Amami Islands

Travel guide to the nature-rich islands

The subtropical Amami Islands are located between Kagoshima and Okinawa’s mainland. The islands are mostly wooded and home to a diverse and rare array of plants and animals. In recognition of this, the islands were designated a World Natural Heritage Site in 2021.

The Amami Islands consist of eight inhabited islands, the largest of which is Amami Ōshima. The island has big hotels, restaurants, and many tourist-friendly stores. If you prefer a quieter, more remote location, visit the smaller islands, such as Kakeromajima, Kikaijima, Ukejima, and Yorojima.

View of Amami Oshima from Kakeromajima Island

Marine Activities

I went to Amami in the winter, when it was too cold to swim. However, I still had fun riding a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) and snorkeling while wearing a wetsuit. If you plan to enjoy marine activities, it is better to visit between May and October. There are many beaches in Amami, and you may be able to borrow snorkeling gear from your hotel or from shops by the beach. Many hotels and marine activity services are located on the west side of Akaogi Bay (Amami Crater). This area is ideal for beginner SCUBA divers because the water is shallow and the current is weak.

Youan Beach is another popular spot for enjoying marine activities. Located about 10 minutes from the airport, the area offers several hotels, restaurants, and shops. At Kenmun Mura, you can enjoy live local music (shimauta) and learn to make Amami-style pottery. Kenmun Mura is a part of Amami Resort Basyayama Mura which is a very nice resort hotel on the beach.

I rented a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) at Zero Gravity on Seisui Beach near Konia Port. Seisui Beach is located in the southern part of Amami Oshima. Zero Gravity is a hotel as well as a marine activity shop. The people at Zero Gravity are super nice, and the facilities are new and clean. I really enjoyed being there. As expected, the water is very clean and beautiful, just like the other beaches on the Amami Islands.

Yadorihama Beach is close ro Seisui Beach.

Naze area

The Naze area is the busiest part of Amami Oshima. If you travel from Kagoshima by ship, you will arrive at Naze Port. You can find hotels, restaurants, souvenir stores and travel agencies here. It may be a good idea to stay in Naze and explore the rest of the island.

View of Naze Port from Daikuma Tenbo Park

Amami Viper Center in Naze

If you have some extra time, visiting Amami Viper Center may be a good idea.

The viper center keeps several viper strains, and you can watch a viper versus mongoose video.

Amami Mangrove Park

Amami Mangrove Park is located in Sumiyocho, Amami City, about a 30-minute drive from Naze Port. The park offers canoeing, Segway riding, and miniature golf. Sumiyocho is located in the middle of Amami Ōshima Island and is home to a variety of wildlife in its forests.

Kakeroma Jima Island

Kakeroma Jima is a very beautiful island located just south of Amami Oshima. You can go to Kakeroma Jima by ship from Koniya Port at the southern part of Amami Oshima.

Ferry Kakeroma in Ikenma Port, Kakeroma Jima Island

Saneku Beach

I spent three days in Saneku. Saneku Beach is very beautiful, and the accommodation was very cheap.

Saneku Blue is the name given to this water.

Guest house Yui is located in front of Saneku Beach and costs me 3000 Yen for the first night and 2500 Yen for the following nights. Saneku is a small town. There is no store in this town and you need to shop groceries before you come here.

The guesthouse Yui has a functional kitchen.

Dining in Kakeroma Jima

There aren’t many places to eat in Kakeroma. Tazuki is one of the few dining places open during the off-season. It is located off the main street near Seso Port. This local restaurant serves traditional cuisine to locals, and I enjoyed it.

Look for this signboard to find the restaurant

Easy to miss the place if you do not know what it looks like.

So-ki don (Southern style beef bowl, similar to gyudon)

Kakeroma Image Gallery

Southern tip of Kakeroma, near Tokuhama Beach

Just as this image shows that small villages are scattered around Kakeroma Island.

Food/Dining in Amami Oshima

Keihan, a chicken and rice soup, is the soul food of the Amami Islands. It is made with steamed rice, shredded chicken, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, citrus peel, papaya pickles, green onions, and nori, or dried seaweed. I have eaten Keihan at many popular restaurants. My favorite was at Restaurant Aikana in Hotel Sun Days Amami. It is located near Naze Port. It’s very easy for tourists to access. Keihan Hisakura is another good restaurant. It is located in Tatsugo and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Keihan at Restaurant Aikana. You add toppings as you like and add chicken broth.

Keihan Hisakura is a big and famous Keihan Restaurant

I also had Keihan for breakfast at Kami House Inn near Naze port. Each restaurant/hotel offers some original ingredients, so I enjoyed eating Keihan at different places.

I really liked Shima-Tofu-Ya on Route 58. I think it is one of the best restaurants in Amami Oshima. You can have as much soi milk and hot tofu as you like when you order a set menu (Teisyoku).

The deli is open between 10:00 and 19:00
The restaurant is open between 11:00 and 18:00
I went to the restaurant around 11:20 and there were many people waiting.

Taguchi Udon Restaurant in Tatsugo
Udon (うどん) are thick Japanese noodles made primarily from wheat flour. It is a very popular food in Japan. The Taguchi Udon restaurant is located in Tatsugo, close to popular surfing and diving spots such as Tebiro and Kurasaki beaches. The restaurant serves udon in three types of soup: pork, eggplant, and fungi. I had the pork udon, and it was delicious. This udon restaurant is as good as any in mainland Japan.

Menu: You have a choice of fungi, eggplant or pork soup. You can chose a serving size of 1, 1.5 or 2 udon.

Seafood Restaurant in Koniya Port ferry terminal “Setouchi Sea Station”
The Setouchi Sea Station, located in Setouchi Town, is a sightseeing and information center that sells ferry tickets to the Kakeroma, Yoro, and Uke Islands, as well as tickets for other boats and tours. There are also two restaurants operated by the local fishing community. I had Island Mama’s set meal, which was good.

Lunch at Setouchi Sea Station (Uminoeki)

Bee lunch is located in Kuninao Beach area near Miyakozaki.

Chickens were walking around the restaurant.

I had chicken curry which had very original taste and was excellent.

Westerner‘s Café in Toen

Westerner‘s Café is located in a small town, called Toen, on the north side of the island. The owner and her dog were very friendly, and the restaurant is decorated in an old Western style. I had the curry, which was very good.

Accommodation

Camping Sites

Kohama Camping Ground, Amami City

Kohama Camping Ground is part of Amami City Ohama Seaside Park near the Naze Port. The campground is located by the sea. The Seaside Park also includes Amami Marine Aquarium & Museum. You need to check in at the aquarium counter before camping. I was the only person camping there. Not many people came to the beach in winter. If you do not want to cook at the campground, there is a restaurant inside the aquarium. It is open from 9:30 to 18:00.

The camp ground is located right by the sea, right side of the photo.

I had a Turtle burger (beef) at the aquarium restaurant. It was OK.

Yadorihama Camping Ground in Setouchi

This campsite is located at Yadori Beach. It is at the southern end of Amami Ōshima. Although it is free to use, the facilities are well-maintained. There are toilets, shower rooms, a cooking area, and a roofed hall. Yadori Beach is about 11 km from Konia Port, a gateway to Kakeroma Island.

Yadorihama Beach. The camp ground is located on the right side of the image.

The camp site has toilets and shower rooms.

Large parking space is available. This camp site is free but well equipped and maintained.

Tatsumi-so in Uken Village

I stayed at this inn by the sea in Uken Village. The view from my room was great. I drove around Amami Ōshima Island, and the northwest part of the island, including Uken, is not a tourist area, which I like very much. The people working there seem cold at first, but they are very kind and helpful. Maybe they are shy around strangers. Most of the guests seemed to be construction workers. They stayed for several days and enjoyed chatting with others. Unsurprisingly, Keihan was served for dinner. You can have as much rice, miso soup, and Keihan broth as you like. I filled my stomach nicely.

Keihan (Chicken and rice) and some seafood are served for dinner

Access

Access to Amami Oshima Island is explained nicely in the Official Discover Kagoshima website. Your choice is either travel by air or by sea. Since I traveled with my car, I took a ferry from Kagoshima Port. It may be cheaper to travel by air than by sea. The ship leaves Kagoshima Port at 18:00 and arrives at Amami Oshima at 5:00 AM. So, you spend overnight in the shop. It was nice to see landscapes in Kagoshima Bay.

A view of Sakurajima from Kagoshima Port. Sakurajima is an active volcano. If you are lucky, or unlucky, you get to see volcanic activities.

A view of Kaimondake from the ferry. It is also an active volcano.

Bird Watching

Amami is home to many endemic bird species, and Amami Nature Observation Forest is the best place to go bird watching in Amami Oshima. I was lucky enough to see all the endemic bird species unique to Amami Islands in three weeks.