Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [585]
If you are arriving in Japan by air, it is worth noting that JAL and ANA both offer ‘visit Japan’–type airfares for domestic flights within Japan – as long as they are bought outside Japan in conjunction with a ticket to Japan. Such tickets, if used to Okinawa, are an incredible saving from standard domestic airfares bought within Japan.
Getting Around
Once you arrive in a major hub like Naha on Okinawa-hontō or Ishigaki on Ishigaki-jima, you will find plenty of ferry services to the surrounding islands. Services are plentiful and you can use cities like these as bases for island-hopping vacations. There are also reasonable air networks in Amami-shotō, Okinawa-shotō and Yaeyama-shotō, with airfields on most (but not all) islands.
Getting around the islands themselves is a little less convenient. While most islands have public bus networks, there are usually not more than a few buses per day on each route. Thus, if at all possible, we recommend bringing an International Driving Permit and renting a car or scooter, particularly on Yakushima, Ishigaki, Iriomote and Okinawa-hontō. Another solution is renting a bicycle, but rental bikes are often old creakers, so if you’re serious about cycling, you may want to bring your own touring bicycle.
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KAGOSHIMA-KEN
The northern end of the Southwest Islands is actually part of the prefecture of Kagoshima-ken, which also includes the southern end of Kyūshū, one of the Japanese mainland islands. The Kagoshima-ken part of the Southwest Islands contains three island groups (island groups are called ‘shotō’ or ‘rettō’ in Japanese).
Northernmost is Ōsumi-shotō, which is home to the island of Yakushima, one of the most popular destinations in the Southwest Islands. These islands, around 100km south of the Kyūshū mainland, are accessible by frequent ferries from Kagoshima. There is also limited air service to two of the islands.
Next is the Tokara-rettō, consisting of 12 rarely visited volcanic islets, which is one of the most remote destinations in the region. The Tokara-rettō are served by ferries that make the run between Kagoshima and Amami-Ōshima.
Southernmost is Amami-shotō, which is home to the population centre of Amami-Ōshima as well as several more picturesque islands. Located 380km south of Kyūshū, this group has a more pronounced tropical feel than other islands in the Kagoshima-ken. This group of islands is easily accessed by frequent ferries from Kagoshima and planes from Kagoshima. There are also weekly ferries from Tokyo and Osaka/Kōbe.
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ŌSUMI-SHOTŌ
Ōsumi-shotō comprises the two main islands of Yakushima and Tanegashima and the seldom-visited triumvirate of islands known as Mishima-mura. The all-star attraction in the group is Yakushima, a virtual paradise for nature lovers that attracts large numbers of both domestic and international travellers. Tanegashima, which is famous as the home of Japan’s space program, sees few foreign travellers, though it is a popular surfing destination for Japanese. Finally, the most commonly visited island in the Mishima-mura group is tiny Iō-jima, a rarely visited gem of a volcanic island with excellent onsen (hot springs).
Yakushima
0997 / pop 14,000
Designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1993, Yakushima is one of the most rewarding islands in the Southwest Islands. The craggy mountain peaks of the island’s interior are home to the world-famous yaku-sugi (; Cryptomeria japonica), ancient cedar trees that are said to have been