A unique Japanese travel itinerary among the mangroves of Amami Oshima 【Photo】 – SoraNews24 -Japan News-
If you miss Amami Oshima on your Japan travels, you’re missing out on a beautiful, unpopulated gem.
Kagoshima Prefecture Generally considered to be the southwestern corner of the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan. However, Kagoshima also includes a number of islands that extend farther out, some of which are more than halfway to Okinawa.
Today, we will go to one of these islands: Amami Oshima.
▼ Amami Oshima
▼ Amami Oshima Airport
We visited the island at the invitation of the local tourism promotion agency “Amami Islands Wide Area Management Association”.The highlight of our trip was Visit the mangroves of the islandwhich conjured up images of pristine jungles in our minds, but when we stepped out of the airport, everything was surprisingly modern, with a supermarket, pharmacy, and even a Family Mart not far away.
But as we hopped in our van and left the airport, the scenery became more and more lush…
…and before long, we came to a heavily vegetated part of the island, and we weren’t sure we’d be able to find our way back if we walked in at random…
…once we get to the mangroves the view gets even more beautiful.
The trees grow in rivers and inlets where fresh and sea water mix, and we can see a winding waterway in the middle of the forest we approach.
▼The types of mangroves that grow in Amami Oshima are Pigeon rootyou can tell this from its flowers.
Mangroves are located in Amami Gundong National Park Special Reserve, so you can’t just sneak into the woods like that.Instead, we head to canned mangrove (“The Mangrove Mansion”)…
…supply Guided canoe trip.
Having zero kayak experience ourselves, we were a little apprehensive about jumping into one. However, after a short five minute safety and handling lecture, our group hit the road and we quickly got used to the rhythm of paddling and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
As we mentioned above, mangroves grow in a mix of fresh and salt water, and Sometimes tourists even come across sea turtles during their excursions (Unfortunately we weren’t lucky enough, but a group of people who went out before us that day did).Tours are 2,000 yen ($15) and depart every 90 minutes between 10am and 4pm
▼ 360-degree panorama of some canoe routes
By the way, if you want to have lunch somewhere with strong local flavors, there are restaurants near Mangrove-kan Sasan. We treat ourselves for 1,850 yen ($14) manpuku (“full belly”) set And stuffed myself with soba noodles, stewed pork, fried chicken, tempura and rice.
As night fell, we didn’t check in earlier, but set out again for a special wildlife observation trip.
To access this stretch after dark, visitors need to book in advance (this can be done online here). You must also remain in the vehicle and not exceed 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) per hour.
But if you do…
…you have a good chance of seeing Amami Black Heronor Amami Black Rabbita protected lovely species.
Because of its location, Amami Oshima is often skipped by travelers heading to the farther south of Okinawa from other parts of Japan. Still, it’s a beautiful and unique place, so it’s worth adding to your Japan travel itinerary if you’re looking to get off the beaten track.
Related: Amami Oshima Mangrove Park, Tsumugi-an
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(Japanese reading)
