Jusandi front entrance
Jusandi was not originally part of our Christmas Okinawa itinerary. The plan was to spend six days on the main island, visiting World War II sites and enjoying nature in the mangrove forests of Yanbaru National Park in the north. While staying at One Suite The Grand, an excellent 22-room boutique hotel on Kouri Island, we had dinner at La Bombance (yes, the same La Bombance as in Tokyo and at Sowaka ryokan in Kyoto), where our waiter on the first night, Mr. Hiroya Hayakawa, turned out to be our butler from five years ago at Jusandi. He told us he had recently left Jusandi to join One Suite The Grand and mentioned that Jusandi's chef, Takumi Hirose, had reached mandatory retirement age (60 or 65, depending on the employer) and would soon be leaving. I asked if he knew whether Chef Hirose was still there; after exchanging messages, Hiroya confirmed that he was, and that his last day would be at the end of March. A quick availability check on my phone showed that both a standard one-bedroom villa and the two-bedroom villa at Jusandi were free. I told Hiroya we would see if we could shuffle flights and car rentals to squeeze in an overnight side trip to Ishigaki instead of heading straight home, and he later relayed a message from the chef saying he would love to see us again and would prepare some memorable dishes.
Jusandi's main building, which mainly consists of the dining room
Dining room at Jusandi
The following morning, we took the one-hour flight from Naha Airport to Ishigaki and, after picking up a rental car, drove about 15 minutes to Jusandi. To our surprise, we were the only guests staying at the five-room property. Given that it was the day after Christmas, we had expected far more people. In reality, Japan is still very much "business as usual" at that time of year, schools are in session, and most foreign tourists avoid Okinawa's islands in December because the weather is historically unreliable. It tends to be chilly, windy, and damp - hardly beach weather. For a proper winter beach vacation in this part of the world, you really need to head to Southeast Asia. Peak travel periods here are summer holidays, as well as spring and fall.
Lush vegetation from Jusandi to the nearest beach
The Blue Cave is reached by swimming or wading around the coastline to the left (how you get there depends on tidal conditions)
Although it belongs to Okinawa Prefecture, Ishigaki sits in the Yaeyama archipelago, the most remote part of Japan from the main islands. The region includes Japan's southernmost inhabited island (Hateruma) and westernmost (Yonaguni), and Ishigaki itself is closer to Taiwan than to Naha. Ishigaki has lovely beaches, coral reefs, and tranquil mangrove forests, but many of the surrounding islands are equally, if not more, compelling. Because Ishigaki Airport is the only airport serving the Yaeyama chain and the port is the hub for ferries, many travelers use the island as a base for visiting Hateruma, Iriomote, Kohama, and Taketomi by jetfoil. That is exactly what we did five years ago: we split our time between exploring Ishigaki and taking day trips to Iriomote (our favorite) and Kohama. We prefer the wild, lush nature of Iriomote to Ishigaki and would have divided our nights between the two if Iriomote had any truly appealing accommodations - unfortunately, aside from a large, rather tired resort with "Hoshino" in its name, it does not.
"Yarabu" 2 Bedroom Villa with Pool, 100m²
"Yarabu" 2 Bedroom Villa with Pool, 100m²
"Yarabu" 2 Bedroom Villa with Pool, 100m²
We would not have returned to Jusandi if not for the chance to experience Chef Hirose's cooking one last time before his departure from Jusandi. Some memories are best left untouched, but after having dinner there four nights in a row on our previous stay, we were confident that the food had genuinely been exceptional and not just colored by nostalgia.
Jusandi occupies a plot of land not far from the sea - only a few hundred meters from the nearest beach - but from anywhere on the property, including the villas, there is essentially no sea view. The resort is surrounded by dense, jungle-like vegetation, which has been left intact rather than cleared to open up vistas. This is probably for the best, as the property faces north, where winds can be fierce; the thick greenery likely provides a natural buffer from the elements. On our first visit, our villa had a partially obstructed ocean view, but this time there was none to speak of. That said, we enjoyed the short walk through the jungle to a small, secluded beach in a nearby cove. It is also the starting point for swims to the so-called "blue cave," where, in ideal conditions, the water glows a deep blue. We have never actually gone into the cave - time constraints, often-rough seas on the island's northern side, and the fact that we have already visited plenty of brilliant blue waters in places like Belize, the Philippines, and the cenotes of Mexico made it easy to pass this up.
"Yarabu" 2 Bedroom Villa with Pool, 100m²
"Yarabu" 2 Bedroom Villa with Pool, 100m² - Backyard and pool
One of Jusandi's most appealing visual elements is its architecture. The structures are predominantly white, evoking Mediterranean villages and lending the property a soothing, minimalist feel. More wood might have added warmth, but the simple white concrete has aged gracefully, reminiscent of certain properties in Santorini or along the Amalfi Coast. Each of the five villas has a slightly different layout dictated by the land, and on our first stay we found Maani, our one-bedroom villa, narrower and more constricted than its 60m² footprint suggested. This time we stayed in the 100m² two-bedroom pool villa, Yarabu, which addressed some of those spatial issues - even if much of the additional area is devoted to the second bedroom. The squarer configuration makes the living room, which is probably not dramatically larger than those in the one-bedroom units, feel brighter and more open. It is also worth noting that Ishigaki has virtually no natural hot springs, due to geological conditions that do not favor onsen formation. In any case, Okinawa's generally warm climate means that bathing culture here leans far more toward showers than soaking tubs.
Tuna and Ruby Snapper carpaccio with red turnip, umi budo (sea grapes), okra, daikon, radish, spinach and shikuwasa, a sort of Okinawan lime
Spaghettini with Tomato sauce; sausage and ham
Our main reason for returning, however, was the food, and on that front the experience sadly did not live up to the high standard we remembered from five years ago. The menus felt short on imagination, and both the selection and quality of certain ingredients were underwhelming. The pasta course, for example, was a simple tomato sauce with sausage and ham. This was followed by sautéed leopard grouper with bagna cauda, and then panko-crusted pork with mustard sauce. The progression was heavy and not especially creative. For the fish, something like an acqua pazza preparation would have been preferable - lighter yet still full of umami. Looking back at photos from our previous stay only highlighted the gap: fried whitebait and cabbage with karasumi (salted mullet roe), ravioli with snow crab in a delicate dashi sauce, spaghetti with oysters and rape blossoms in a minimalist but outstanding salt-and-dashi broth, and a superb cold pasta of capellini with fresh tomato sauce, spicy cod roe, and caviar. By contrast, the squid ink risotto with thin strips of squid on this visit was good but hardly original.
Panko-crusted island pork with mustard sauce, shiitake, Japanese turnip, snap endo, mashed potatoes & cauliflower
Okinawan breakfast in our villa at Jusandi
To be fair, there were bright spots. A dish of blackspot tuskfish and potato brandade, served with tuskfish jelly, caviar from Gifu Prefecture, and scallions, all tied together with kelp stock, was a terrific way to begin dinner. A carpaccio of tuna and ruby snapper with assorted land and sea vegetables also did a fine job of whetting the appetite. Breakfast was another high point: an Okinawan spread of island fruits, cold noodles with mozuku (brown seaweed) in a vinegar dressing, Ishigaki pork with poached eggs and long onions, and a clear soup with aosa seaweed showcased local ingredients in a way that was satisfying and flavorful without being heavy.
Was the detour worth the extra flight, car rental, and accommodation costs, plus the time required to fit Jusandi into our itinerary? The experience did not quite match our hopes, but it was not a major ordeal to bolt on an extra day at the end of our Okinawa trip, and we enjoyed the chance to relax at Jusandi and wander around the surrounding area.
"Yarabu" 2 Bedroom Villa with Pool, 100m² - Backyard & pool at night
As for what comes next, both for Jusandi and for Chef Hirose, the future is uncertain. He mentioned having a son in Fukuoka and hinted that he might relocate there, perhaps to open a restaurant in the city. Jusandi, meanwhile, has yet to find his successor, and there is no clarity about what sort of cuisine will be offered going forward. That single decision will likely shape Jusandi's prospects more than any other factor.