Most viewed - KAGOSHIMA 鹿児島県 |
Sakurajima, Kagoshima. Part of Kirishima-Yaku National Park. 桜島427 views
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Sakurajima 桜島291 viewsPart of Kirishima-Yaku National Park.
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View of Sakurajima from Shiroyama Park212 viewsNotice the submarine in the water.
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View from Shiroyama Park192 views
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What's a submarine doing in Kagoshima?190 views
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Walking paths near the mountain.181 views
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Sakurajima 桜島177 views
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Leaving Sakurajima across the bay.173 views
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JR Nishi-Kagoshima Station in the 1980s.171 viewsThe station is now called Kagoshima Chuo Station.
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View from the slope161 views
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Kagoshima port149 views
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Red hibiscus and other flowers in the tsumugi factory's garden setting. Amami Oshima, Kagoshima43 views
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White hibiscus on Amami Oshima.42 views
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Hibiscus on semitropical Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima.41 views
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Kind of sad to see so many great Yakusugi cedar trees which were cut down. But at least they still survive in some form or hosting other trees and plants.41 views
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Sago palms, Amami Oshima, Kagoshima39 views
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Adan アダン (Pandanus odoratissimus)38 views
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Tropical garden setting for this fabric factory. Oshima tsumugimura, Amami Oshima.38 views
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Wild monkeys on the mountain road in Yakushima. Waiting to get food tossed by tourists. (None from us.)38 views
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Sago palms with a cone. Oshima Tsumugimura, Amami Oshima, Kagoshima. ソテツ36 views
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Some wild monkeys on the mountain road.35 views
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Amami Park has a garden area named "Isson no Mori" with many tropical plants. This is an Adan tree. (Pandanus odoratissimus)32 views
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Amami Oshima Park31 views
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Yakusugi cedar tree on Yakushima island, Kagoshima.31 views
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Sago palms native to Amami and Okinawa. ソテツ30 views
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Model of Amami Oshima's endemic Amami Kuro-usagi rabbit. Short ears and dark fur.30 views
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Cruising off Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima, Japan. 26 views
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Northern coast of Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima.25 views
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Tugboat named Ayahashi helps our cruise ship dock at Naze Port.23 views
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Miyanoura Port has nice mountain views when it's not foggy/rainy.23 views
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Naze Port's Nagahama area on Amami-Oshima island awaits our cruise ship with tour buses and gift shop tent.22 views
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Yakusugi cedar tree stump.22 views
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Cruise ship at Naze Port pointed at Tachigami Lighthouse island. The small island is like the port's good luck charm.21 views
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Back of Kigensugi cedar tree.21 views
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Miyanoura Port is Yakushima island's main port for ferries and cruise ships. This dock is where cruise ships usually dock.21 views
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Cruise ship dock at Miyanoura Port, Yakushima, Kagoshima, Japan.21 views
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About 70% of Yakushima is made of granite. The island has many mountains higher than 1,000 meters. It's Japan's wettest spot where it rains the most.21 views
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Miyanoura Port's cruise ship dock.21 views
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Cruise ship approaching Naze Port's Nagahama area on Amami-Oshima island.20 views
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Naze Port's Nagahama area on Amami-Oshima island was prepared for 80,000-ton cruise ships in 2004.20 views
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Cruise ship at Naze Port, Amami-Oshima.20 views
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Confection in the shape of the Amami rabbit (Kuro-usagi). Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima20 views
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Twin cedars or Futago-sugi and also regeneration on tree stump. 双子杉20 views
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Welcome sign at Miyanoura Port's cruise ship dock.20 views
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Getting closer to Naze Port.19 views
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Naze Port consists of four dock areas. From Naze Ports, there are boats or ferries going to Kagoshima Port, Okinawa, Osaka, and the other Amami islands.19 views
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Approaching Naze Port's Nagahama area. 名瀬港 長浜地区19 views
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Welcome sign in local dialect at Naze Port's Nagahama area on Amami-Oshima island.19 views
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Kigensugi cedar tree.19 views
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Scenic coast back to Miyanoura Port, Yakushima.19 views
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Naze Port Tachigami Lighthouse is on a small, pyramid island at the entrance of Naze Port. Lighthouse built in 1937 was used until 2016. Made famous by local folk songs. 名瀬港立神灯台18 views
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Naze Port is about halfway between Kagoshima Port (383 km away) in Kyushu and Naha Port (331 km away) in Okinawa. Designated as an Important Harbor in Japan. Fine natural harbor. 18 views
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Naze Port's Nagahama area on Amami-Oshima island.18 views
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Cruise ship at Naze Port, Amami-Oshima.18 views
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Nippon Maru cruise ship at Naze Port, Amami-Oshima.18 views
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Roadside scenery on Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima, Japan.18 views
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Oshima tsumugi handkerchief I bought for myself. Tie-dyed.18 views
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Yakushima is a round island noted for Yakushima National Park and World Heritage Site. When describing a location, they use clock face numbers. Miyanoura Port is at one o'clock.18 views
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Nice mountain views on Yakushima.18 views
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Yakusugi cedar trees can only grow in cold climates. Therefore on Yakushima, they grow at high altitudes.18 views
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How sacred Yakusugi cedars started to be harvested from the 17th century. Much of the wood was used for roof shingles on mainland Japan. Luxury homes might still have Yakusugi as interior ceiling panels to show off the fine wood grain.18 views
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The dock connects to the main road, so tour buses can come right up to the cruise ship.18 views
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Miyanoura Port has nice mountain views when it's not foggy/rainy.18 views
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Northern coast of Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima.17 views
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Entering Naze Port, passing by Tachigami Lighthouse island.17 views
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Naze Port's Nagahama dock where cruise ships dock. It's 280 meters long and 10 meters deep. 名瀬港 長浜地区17 views
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Japan Coast Guard ships are also moored at Naze Port, Amami Oshima.17 views
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Amami Oshima Shuzo gift shop17 views
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The factory is in a subtropical garden with tropical flowers and plants. Adult admission ¥500, open every day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.17 viewsAddress: 1945 Akaogi Tatsugo Oshima, Kagoshima
Local buses stop at Oshima Tsumugimura bus stop. (From Amami Airport, 30 min. by bus.) http://www.tumugi.co.jp/
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Loom to weave Oshima tsumugi.17 views
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Such a picturesque forest trail. Highly recommended. Best to hike the longer trail (50 min.) though. The 30-min. trail is too short.17 views
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Kigensugi as it looks from the road. "Kigen" refers to the beginning of recorded history which in Japan is the year 660 when the first emperor came to being. The tree seems to be older though, at age 3,000 years.17 views
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About the Kigensugi cedar tree. Wow, many other plant species also grow on this tree (epiphytes). They include Japanese cypress, Japanese mugwort, Yakushima rhododendron, and Japanese rhododendron.17 views
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About the Momi fir tree stump.17 views
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Passing by Yakushima Airport.17 views
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Scenic coast back to Miyanoura Port. 17 views
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Yakushima's Miyanoura Port has nice mountain views when it's not foggy/rainy.17 views
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Welcome banners at Miyanoura Port's cruise ship dock, Yakushima.17 views
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Approaching Naze Port, Amami-Oshima's main port for cruise ships and ferries in a natural inlet on the northern coast of the island. Also called Naze Shinko Port. Served as the island's main trade port since olden times. 16 views
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Amami no Sato's Information Space explains about local flora and fauna.16 views
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Inside the Oshima (Ooshima) Tsumugimura fabric factory. A few workers demonstrated the production of tsumugi silk fabric. This weaving step is called shimebata to make patterns on the silk.16 views
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Sample Oshima tsumugi fabric with in the typical black color.16 views
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Rare to see these Yakushima mountains. They are usually shrouded by clouds or fog. Rains a lot on Yakushima.16 views
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Entrance to Yakushima most famous cedar tree named "Jomonsugi" (縄文杉) said to be a few thousand years old. However, it's a serious hike to see it.16 views
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Yakusugi Land is a lush, thick, mountain forest area featuring ancient Yakusugi cedars (Cryptomeria japonica) native to Yakushima and the island's major attraction. You can see a variety of Yakusugi cedars by walking on a forest trail of varying leng16 viewsThe forest trail starts and ends at the same place, but there are several trail options. The shortest trail route is 0.8 km long (yellow line on this map named Fureai-no-Michi, numbered from 1 to 6), taking about 30 min. This is the trail we went on. Even this short trail for tourists was very impressive. Another easy tourist trail is 1.2 km taking 50 min. (red line).
The longer trails going for 2.0 km, 3.0 km, and 4.4 km (green line) involve mountain climbing taking about 80 min., 150 min., and 3.5 hours respectively. These longer trails require proper climbing equipment and physical endurance.
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Kuguri Cedar or Cedar Underpass. くぐり杉16 views
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Ultra-fine grain of Yakusugi cedar.16 views
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Seiryo-bashi suspension bridge. After this bridge, it's a short walk back to the parking lot, bus stop, or starting point. 清涼橋16 views
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Phone booth inside a hollow Yakusugi tree trunk.16 views
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Kigensugi is an ancient Yakusugi cedar tree you can conveniently see from the road. Local buses go to Kigensugi. If you visit Yakusugi Land, Kigensugi is a short drive away.16 views
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Kigensugi cedar tree also has a short walking path going around the tree, so you can also see the back of the tree (more impressive).16 views
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Momi fir tree stump also nearby. It was cut down. 455 years old.16 views
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Recreational park down below from the lookout point on Cape Ayamaru.15 views
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We had lunch here. Address: 鹿児島県奄美市笠利町用安1246-115 views
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Rear view of park.15 views
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Amami no Sato dome housing the Event Space, Information Space, and General Exhibition Hall.15 views
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Amami no Sato's Island Information Space explains about Amami Oshima.15 views
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Amami no Sato's Island Information Space explains about local flora and fauna.15 views
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Explanation of the Oshima tsumugi dyeing process.15 views
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I thought Yakushima was going to be mostly wilderness and sparsely populated like Iriomote in Okinawa. So it was surprising to see the island so well populated.15 views
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Kuguri-tsuga or "Conifer Underpass." They have names for all these different trees in unusual shapes or growths.くぐり栂15 viewsJapanese pamphlet (pdf) and map of the trail here: https://y-rekumori.com/pdf/yakusugi_land_pamphlet.pdf
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15 views
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Seiryo-bashi suspension bridge. 清涼橋15 views
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Gift shop on Yakushima.15 views
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Way to Cape Ayamaru lookout point.14 views
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How Cape Ayamaru got its name.14 views
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Lookout deck at Cape Ayamaru with views of the coral reef and ocean. Amami Oshima, Kagoshima.14 views
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Tonbara Rock as seen from Cape Ayamaru. トンパラ岩14 views
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Amami Resort Basyayama-mura has a nice, white-sand beach.14 views
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Basha-yamamura restaurant is a great place for lunch. The terrace has ocean views. This is the cheapest dish on the menu, Tonkotsu udon noodles for ¥1,000. 豚骨うどん14 views
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The park also has this lookout tower (Tenbodai) with fine views of the area. It might have been the old airport control tower. 展望台14 views
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Isson Tanaka Museum is an art museum showing his paintings. Isson Tanaka (1908–1977) was a painter from Tokyo who moved to Amami at age 50. Photography inside the museum is not allowed. 田中一村記念美術館14 viewsIsson lived on Amami from 1958 until his death in 1977. He painted Amami's flora and fauna. The museum has about 450 of his works and displays about 80 of them at a time. Museum buildings resemble the local Takakura storehouse for grains. Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima.
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Pine tree next to the shochu factory.14 views
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Tie-dyed (in mud) handkerchiefs. The fabric is also dyed with the sharinbai tree containing iron and tannin.14 views
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Main road on Yakushima as we go to Yakusugi Land by tour bus.14 views
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Pretty hairy drive going up the mountain.14 views
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Easy tourist hike.14 views
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How sacred Yakusugi cedars started to be harvested from the 17th century. (English version) They can be centuries old or even a few thousand years old.14 views
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Domaiboku is a tree already harvested or felled by a typhoon. The tree's high resin content prevents the wood from rotting. Discarded scrap tree parts have been recovered to make souvenirs. 土埋木14 views
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Everything is so artistic. Nature is the greatest artist of all.14 views
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Regenerating on a tree stump. Other plants or trees grow on old trees, like epiphytes. 14 views
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The gift shop has this phone booth inside a hollow Yakusugi tree trunk.14 views
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Gift shop.14 views
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Fond farewell to our cruise ship leaving Miyanoura Port, Yakushima.14 views
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Recreational park down below from the lookout point on Cape Ayamaru.13 views
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This beach had pumice rocks (軽石) creating artistic patterns on the sand. They were still washing up on the beach in June 2022, but not as much as in Oct. 2021 when they clogged harbors and blanketed beaches.13 views
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Pumice pebbles on a beach in Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima, Japan.13 views
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Gift shop13 views
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Restaurant lunch menu. Mainly seafood and local cuisine. Open 11 am to 9 pm.13 views
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Amami Park has the Isson no Mori tropical garden area which is free admission, but other facilities charge admission like the Exhibition Hall and Amami Theater. Isson is the name of a local painter.13 views
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Agave americana 'Marginata' (Variegated Century Plant). Ornamental plant. リュウゼツラン13 views
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Amami no Sato's Exhibition Hall includes a reconstructed local home. 13 views
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Local brewery producing brown sugar shochu in Tatsugo Town, Amami-Oshima. Uses brown sugar wholly produced in Amami-Oshima. Water comes from Jougo River (じょうご川) fed by an aquifer 120 meters underground. Factory tour and gift shop.13 viewsThey sell three shochu brands: Takakura (高倉), Hama-Chidori (浜千鳥乃詩 原酒), and Jougo (じょうご). https://www.jougo.co.jp/
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Amami Oshima Shuzo gift shop sells mainly shochu.13 views
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He is dyeing Oshima tsumugi silk fabric in mud.13 views
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Lots of greenery along the way up the mountains.13 views
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Mountain road got very narrow. This bridge was narrow too.13 views
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Road construction work, hopefully they are widening the road.13 views
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Rinsen-bashi Bridge goes over a small stream.林泉橋13 views
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Detour path on the right to see the 1000-year cedar. Didn't have time to see it.13 views
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At Yakusugi Land's starting (and ending) point is this gift shop named Shinsen (森泉).13 views
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Kigensugi's height is 19.5 meters (64 ft) with a girth of 8.1 meters (26.5 ft). Elevation is 1,230 meters (4,035 ft). Hard to believe we were looking at something that has lived all these centuries.13 views
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Driving back to town. Lots of ferns on the cliffs.13 views
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Cape Ayamaru sign and photo spot, Amami Oshima, Kagoshima.12 views
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Lookout deck at Cape Ayamaru shows a beautiful aqua-blue ocean.12 views
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Street sign promoting sumo wrestler Meisei who is from Amami Oshima. He belongs to Tatsunami Stable. 明生関12 views
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Amami Resort Basyayama-mura restaurant terrace right on the beach..12 views
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Amami Resort Basyayama-mura pool. Website: basyayama-mura.com12 views
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Lava rock outcropping also on the beach.12 views
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Amami-Oshima coastal view.12 views
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Banana patch12 views
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When you enter the premises, the factory is on the right, and gift shop on the left. Address: 鹿児島県大島郡龍郷町浦1864-212 views
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300-year-old tree named Sharinbai next to the shochu factory. Used for tsumugi fabric dyeing.12 views
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Vats12 views
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Oshima tsumugi is a local fabric woven from white silk and dyed. Oshima (Ooshima) Tsumugimura is a small textile factory where you can see how they weave and dye the tsumugi fabric. They also sell tsumugi fabrics as kimono, handkerchiefs, etc.12 views
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Loom12 views
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Yakusugi Land is in the mountains, so our bus drove up the mountain road.12 views
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Souvenirs made of Yakusugi cedar.12 views
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Sugar cane on Amami Oshima.11 views
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Passing by Amami Oshima Airport.11 views
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Lookout deck at Cape Ayamaru shows a beautiful blue ocean beyond the coral reef.11 views
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Entrance to Amami Resort Basyayamamura, a resort hotel and restaurant on the southern shore of the northern part of the island. Short drive from the airport.11 views
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On Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima, Amami Resort Basyayama-mura beach had pumice that came from an undersea volcano (Fukutoku-Okanoba) erupting near the Ogasawara islands (way south of Tokyo).11 views
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Someone had recently raked or cleaned up the pumice.11 views
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Tropical flora on Amami-Oshima.11 views
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Scenic coast on Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima, Japan.11 views
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Ixora "Super King"11 views
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View from the lookout tower.11 views
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Tanaka Isson Museum can be seen.11 views
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Runway landing lights in the ocean.11 views
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Amami no Sato's indoor stage and event space inside the dome. There's also the small Amami Theater showing a short film about Amami. イベント広場11 views
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Amami Oshima Shuzo gift shop shochu tasting.11 views
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He is dyeing Oshima tsumugi silk fabric in mud. The fabric color becomes black. Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima.11 views
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Oshima (Ooshima) Tsumugimura fabric factory.11 views
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Takakura storehouse with a steep thatched roof. Amami's traditional structure for storing grains. Oshima tsumugimura, Amami Oshima, Kagoshima. 奄美の高倉11 views
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White hibiscus11 views
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Nice mountain views on Yakushima.11 views
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Yakusugi Land tourist hike to see old cedar trees (and stumps) on Yakushima island, Kagoshima.11 views
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Lookout deck at Cape Ayamaru shows a beautiful aqua-blue ocean.10 views
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Local buses stop here too, not often though.10 views
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Roadside scenery on Amami Oshima.10 views
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In 2021, an army of volunteers took weeks to clean up Okinawan and Amami beaches. It was almost like cleaning up an oil spill. Glad the problem has subsided.10 views
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Main entrance to Amami Park. First go through the Amami no Sato dome housing the Event Space, Information Space, and Exhibition Hall.10 viewsAdult admission ¥650 for both Amami no Sato and Isson Tanaka Museum. Open 9 am–6 pm (until 7 pm in July–Aug.) Closed on the first and third Wed. of the month. (Open if a national holiday and closed on the next day instead.) Open every day during April 29th to May 5th, July 21st to August 31st, and December 30th to January 3rd.
https://amamipark.com/
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Opened in Sept. 2001, Amami Park was built by Kagoshima Prefecture on the site of the old Amami Airport. It has become one of the island's major tourist attractions. 10 viewsOn this map of Amami Park, it's easy to see where the runway was.
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View from the lookout tower, Amami Park.10 views
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View from the lookout tower. The Amami no Sato dome (white) can be seen.10 views
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The new Amami Oshima Airport can be seen in the distance.10 views
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Amami no Sato's Exhibition Hall. Admission charged. It's a small local museum explaining local flora, fauna, history, and folk culture. 10 views
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Summer day in Amami.10 views
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Packing process. Bottles of shochu being boxed.10 views
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Oshima (Ooshima) Tsumugimura10 views
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White hibiscus10 views
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Rinsen-bashi Bridge 林泉橋10 views
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So many things grow on these trees.10 views
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Local bus on Amami Oshima.9 views
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Bust of Nagano Yoshitatsu (1898–1984 永野芳辰) at Cape Ayamaru. Nagano was a Japanese government bureaucrat who helped to revert Amami islands back to Japan in 1953. He was born and raised on Amami Oshima. Later became governor of Kochi Prefecture.9 views
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Photo spot at Cape Ayamaru.9 views
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Cape Ayamaru sign and photo spot.9 views
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Gift shop.9 views
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Pumice rocks are small, lightweight, porous pebbles. Floats on water. Saw it for the first time here. 9 views
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Coastal scenery on Amami-Oshima island, Kagoshima, Japan.9 views
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Realistic and humorous mannequins.9 viewsKagoshima Amami Oshima park
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We had a guided tour of the shochu factory.9 views
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Oshima tsumugi fabric production steps.9 views
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Cape Ayamaru scenery.8 views
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