I went to Amami Oshima in early April. Well, it was amazing, to say the least. It was my first visit to Amami Oshima but I’m a big fan of Amami Oshima already, and I’ve made a promise to come back again. On the last day, it was almost heartbreaking to say goodbye to Amami Oshima at the airport:(
This is a glance of my Amami Oshima holiday. Through these photos, I hope you can feel, even a bit, how Amami Oshima fills my heart with happiness:) I included mini travel guides of Amami Oshima in this post. I hope this gives you some ideas for your next trip!
Quick Overview of Amami Oshima
Amami Oshima lies between Kyushu and Okinawa ― a UNESCO World Natural Heritage island that most visitors to Japan never reach. Its north offers crystalline coral beaches (Sakibaru Beach, Yo Beach, the legendary Heart Rock shore), while the island’s interior hides subtropical rainforest sheltering rare species like the Amami rabbit and Amami woodcock. Rooted in layered history ― Ryukyu Kingdom, Satsuma domain, postwar U.S. administration ― Amami has a food culture all its own: keihan (chicken-rice in dashi broth), kokuto brown sugar, and handmade island tofu.
Geography & Key Facts:
Area: 712 km² (largest island in Satsunan chain)
Prefecture: Kagoshima
Population: approx. 60,000
Main city: Amami City (奄美市) ― the central hub, known as Naze (名瀬)
UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site: designated 2021
Climate: subtropical; warm and humid year-round. Rainy season May–June. Typhoon risk July–October.
[DISCOVER KAGOSHIMA (Official Kagoshima Tourism)]
Access
From Nagoya
Route: Chubu Centrair (NGO) → Kagoshima (KOJ) → Amami (ASJ)
At this moment, there are no direct flights between Nagoya (Chubu) and Amami. The route requires a connection at Kagoshima Airport.
Total travel time (including connection): approx. 3–4 hours
From Tokyo & Osaka
There are direct flights between Tokyo/Osaka and Amami. (1-2 flights per day)
Amami Airport to Sightseeing Spots:
Amami Airport is in the northern part of the island (Kasari area) ― very convenient for the northern sights covered.
– Kasarizaki Lighthouse: ~20 min by car
– Sakibaru Beach: ~20 min by car
– Heart Rock (Tatsugo): ~15 min by car
– Mizuma Brown Sugar Factory: ~30 min by car
– Central Amami (Naze / Amami City): ~40 min by car
A rental car is essential for exploring Amami Oshima ― public transport is very limited.
How Many Days Do You Need?
In fact, Amami Oshima is a quite big island (it is the 3rd largest inhabited island in Japan) so it will require at least 4 days and 3 nights if you try to cover the entire island, even if you usually prefer a quick glance at the major landmarks. This time, I stayed for 4 days and 3 nights, but I mainly stayed and focused on the north side of the island. (If this helps you with your travel plans, I generally like a slow-paced trip and enjoy things like chilling the beach.) But above all, of course, everyone has their own travel style, but from my own experience, I thought Amami rewards slow travel — a few days of driving backroads, eating at roadside restaurants, and watching the sea change color as the day passes.
Sakibaru Beach / 崎原海岸
Out of all the beaches I visited this time, this one was my favorite
Tomori Beach / 土盛海岸
Well, this beach is also my favorite;)
Kasarizaki Lighthouse / 笠利崎灯台
It was super windy the day I visited, I felt like I was going to be blown away, but it was a great view!
Honohoshi Beach / ほのほし海岸
This beach is very unusual beach. Instead of sand, the entire shore is covered in thousands of perfectly rounded, smooth stones. The waves hit the rocky shore, the stones roll and hit against each other, and make extraordinary sound.
IMPORTANT: Stones must NOT be taken from the beach — taking them is strictly prohibited and considered taboo on the island. Local legend says that the stones have spiritual power (tamashii / 魂) and taking them away brings misfortune. I kindly ask you to respect this rule.
Keihan / 鶏飯 — Amami’s Soul Food
The dish consists of a bowl of plain steamed rice over which an array of toppings are arranged: tender shredded chicken, thin strips of tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), sliced shiitake mushrooms, shredded pickled papaya, dried nori seaweed, and chopped spring onion. A clear, deeply flavored chicken broth is then ladled over the whole bowl until the rice is submerged.
I tried Keihan at two different restaurants. Both were delicious but quite different in taste. So if you liked Keihan, it might be fun to try out different restaurants and find your best Keihan:)
Mizuma Brown Sugar Factory / 水間黒糖製造工場
It was simply amazing.
They make kurozato (raw brown sugar / black sugar) with a slow, labor-intensive traditional method. Their kurozato is incomparable with commercial sugar and on a whole other level. My hands were very happy to bring them back home;)
Shima Tofu-ya Takano / 島とうふ屋 高野
Restaurant close pretty early once they run out of food so make sure to arrive early if you want to eat here.
It was the magical trip.
I miss Amami Oshima so much already.
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