Amami Ōshima

Amami Oshima sits about 389 km south of Kagoshima, a large island with the second biggest mangrove forest in Japan. Its forests shelter rare creatures including the Amami rabbit and the Amami jay, and the island was designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2021 alongside Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa, and Iriomote Island. Beyond the ecology, the island has its own cultural identity: shimauta island songs, the communal August dances of hachigatsu odori, and a historic silk weaving tradition. Coral reefs rim the coast, and the combination of wild nature and living folk culture makes Amami unlike anywhere else in Japan.