Amami Oshima Island Japan (Naze, Kagoshima)

Amami Oshima Island is one of Japan's Satsunan Islands (Kagoshima Prefecture). Being the largest within the Amami archipelago, the island covers a total area of approx 712 km2 (275 mi2) and has a population of around 73,000.

Administratively, the island is divided into Amami city, the towns of Tatsugo, Setouchi, and the villages Yamato and Uken. Much of the island is within Amami Gunto Quasi-National Park.

Amami Oshima is Japan's 7th largest island (located in a Japanese archipelago, and excluding the disputed Kuril Islands). It is approx 380 km (210 mi) south of the southern tip of Kyushu Island and approx 250 km (130 mi) north of Okinawa.

The island's highest elevation point (Mount Yuwanda) is 605 m (1985 ft) above sea level. The coast is surrounded by a coral reef. The Pacific Ocean is on the east and the East China Sea - on the west.

The climate is humid subtropical, with mild winters and very warm summers. The rainy season is May through September. The island is subject to repeated typhoons.

The island's economy is based mainly on agriculture (rice, sweet potatoes, sugar cane), commercial fishing, the distillation of shochu (an alcoholic beverage with 45% alcohol volume) and seasonal tourism. The favorable climate allows for 2 rice crops per year. Traditional crafts include hand-made silk.

Amami City's Port Naze is a major regional ferry port. The island is also served by Amami Airport (on the northern end) linking it via domestic flights with Tokyo, Naha, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Osaka, and via short flights to other Amami islands.

Since March 2018, Amami-Oshima is connected to the Yakushima islands via a weekly cruise ferry service. The charter flight service between the islands was started in February 2018. Amami-Oshima tourism was also boosted by the introduction of new routes connecting sightseeing sites in Kagoshima Prefecture. Until 2018, there were no ferries or flights directly linking the islands.

The ferry service's 1-year trial started on March 4, 2018. The regularly scheduled service is offered once every 4 days. It links Naha with Kagoshima via Port Naze (Amami-Oshima Island). The cruise ferry also visits Port Miyanoura (Yakushima Island) if a minimum of 20 passengers make reservations.

Amami Oshima Island Japan cruise terminal