№63: Amami, the Southernmost Ōshima
This Ōshima definitely lives up to its moniker. 奄美大島 (Amami-Ōshima) is the largest of the Amami Islands, thus truly earning the Ōshima title and wearing it proudly. As Japan's ninth-largest island, Amami Ōshima has a lot to offer; bountiful sightseeing, plentiful coral reefs, lush forest, a unique ecosystem, and enough fishing spots to keep any outdoorsman occupied indefinitely. I spent 2 weeks here and couldn't see it all. People live, love, and thrive on Amami Ōshima and you can tell how much the locals take pride in their home. The friends I made on this trip really set this experience apart.
Island Info
Location: [28°15'50.0"N 129°21'02.0"E]
Address: 奄美大島, Kagoshima, Japan
Visit Date: 2023-11-14 — 2023-11-25
Island ID: #63
Contents:
Travel to Amami Ōshima
I took a ferry here Kagoshima City on the mainland so that I could get a more local experience. The ferry was packed with Amami residents as well as some visitors, like me, though I was the only traveler from abroad on my vessel. I met some of the nicest people on this boat, including a group of rugby players from an Amami high school and a local family that's been on the island for generations.
The Locals
While traveling on this Ōshima, I met so many people in love with the island itself and the community here. It was heartwarming. One man, 江崎隼太さん (Ezaki Shunta-san), made it his personal mission to introduce me to as many of the best people, places, and things that Amami had to offer. I learned so much from him, including some of the regional Amami dialect. During my travels, I also met a family that shared my grandmother's maiden name, and as a result, they sort of adopted me. I can't count the number of great memories I formed, and wonderful times I shared with this family. I will never forget their generosity and hope to return to this Ōshima to visit them again, someday.
Location and Climate
As far as I can tell, at the time of writing, Amami Ōshima is the southernmost Ōshima in Japan. It's also one of the biggest Ōshima. With that in mind, despite visiting in winter, the weather was very pleasant during my stay. Temperatures typically remained around 15 - 21°C, with humidity around 70 - 80% the entire time. It didn't rain very often while I was here, and when it did it was mostly a night, which was a bonus. The sound of rain on the lush forests at night was magical. It would always begin getting cold as the sun set, and nights were in the 10 - 25°C range, so I would recommend carrying multiple layers of clothing during this time of year. It got really windy towards the middle of my stay, which made being on the beach somewhat unpleasant but there are other activities to be done inland, as it really is such a large island.
Amami Ōshima offers much to visitors; while I was visiting it might have been only a coincidence, but it felt as though there was always some event happening, so much so that I couldn't see them all. I went to several festivals while I was visiting. Amami Ōshima is large enough to offer several distinct biomes with varying flora and fauna. Several types of beaches can be found here, including white sand, pebble & boulder, and coral. There are abundant coral reefs surrounding the Amami islands and both snorkel and scuba are big industries. There were several sea turtle sightings while on my visit.
The old growth forests on Amami Ōshima tout some ancient plants and animals, including many Sotetsu trees and the unique Amami Black Rabbit. These rabbits only live in Amami, and I only saw them a couple of times while driving at night, truly a rare and precious experience. There is also a Primeval Mangrove Forest on the island, featuring over 15 species of Mangrove and a correspondingly fascinating ecosystem. Canoes and kayaks can be rented from a number of outfitters for the soul purpose of exploring this area; there's an educational visitor's center that offers guided tours, as well.
Customs, Arts, and Attractions
From sights like Materia Falls deep in the interior to Honohoshi Beach on the coast, there are many sights to see. Organized activities are also available, such as ocean fishing tours and Dorozome fabric dyeing workshops.
Some of Amami Ōshima's local features include:
- 泥染め Dorozome - a natural fabric dying technique.
- けいはん Keihan - a traditional local cuisine.
- シマ唄 Shimauta - songs of the islands.
- 釣り Fishing - open-ocean, shore, freshwater, and more!
- カヌー Canoeing - ocean and tributary tours among the mangroves.
- 星空観察 Stargazing - lots of spots with low light pollution.
- たんかん Tankan - tropical tangerines, fresh for the picking.
- 瀧 Waterfalls - both in the mountains and on the coast.
- 黒砂糖 Kurozato - a special unprocessed brown sugar grown locally.
Local tour guides such as Seiya-san can show you around the island, as well.
Getting Around
I chose to rent a motor scooter for almost the entire duration of my stay on this island, a decision that I'd highly recommend. Riding weather got a little cold at times during my stay, but maybe a month earlier in October would have been peak riding conditions. I needed more layers than I expected. One thing to note about this Ōshima, and a lot of Japan for that matter, is the lack of space and available parking; when riding a bike or scooter, this is much less of an issue since the smaller vehicles easy to tuck out of the way just about anywhere without causing a problem. For the single traveler, renting a motorcycle or similar vehicle is a massive advantage as far as freedom is concerned. As a photographer and someone who likes to explore freely, the ability to stop just about anywhere on a moment's notice was invaluable.
Motorized or not, Ōshima #63 is very friendly to 2-wheeled vehicles; no road on the island has a speed limit higher than 50km/h and divers here are very respectful so it feels very safe.
I did use the bus system on the island a few times, and while it was not nearly as convenient, it was still much better than many busses in the US. Unlike much of mainland Japan, there are no trains Amami Ōshima, but the bus routes are pretty well-established. Make sure you're clearly visible, waiting at bus stops, as the bus may not pull over if they don't see you. Be advised that some locations in the mountains may be harder or impossible to reach via bus.
A Word from the Wise
Many locals will tell you to be weary of the ヘブ(hebu) a venomous snake indigenous to the Amami islands that's quite dangerous to humans. Encounters are purported to be most common at night, though encounters are possible around tall grass/undergrowth during the day as well. Visitors are recommended to move away quickly if they spot a hebu snake. Luckily, I didn't have a single encounter during the entire 2-week duration of my stay.
The road conditions may be uncertain and road signage cannot be replied upon to inform visitors of closures. While I was here, I encountered damage to some of the mountain roads, making the mountains impossible to cross over, however this was not made apparent by signage or barricades on closed (dead-end) roads that appear as traversable on the apps like Google Maps. This resulted in a lot of time wasted retracing my steps until I figured out I just needed to go around or through the mountains (via tunnel) instead of over them. I would recommend asking locals for directions instead of using Google Maps or Apple maps, as either may mislead you down roads with unmarked closures.
Reflecting on my trip, I would not say that any of these hazards had any appreciable negative effects on the experience of my stay. All things said and done, Amami is an excellent choice in vacation destination that is rather safe.
Review
I highly recommend visiting Amami Ōshima, as it is a great tourist destination! There are plenty of things to do here and the locals are helpful and welcoming. While it is a bit out of the way, it is well worth the journey. The fact that it is lesser-known outside of Japan makes it an interesting destination for foreigners. While I was able to thoroughly practice my Japanese on this trip, I encountered other foreigners that didn't speak Japanese at all and were getting along just fine with translation apps. My experience was that the locals are happy to share their beautiful island with respectful foreign travelers.
Gallery
Please Enjoy some of my favorite photos from Amami Ōshima.
Resources
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