The Amami Islands are known for Kokuto Shochu, a type of distilled alcohol which uniquely uses brown sugar as a key ingredient. Kokuto Shochu is specific to Amami. Around the various islands of Amami there are many distilleries specializing in this unique variety of Shochu. Some of those distilleries have factory sales and tastings – …
The Tanaka Isson Memorial Museum on Amami Oshima is an art museum dedicated primarily to the painter Tanaka Isson (1908-1977), who lived on Amami for 19 years. The museum, which opened in 2001, displays many of Isson’s colorful works from different periods of his life and career. There is also a small area for other …
The Amami Museum is dedicated to telling the story of Amami‘s cultural and natural history. The museum, which has recently installed a new and modern exhibition, has a very well developed display of artifacts and information posters. The new exhibit explains in details the complex history of the Amami islands and how people used to …
The Heart Rock on Amami Oshima is a tidal pool, shaped like a heart. The spot has been popular for years, and is known as a power spot. It is a highly popular location for couples and good friends to take photos together. Located near the narrowest point on Amami Oshima is Amami’s Heart Rock. …
Amami Islands, or Amami-guntō as the archipelago is official named, is a beautiful group of islands, located about mid-way between Kyusuhu and Okinawa. Amami is part of the Ryukyu Islands, just like Okinawa, but it is technically a part of Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu. The climate, nature and landscape has many similarities with Okinawa, including …
While Yakushima is known for it’s amazing hiking, it is also known for it’s many rainy days. If you run into a rainy day, or just want to rest your legs and experience more of Yakushima than the deep forests, then this 1-day road trip around the circumference of the island is just for you. …
Yakusugi Land is a designated Natural Recreation Forest on Yakushima island. The park is covered in dense virgin forest with rivers, mountainsides, enormous thousand-year-old Yakusugi cedar trees and has five amazing hiking trails. There are trails suitable for every level. The ancient forest in Yakusugi Land is known for it’s serene nature. The burbles of …
Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is probably the most popular destination in all of Yakushima. The park is known for it’s hiking trails through the deep and dark mountain forests, covered in moss and ferns, and home to the gigantic Yakushima cedar trees – some so large that the trail actually, physically, passes through the trees. The …
Jōmon Sugi (縄文杉), an enormous and several thousand years old cedar tree, is one of the main attractions on Yakushima. The tree, which is located deep in the mountain forest of Yakushima, is considered to be the oldest tree in Japan, and one of the oldest in the world. The actual age is unknown, but …
Oko-no-taki Waterfall (大川の滝) on the south-western side of Yakushima, is the tallest waterfall on the island. It is a spectacularly beautiful fall and has been included in the list of the 100 most beautiful waterfalls of Japan. Yakushima is home to more waterfalls than you can count, and at least a handful of really tall …
