first cousin of the Emperor Akihito.
Aso first graduated from the Faculty of Politics and Economics at Gakushuin University. He then studied in the United States at Stanford University, but was cut off by his family, who feared he was becoming too Americanized[citation needed]. After making his way back to Japan on a ship, he left once more to study at the London School of Economics.
Aso spent two years working for a diamond mining operation in Sierra Leone before civil war forced him to return to Japan.
Aso joined his father's company in 1966, and served as president of the Asō Mining Company from 1973 to 1979. Working for the company, he lived in Brazil during the 1960s; Aso speaks Portuguese fluently.[4]
He was also a member of the Japanese shooting team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and President of the Japan Junior Chamber in 1978.


Cole is meeting very influential people.

Well this Wednesday is transfer day again. Cole is hoping to remain in Izuka because he really loves it there.