Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [593]
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Native Sea Amami (62-2385; www.native-sea.com; per person with 2 meals from ¥13,650; ) About 18km east of Naze (or 3km from the Akaogi bus stop), this dive centre-resort has nice accommodation in a room block perched on a promontory over a lovely bay. There is a nice shallow beach below the resort and the dining room and guest rooms have great views.
EATING
Okonomiyaki Mangetsu (53-2052; 2-2-1F Irifune-cho, Naze; 11.30am-2.30am) Locals pile in for the excellent okonomiyaki (Japanese griddle-fried cabbage and batter cakes with various fillings) at this excellent Naze eatery. For carnivores, we recommend the kurobuta mix (pork-shrimp-squid mix, ¥1260), and for veggies, we recommend the isobecchi (cheese and nori seaweed, ¥750). There’s a picture menu.
Burroughs (52-7306; meals from ¥800; 11am-midnight) Amami-Ōshima was the last place we expected to find a coffee shop named after American beat author William Burroughs, but Japan is always full of surprises. It doesn’t serve a Naked Lunch, but it does have light meals and all the usual coffee drinks and you can browse its great book collection as you eat. Look for the tiny English sign above a locksmith’s shop.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Amami-Ōshima has flights to/from Tokyo (¥42,500, 2½ hours, one daily), Osaka (¥33,200, one hour 45 minutes, one daily) and Kagoshima (¥21,200, one hour, four daily) on JAL or JAC. RAC operates a daily flight between Naha and Amami-Ōshima (¥21,400, one hour). There are also flights between Amami-Ōshima and the other islands in the Amami group (see each island’s Getting There & Away section for details).
Maruei Ferry/A Line (in Kagoshima 099-226-4141; www.aline-ferry.com, in Japanese) operates four or five ferries a month running to/from Tokyo (¥20,500, 37 hours) and Osaka/Kobe (¥15,500, 29 hours), as well as daily ferries to/from Kagoshima (¥9200, 11 hours). Most of these ferries continue on to Naha, so you can travel in the reverse direction from Naha to Amami-Ōshima as well. Amami Kaiun (in Kagoshima 099-222-2338) operates five ferries a week to/from Kagoshima (¥9200, 14 hours).
Amami-Ōshima has a good bus system, but you will definitely appreciate a rental car if you have an International Driving Permit. Matsuda Renta Car (63-0240) on the main street in Naze near the Amami Sun Plaza Hotel has subcompacts from ¥4500. It also has a branch near the airport.
Tokunoshima
0997 / pop 28,000
Tokunoshima, the second-largest island in Amami-shotō, has some interesting coastal rock formations and a few good beaches. The island is famous for tōgyū (, bovine sumō), which has been practised on the island for more than 500 years. Other attractions include decent diving and snorkelling and views that occasionally call to mind parts of Hawaii.
On the island’s east coast is the main port of Kametoku-shinkō () and the main town of Kametsu (). Tokunoshima’s airport is on its west coast, not far from the secondary port of Hetono (). A small tourist information office (;82-0575; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) at the ferry building has a detailed Japanese pamphlet and a simple English one about the island.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
There are 13 official tōgyu venues on the island that stage around 20 tournaments a year. The three biggest events for the year are held in January, May and October – call the tourist office to confirm details as dates vary.
Several good beaches are dotted around the coast, including the excellent Aze-Princess Beach (), which is near the Aze/Fruits Garden bus stop on the northeast coast.
About 9km north of the airport at the northwestern tip of the island, Mushirose () is an interesting collection of wave-smoothed rocks that would make a great picnic spot. On a point on the southwest coast of the island, the Innojō-futa () is a collection of bizarrely eroded upthrust coral