Amami Oshima

A subtropical island inscribed as a World Natural Heritage Site in 2021, with mangrove kayaking, primeval forest and coral seas—quieter than Okinawa.

Amami Oshima lies about 380 km south of Kagoshima City and north of Okinawa, between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. Covering about 712 km², it is Japan’s third-largest outlying island after Okinawa Island and Sado (excluding the Northern Territories), and belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture, divided among Amami City, Tatsugo, Yamato, Uken, Setouchi and other municipalities. The island is cloaked in subtropical evergreen forest, and in 2021 it was inscribed as a World Natural Heritage Site together with Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa and Iriomote, home to endemic species such as the Amami rabbit and Lidth’s jay. The island divides into three areas. The north, around Kasari near Amami Airport, has Tomori Beach, Cape Ayamaru, Amami Park with the Tanaka Isson Memorial Art Museum, Oshima Tsumugi Village and the heart-shaped rock. The center, around the Naze city area, has the Amami Museum, Ohama Seaside Park, the Kinsakubaru primeval forest and mangrove kayaking in Sumiyo, while Yamato Village to the west has Miyakozaki, Materiya Falls and Mount Yuwan. In the south, from Koniya you can climb Mount Kochi for views over the Oshima Strait, cross to Kakeroma Island, and visit Honohoshi Beach. April–October is good for swimming and snorkeling, though typhoons are frequent in July–September; winters are mild but often cloudy and rainy. Getting there: Amami Airport has flights from Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Kagoshima, Fukuoka and elsewhere, and overnight ferries run from Kagoshima to Naze Port. Buses on the island are infrequent and the drive from north to south takes about 2 hours, so renting a car is recommended; allow 3–4 days. Kinsakubaru can only be visited with a certified guide, and night tours on forest roads to see Amami rabbits are also best done with a guide, observing speed limits; watch out for venomous habu snakes outdoors. Local food includes keihan (chicken rice), brown-sugar shochu and island pork.

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