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Chapter 3

THE AMAMI ISLANDS 吐噶喇列島

Splendid vistas, rugged coasts

1 Amami-Ōshima 奄美大島

2 Kakeromajima 加計呂麻島

3 Kikaijima or Kikaigashima 喜界島

4 Tokunoshima 徳之島

5 Iōtorishima 硫黄鳥島

6 Okinoerabujima 沖之永良部島

7 Yoronjima 与論島

Compared to the previous Tokara Islands, most of the Amami Islands (奄美諸島; Amami-shotō) seem almost gigantic, though of course this is only relative. There are eight inhabited islands and several semi-inhabited or uninhabited ones worth mentioning. Starting from the north, the chain begins with Amami-Ōshima, the largest island in the group, located 235 miles (375 kilometers) south of Kagoshima City, which is situated on mainland Japan’s southernmost Kyushu Island. From there, the Amami chain stretches some 125 miles (200 kilometers) south to Yoron-tō, which lies just above the northern tip of Okinawa at Cape Hedo. Although geographically and geologically a part of the Ryukyu Archipelago, politically the Amamis are located in Kagoshima Prefecture, along with the Tokara and Ōsumi groups. Thus, on a map of Okinawa or, more specifically, of Okinawa Prefecture, you won’t find them.

Gangplank on to an “A” Line ferry.

Culturally, the islands are quite distinct, being neither tropical Okinawan nor exactly the same as mainland Japan. Gravesites and tombs, for example, are in the style of the mainland and not the “turtleback” style of Okinawa. Yet, the Amami dialect of Japanese language is within the group of Ryukyuan languages, not mutually intelligible with Japanese nor, for that matter, with other Ryukyuan dialects. The “separateness” of the Amamis, as with most of the Ryukyu Islands, goes back hundreds, if not several thousands, of years and includes an eight-year occupation by the United States after World War II. The US returned control of the neighboring Tokara Islands in February of 1952 and the Amamis on December 25, 1953. It held Okinawa and the southern islands until 1972. Upon the Amamis’ return to Japan, they became part of Kagoshima Prefecture.

The largest island in the Amami-shotō is Amami-Ōshima (奄美大島; Ō-shima literally means “Big Island”), and at approximately 38 miles (60 kilometers) in length is one of the largest islands in the Ryukyus. Its main city, formerly and still sometimes called Nazé (名瀬; Nazé) but now properly known as Amami City (奄美市; Amami-shi), is the transportation hub where most ferries and airline services are found.

The Amami Islands form a green and mountainous chain.

Amami-Ōshima’s airport (奄美空港; Amami-kūkō) is located 14 miles (22 kilometers) northeast of Amami City. It takes 30–40 minutes to drive there from downtown. Amami is about a two-hour flight from Tokyo. From Osaka it’s around one and a half hours and from Kagoshima a bit less than an hour. Flights from Okinawa also take less than an hour. By ship from Tokyo it’s approximately 37 hours, from Osaka close to 30 hours and from Kagoshima about 12 hours. From Okinawa it’s around 13 hours sailing time, including the several stops along the way. The Amami chain is especially well served by ferry service. Two shipping companies, the Marix and “A” Lines, serve the route. Alternating daily departures with a fleet of four great ships ensure that each island on the route is visited twice daily (one northbound, one southbound), every day of the year, barring severe inclement weather. Here’s how the service operates (both lines’ scheduled departure/arrival times are within minutes of one another, so give or take 5–10 minutes from all the times stated as follows). Each day a ship departs at 7:00AM from Okinawa’s Naha Port (那覇港; Naha-kō) and heads two hours north along Okinawa’s west coast, 35 miles (56 kilometers) to Motobu Port (本部港; Motobu-kō), near the end of the Motobu Peninsula, arriving at 9:00AM. At about 9:15AM, the ship departs and sails 50 miles (80 kilometers) north, about two and a half hours, to Yoron Island (与論島; Yoron-jima, almost always called Yoron-tō). Arriving around 10 minutes before noon, it departs about 12:10 after a 20-minute stop. The next port is Wadomari, 30 miles (48 kilometers) and about two hours later, at 2:00PM on the island of Okinoerabu (沖之永良部島; Oki-no-érabu-jima), where the ship loads and unloads for half an hour.

Departing Okinoerabu about 2:30PM, the ship continues 35 miles (56 kilometers) north, approximately two hours, to Tokuno (德之島; Toku-no-shima), where it arrives at 4:30PM. The ferry discharges and reloads passengers and freight, taking about 30 minutes, then leaves at 5:00PM. The next leg is 68 miles (109 kilometers), about three and a half hours north, to Amami City, arriving at 8:30PM. Here, there’s about a 45-minute stop for restocking. At 9:20PM the ship departs Nazé Port and sails 240 miles (384 kilometers) through the night, with no further stops, arriving at Kagoshima City at 8:30AM the next morning.

Sailing the route from north to south, each day a ship leaves Kagoshima Port at 6:00PM, arriving non-stop on Amami at 5:00AM the next morning. At 5:50AM, the ship departs Nazé for Tokuno and arrives at 9:10AM. Half an hour later, at 9:40AM, it departs for Okinoerabu, arriving at 11:30AM. The ship stops there for 30 minutes, then departs at 12:00 noon. An hour and forty minutes later, it arrives at Yoron-tō. Some 20–30 minutes later, at around 2:00PM, the ship sails approximately two and a half hours south to Okinawa’s Motobu Port, arriving near 4:30PM. Loading and reloading there for half an hour, the ship departs about 5:00PM for its last leg to Naha Port, arriving two hours later, at 7:00PM. The ship docks for the night, then departs at 7:00AM the next morning, starting the cycle all over again.

There are over 250 miles (400 kilometers) of picture postcard vistas along the convoluted coastline of Amami-Ōshima.

Let’s look at the Amami Archipelago in detail, for it is very beautiful. Although the islands are not tropical for the most part, they receive more than adequate rainfall and thus are lush and green. Their climates vary from mild temperate to subtropical. Here’s a run-down of the islands traveling from north to south.

1 AMAMI-ŌSHIMA 奄美大島

Commonly called Ōshima (“Big Island”), this is the northernmost island in the Amami group. It has an area of 275 square miles (713 square kilometers) and is the largest island in the Amami Archipelago and second largest (after Okinawa) in all the Ryukyus. At its greatest length, it is approximately 38 miles (60 kilometers) long. Its width varies from almost 19 miles (30 kilometers) to as little as 10 (16 kilometers), and at one place in the north it narrows to a less than 1-mile (1-kilometer)-wide isthmus. A triangular-shaped island, Ōshima’s irregular coastline gives it an expansive circumference of 265 miles (426 kilometers). The island’s highest point is Mt Yūwan (湯湾岳; Yūwan-daké), which rises to a height of 2,277 feet (694 meters).

Marix Line’s “Queen Coral 8” on its way around the Anami Island chain.

In addition to being the largest Amami Island by area, Ōshima is by far the largest Amami in terms of population. Ōshima has approximately 66,000 residents, a number that dwarfs the populations of all the other Amamis combined. A large majority of the inhabitants (47,000) live in the main city of Amami (奄美市; Amami-shi), which is located on the island’s northwest side. Prior to 2006 the city was known as Nazé (名瀬; Nazé), but it was renamed after its merger with two surrounding towns, Kasari (笠利町; Kasari-chō) and Sumiyō (住用村; Sumiyōson). Many people still refer to Amami City as Nazé and that’s what the port is almost always called.

The city has plenty of good hotels and restaurants and is especially lively after dark. There is a host of bars and clubs downtown, all located within easy walking distance of one another, where anyone can pleasantly spend a few evenings. The people are friendly and don’t see many Western tourists. In virtually every pub and club, you’ll be asked where you are from and what you are doing in Nazé.

Amost all of Amami-Ōshima (奄美大島; Amami-Ō-shima) is mountainous. In fact, over 90 percent of the island is covered in dense vegetation and only a small percentage is level enough to support sugar cane growing or other agriculture. Luckily for golfers, there’s one nicely created carve-out of the jungle just for them. Only a few miles north of Nazé, there’s a beautifully sited club, the Amami-Ōshima Country Club, high in the hills overlooking the East China Sea. Day passes are available, but of course it’s easier to ask on weekdays. On weekends the club is extremely popular with Ōshima’s “in-crowd” and tee times are limited. There’s an excellent restaurant in the clubhouse and a nice 19th hole bar as well.

The ocean approach to Ōshima’s Nazé harbor passes by tiny Yagi Island, which hosts a small resort hotel.

Golf at the Amami-Ōshima Country Club.

Due to its pristine condition, Ōshima is well known in Japan as a nature lover’s destination. There are several large reserves. One is the Kinsakubaru Virgin Forest (金作原原 生林; Kinsakubaru gensei-rin), which features several hundred hectacres of jungle with well-marked paths for hiking. It’s just south of Nazé. The forest contains many semi-tropical plant species, including vast growths of dinosaur-era giant tree ferns. For vast quantities of dinosaur-era sago palms, there’s a great hillside in Tatsugō Town (龍 郷町; Tatsugō-chō) that’s covered in them. Primaeval, although perhaps not as primor-dial as the preceding two dinosaur forests, another very interesting preserve is the man-grove forest at the estuary of Sumiyō River (住用村川; Sumiyō-gawa) at the town of Sumiyō. It’s a popular place to rent kayaks and explore the river/swamp/ocean outlet.

Moving from brackish waters to salty ones, Ō Island is ringed by coral reefs and is also popular with divers, although its more northern location means that most divers, snorkelers, beach-goers and swimmers will visit in the summertime. If you are a beach lover, you’ll most likely be exploring Ōshima’s northern end, where you will find innumerable coves, bays, points and capes. It’s probably the most twisted and hairpin-turned section of the island. Virtually around every bend of the road there’s another beach and another scenic vista. Two of the finest views of endless ocean and uncrowded beaches may be found just north of the airport, from Cape Ayamaru (あやまる岬; Ayamaru-misaki) to Cape Kasari (笠利崎 or 用岬); Kasari-zaki or Yō-misaki), at the northernmost tip of the island.

On account of its unique topography, the northern Ayamaru-zaki cape is almost always windy and is a top spot for paragliders.

It almost does not matter where you may stop and explore the coast on this isolated end of the island for you will find a good beach at every turn. In fact, just below the airport, where you can watch the planes come and go, you’ll find as beautiful and untrammeled a beach as any you might see anywhere on Ōshima.

Amami-Ōshima truly has something for just about everyone. Although for those not accustomed to the Ryukyu Islands it may seem small, it’s not. Driving the northern one-third end of the island above Nazé and stopping along the way for a dip, a hike or to take a photo will take a whole day. A grand circle of the north, usually following the coast, will easily run 80 miles (128 kilometers) or more. If you take even a few of the side roads, you’ll put 95 or 110 miles (152 or 176 kilometers) on your car’s odometer.

Casually exploring by car the southern two-thirds of the island will take longer. Following the coast and primarily driving a circle route will easily occupy two days and cover some 125–155 miles (200–248 kilometers). Again, if you branch out on to just a few of the interior roads, you’ll drive over 188 miles (300 kilometers). Although there are no major highways and the roads can be relatively narrow in places, they are well maintained and safe. All that’s required is some moderation in speed, especially if it’s been raining, for then they are slick.

Sago Palms (Cycas revoluta)

Indigenous to southern Japan and the Ryukyus and now employed as attractive landscape and garden specimens throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, so-called sago “palms” are only very distantly related to the palm family, nor are they ferns. They are cycads, a millions of years old family of plants unchanged since the time of dinosaurs and more closely related to ginkos and conifers. There are several hundred species spread over a dozen genera. Very slow growing but long-lived, they can reach heights of 20 feet (6 meters) in 50–100 years. They are dioecious, that is, they are male and female plants, with the males bearing large cones and the females bearing great groups of furled new leaf-type organs called megasporophylls. Although generally quite poisonous, the plant’s starch may be consumed after proper preparation. In Japan, sago palms are known as sotétsu (蘇鉄 or ソテツ). The cluster at right is one of some 100,000 sagos covering a hillside in Tatsugō on Amami-Ōshima.

Edatekujima, an uninhabited islet off Ōshima’s western shore.

As mentioned, the island’s interior is mountainous. Some of the older roads twist and turn up the mountains and can be slow-going. However, in many sections, newer roads pass straight through the mountains via tunnels, some of which are quite long. Towards Ōshima’s southeastern end, just outside of Uken Village (宇検村; Uken-son), you’ll find Mt Yūwan, the island’s highest peak and a good place for hiking. It’s in a protected forest park zone. The further south you travel, the wider the island becomes. It terminates at the southwesternmost point of Cape Sotsuko (曾津高崎; Sotsuko-zaki). From this long, narrow and scenic cape you’ll see to the north to little, uninhabited Edateku Island, and to the south across the Ōshima Strait (大島海峡; Ōshima-kaikyō), the fairly large island of Kakeroma. There is a ferry service to the latter, but if you wish to go to Edateku, you’ll need a boat—or you can swim. It’s not too far.

As the crow flies, it’s 18 miles (29 kilometers) from Sotsuko Point to Ōshima’s opposite point, its southeasternmost tip at Cape Kaitsu (皆津崎; Kaitsu-zaki). By the contorted roads that for the most part track right alongside Ōshima’s southern shore, it’s 35 miles (56 kilometers), and that does not include a final 1.5-mile (2-kilometer) hike at either end, for the road does not go all the way to the very end of each promontory. This southern end island drive is particularly scenic as it follows closely along the Ōshima Strait, where the view is always looking south to Kakeromajima.

YAGIJIMA (山羊島; Yagi-jima). This tiny islet, whose name means “Goat Island,” is located at the ocean approach to Nazé and forms part of the tsunami barrier which protects the harbor. It’s connected to the “mainland” by an 80-foot (25-meter) bridge. The islet is roughly circular in dimension and measures about 575 feet (175 meters) in diameter. It would be uninhabited but for a small resort hotel on its southern (protected) side. It’s called the Amami Seaside Hotel (奄 美 シーサイド ホテル; Amami shī-saido hoteru) and it’s a nice choice for those who like to be on the water but not far from downtown.

EDATEKUJIMA (枝手久島; Edatéku-jima). This little uninhabited isle is just off Ōshima’s western shore, north of Sotsuko Point. It’s oval-shaped, about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long and not quite 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) wide. The road heading west out of Uken runs right past it, a bit north of its closest point to shore. You could easily swim to it, but watch the tides for there can be swift currents.

2 KAKEROMAJIMA 加計呂麻島

The largest town on Ōshima’s southern shore is Setouchi (瀬戸内町; Sétouchi-chō). It’s on the eastern side. From the harbor at Koniya (古仁屋; Koniya) there is a daily ferry service available on the Kakeroma Ferry (フェリー かけろま; Ferie-Kakéroma) to two ports on Kakeroma Island. One route crosses the Ōshima Strait in 5 miles (8 kilometers) and lands at the northwestern port of Seso (瀬相; Séso), the other route sails just 3 miles (5 kilometers) to the southeastern port of Ikenma (生間; Ikenma). Either sailing takes about 15 minutes. The two ports are located on Kakeroma’s northern shore and are 9 miles (14 kilometers) apart by road.

Amami Black Rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi)

One of the world’s truly unique creatures is the Amami no Kuro-Usagi (奄美の黒兔), also known as the Ryūkyū rabbit, a living fossil found only on Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima. It’s a single species of a single genus, a survivor of an extinct line of ancient rabbits that once lived on the Asian mainland. The Amami rabbit has short legs, a rotund body, smaller ears than other rabbits and large, curved, non-retractable claws, which it uses to dig out its nest. You might not see one because it is mostly nocturnal. It is considered endangered, not only because of man and habu snakes but because of the mongoose, released years ago to control the habu.

The Ōshima-Kakeromajima ferry goes daily to two ports on Kakeroma Island.

The north shore of Kakeroma looking towards the Ōshima Strait.

Describing Kakeromajima’s (加計呂麻島; Kakéroma-jima) shape presents a great challenge but wonderfully illustrates the supposed Chinese proverb that “One picture is worth 1,000 words” for the shape of this island is almost beyond words. Its size, however, can be more easily measured and described. At its longest, and as the crow flies, it’s about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from end to end. Its width varies from as much as 5–6 miles (8–10 kilometers) to as few as one or two in its most narrow places. Kakeromajima has been calculated to have an area of approximately 30 square miles (77 square kilometers) and due to its very irregular shape a rather long coastline of 92 miles (148 kilometers).

There is one main road and it more or less follows along the northern shoreline. From the eastern end of the island near Doren (渡 連; Doren) to the westernmost end at Saneku (実久; Sanéku), it’s a grand total of 22 miles (35 kilometers). You could drive it in less than an hour without making any stops. But it’s a lovely drive and you may wish to stop. You can do this virtually anywhere along the route and take a swim.

In addition to the main northern road, there are several minor roads covering the island’s southern end where there are tiny settlements sprinkled throughout. In fact, there are enough roads generally tracking along the southern coastline that it’s possible to drive a complete circuit of Kakeromajima, although some of the southern roads are very small indeed. If another car approaches, someone must find a spot and pull over. If you circle the island’s circumference, you’ll put about 44 miles (70 kilometers) on your odometer. It will take the better part of a day. If you find the mini-mountain roads too stressful, bear in mind that these back roads are connected to the main northern road at several points along the way and you can always bail out and reconnect. Finally, you would have to be equipped with a pretty clueless GPS to get lost on this small an island. You could, however, take some turns that would lead to a dead end.

Kakeromajima, with its convoluted coastline, is an island full of twists and turns. Here, ferry routes are shown in red, main roads in black.

There is no question about it, Kakeromajima is a perfect island on which to get away from it all. And most fortunately, some enterprising and artistic Japanese has built a lovely pension on the island where you may stay while you’re here. It’s called the Pension “Marine Blue” and it’s about as laid back and funky a place as you could find. It has have about a dozen rooms and bungalows, a full-service restaurant and all the equipment necessary for water sports. It’s right on the beach on the northeast end of the island, just past Ikenma.

Before leaving Kakeroma, let’s point out a few of its neighbors, for there are a number of lesser islands to its west and south. From Kakeromajima’s far northwesternmost point, just off Saneku, you’ll see Eniyabanarejima. It’s not much but we’ll describe it below. A bit to its south, and off the southwestern coast of Kakeroma, you’ll see two tiny islets, Yubanareshima and its larger neighbor Sukomobanarejima. And, finally, due south and visible from almost anywhere along Kakeroma’s southern shore, you’ll see two rather large islets, Ukeshima and Yoroshima. They, in turn, have several neighbors, which we’ll also describe.

Altogether, not including the few isolated rocks sprinkled about this mix, we’re looking at eight small islands, the two largest of which are inhabited. Although all of these islets are only a few miles offshore, there’s no ferry service from Kakeroma. We’ll have to drive back to either Ikenma or Seso Port and return to Koniya on the Amami-Ōshima mainland.

You’ll be passing through Koniya Ferry Terminal if you’re visiting the neighboring islands below Amami-Ōshima.

From there, ferries run to the two inhabited islands, Ukeshima and Yoroshima. If you wish to visit the others, you’ll have to arrange your own boat. There are plenty of fishermen around, so, in fact, this is not so difficult as long as your Japanese is good or you can make yourself understood. Or wave money around. I’ve found this sometimes helps.

Kakeromajima’s Pension “Marine Blue.”

A view from Kakeromajima’s far northwestern coast of Saneku Beach (left) and the uninhabited Eniyabanarejima (right).

ENIYABANAREJIMA (江仁屋離島; Eniya-banaré-jima). You’ll find this uninhabited islet, approximately 2,300 feet (700 meters) northwest off the northwestern-most point of Kakeroma Island, just beyond Saneku Beach. It’s a small island. No matter which way you measure it, Eniyabanare never gets larger than about 2,300 feet (700 meters) across in any one direction. It’s generally square-shaped with white sandy beaches on three of its four sides. As is the case with most of the Amami Islands, it’s hilly and covered in dense vegetation.

SUKOMOBANAREJIMA (須古茂離島; Sukomo-banaré-jima). About 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) due south of Eniyabanare, and around 3.5miles (5.6 kilometers) southwest of the village of Sukomo (須古茂; Sukomo), on western Kakeroma, lie the twin uninhabited islets of Sukomobanare and Yubanare. Sukomobanare Isle is the larger of the two. It’s more or less rectangular in shape, a little over a mile (2 kilometers) long and anywhere from 1,315 to 2,300 feet (400 to 700 meters) wide.

YUBANARESHIMA (夕離島; Yū-banaréshima). A little more than three-quarters of a mile (1 kilometer) to the northwest of Sukomobanare is its little twin brother, Yubanare. This tiny islet is generally oval-shaped except for a minor protrusion at its northeastern end. The island is about 1,150 feet (350 meters) wide by 1,725 feet (525 meters long). Its little protruding extension adds another 500 feet (150 meters) to its northeast coast.

UKESHIMA (請島; Uké-shima). Ferry service is not frequent to Ukeshima (or its next door neighbor, Yoro), but when the ship sails, it’s the Setonami Ferry (フェリーせと なみ; Ferie-Sétonami). It begins at Koniya, the port of Setouchi town at the southern end of Amami-Ōshima. From there, it exits the Ōshima Strait east, sails around the eastern end of Kakeroma, then south and west to Ukeamuro (請阿室; Uké-amuro), some 14 miles (22 kilometers) sailing distance, and the first stop on Ukeshima. If you could fly a straight path from Koniya to Ukeamuro over Kakeroma, it would be 9 miles (15 kilometers), about due south. In any case, it takes less than an hour by ship. The ferry’s stop here is brief. Ten or fifteen minutes later, the ship sails approximately 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) in 10 minutes around a small cape to Uke Island’s second port, Ikeji (池地; Iké-ji).

Once again, the ship briefly docks, then sails a bit less than 6 miles (10 kilometers) in about 20 minutes to its final destination, Yoro Port (与路港; Yoro-kō) on Yoro Island (与路島; Yoro-shima). After a brief pause, the ferry reverses its course, returning to Uke’s twin ports, then home to Koniya port, all in one day.

It would appear that almost none of the Amami Islands are very regular in shape. All seem to have the most convoluted profiles. Very loosely, it might be said that Ukeshima has a semi-rectangular shape, although arguably it’s also a sideways figure eight, except that its bottom half (eastern side) has a couple of extra bumps. It’s probably easier, and more accurate, to look at a map. At its longest extremity, east–west, it’s almost 4 miles (6 kilometers). Measuring from north to south, it’s about 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) at its widest, and three-quarters of a mile (1 kilometer) at its more narrow sections. However you measure it, it’s a small island.

Ukeshima is quite mountainous and almost all of it is uninhabited. Except for one 2.25-mile (3.6-kilometer)-long, very winding road between the two villages, there are no other main roads on the island. There are several minor roads from both villages south through the valleys behind them, where there is some agriculture, but both sets of these local routes are cul-de-sacs. There are some jeep paths to other sections of the island and there are completely isolated beaches all around the island, but you’ll have to find someone to take you, or let you use their car, because there are no auto rental agencies.

A headland cape on Ukeshima.

Offloading the Koniya ferry.

Ikeji is the larger of the two towns. It has around 100 inhabitants, a post office and an elementary and junior high school. After that, children have to go to Koniya on Ōshima for high school. They usually board there, going home on weekends. Ukeamuro is smaller. It has maybe 50 or 60 residents and no school. There are no tourist services on the island.

KIYAMASHIMA (木山島; Ki-yama-shima). Less than 985 feet (300 meters) immediately to Uke’s east is this uninhabited islet whose name means “Wood Mountain.” A postage stamp-sized islet, it can be reached by a several mile long jeep track from Ukeamuro town on Uke Island. Once you reach the beach, you can swim if you wish. The islet is about 2,950 feet (900 meters) long by 1,475 feet (450 meters) wide.

JANARESHIMA (シヤナレ島; Janaréshima). Only about 660 feet (200 meters) offshore from the southeasternmost end of Ukeshima lies this tiny rugged islet. It’s a triangle in shape, about 900 feet (275 meters) north to south and 1,475 feet (450 meters) east to west across the longest points of its southern base. A jeep can get you to Uke’s southeast end, but from there it’s a swim or a boat, if you have one.

YOROSHIMA (与路島; Yoro-shima). At their closest points, it’s only about 2 miles (3 kilometers) due west from Ukeshima to Yoro Island, although sailing from Uke’s Ikeji Port to Yoro Port (与路港; Yoro-kō) it’s closer to 6 miles (10 kilometers). In any case, it’s not far. Somewhat like Uke, Yoro is also somewhat of a rectangle although a better formed one. It’s a little island, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from end to end, north to south, and in most places about 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) wide from east to west. Also like Uke Island, it’s mountainous and virtually uninhabited. The only settlement is Yoro town, which has a population of about 150. There’s a post office, an elementary and a junior high school. No other services are available.

Interestingly, like Ukeshima, the island is criss-crossed with unpaved jeep tracks, so getting around, at least with the right type of vehicle, is possible. The whole island is ringed by beautiful but very remote beaches. This is particularly so on Yoro’s western side. Less than 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) east of Yoro town and only 2,460 feet/750 meters) from Yoro’s closest point is the tiny islet of Hanmyashima. We’ll look at it next.

HANMYASHIMA (ハンミャ島; Hanmyashima). Another miniscule, uninhabited, islet, this one is just off the east coast of Yoroshima. Alternatively, it could be reached in less than 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) from the western shore of Ukeshima. Of course, if you did go there, from either island, what’s there? Not much. Hanmya Islet is mostly rock and a bit of sand, with just a touch of vegetation. It’s oblong in shape, about 2,300 feet (700 meters) in length and 660 feet (200 meters) in width.

3 KIKAIJIMA OR KIKAIGASHIMA 喜界島

For the Ryukyus, where size is always relative, Kikaijima (喜界島; Kikai-jima or Kikaiga-shima) is a moderately large island. Its shape is something like that of an elongated pear or perhaps a triangle. Better yet, how about the shape of an arrowhead or an eggplant? You get the idea. It’s wider at the bottom than at the top. It’s about 9 miles (15 kilometers) long and its width varies from around 2–2.5 miles (3.2–4 kilometers) through its northern two-thirds to approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) at its lower southern one-third. Kikai’s area is 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) and its population a little more than 8,000.

That’s actually quite a few people for an essentially small place. The reason for the relatively high population is that unlike so many of the Amamis, Kikaijima is not mountainous. It’s mostly level, with the exception of one good-sized high ridge which occupies about one-third of the central east side of the island. The escarpment is crowned along its length with a scenic road connecting a couple of parks. But for this exception, most of the rest of Kikai is fully settled, with close to two dozen villages, and highly developed, with almost its entire land surface devoted to agricultural production. Although the primary farming crop is sugar cane, many other crops and fruits are grown, including melons, mangoes and dragon fruit. For this reason, Kikai is sometimes referred to as the “fruity” island.

The “A” Line’s Amami, one of twin ships, the other being the Kikai, that serve Kikaijima.

Because Kikai is a little off the beaten path, few persons visit it. This is a shame, for it is a very pretty island. On the other hand, if you like uncrowded places, Kikai might be just right for you. However, because there is not much tourism, there are not many accommodations. One of the larger hotels in town (maybe 20 rooms) is the Business Hotel Hayashi (ビジネスホテル林; Bisnesu hoteru Hayashi-0997-65-3838). In addition, there are several minshuku inns (民宿).

Kikai is so compact you can walk into town from Kikaijima Airport.

Basically, everything in Kikai Town is within walking distance from the port, even the airport, which is a little less than a mile (1 kilometer) away. The town is primarily composed of the villages of Nakazato (中里; Naka-zato) and Akaren (赤連; Akaren) which surround Wan Port (湾港; Wan-kō).

Kikai is only 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of Amami-Ōshima at the two islands’ closest points, and by coincidence those points are Ōshima’s Airport (奄美空港; Amami-kūkō), which is located on the northeasternmost corner of that island, and the Kikai Airport (喜界空港; Kikai-kūkō), which is on the southwest side of Kikai. It follows therefore, that it’s a short flight between the two islands, about 15 minutes, three times a day. Flying time to Kagoshima on the Japanese “mainland,” is a little further, about one hour. There are one or two flights a day there.

“Mattress” (tatami) class aboard the “A” Line’s Kikai.

As the crow flies, it’s 27 miles (43 kilometers) east–west between Nazé, Amami and Kikai Town, both of which are located next to their respective seaports. However, ships don’t fly like crows. By ferry, over the ocean route, around the top northern end of Ōshima and then back down to Kikai, it’s closer to 45 miles (72 kilometers) and takes about two hours in good weather. There are five sailings a week in both directions on the “A” Line Ferry (マルエー; Maru-A) service. The twin ships, the Amami and the Kikai, make the run.

As with all things ferry-related, things change. So it always pays to double and triple check, but here’s how the service has been operating for the last several years. Five days a week, Monday through Friday, either the Amami or the Kikai departs Kagoshima North Sea Terminal at 5:30PM. It’s about a 238-mile (380-kilometer) cruise, so it takes all night. The ships arrive non-stop at Kikai’s Wan Port the next morning at either 4:30 or 5:30AM.

Half an hour later, at 5:00 or 6:00AM, Tuesday through Saturday, the “A” Line departs and cruises approximately two hours over the northern end of Amami-Ōshima to Nazé Port (名瀬港; Nazé-kō). A half hour later, at approximately 7:30 or 8:30AM, the ships depart Nazé and head southwest along Amami’s west coast, then turn east through the Ōshima Strait that divides Amami from Kakeromajima, and arrive in the southern Amami port of Koniya (古仁屋; Koniya). Altogether, it’s about 45 miles (72 kilometers) and takes two and a quarter hours. The ships arrive at approximately 9:45 or 10:45AM, respectively.

Fifteen minutes later, at about 10:00 or 11:00AM, the Amami or Kikai departs and heads south to Hetono (平土野; Hétono), the west side port on the island of Tokuno. That sailing is also 45 miles (72 kilometers) and takes two hours and fifteen minutes, arriving at 12:15 or 1:30PM, respectively.

Note that on some days (about half the departures), one of the ships continues from Tokunoshima to the port of China (知名; Chee-na) on the next island south, Okino-Erabujima. Those sailings depart between 12:30 and 2:00PM and arrive at China at 2:45 and 4:15PM. These less frequent sailings recommence their return journeys north between 3:00 and 4:30PM and start the cycle all over again.

For most ships terminating at Hetono, the return journey north begins at 12:45PM for the Amami and 1:55PM for the Kikai. Service is five days a week, Tuesdays through Saturdays, with occasional differences. Arrival time at Koniya is 3:10 and 4:20PM, respectively. Twenty minutes later, at 3:30 and 4:40PM, the ships depart and cruise north to Nazé, arriving at 5:40 and 7:00PM.

If you are traveling from Amami-Ōshima to Kikai, here’s when you’ll board. Tuesdays through Saturdays, one of the “A” Lines, the Amami departs Nazé at 6:10PM. The other, the Kikai, leaves at 7:20PM. Sailing time is about two hours, so you’ll arrive at Kikai’s Wan Port at 8:20 or 9:30PM.

To return to Kagoshima from Kikai, on Tuesdays through Saturdays you’ll board the Amami at 8:50PM and the Kikai at 9:50PM and cruise overnight, arriving Wednesdays through Sundays at Kagoshima at 8:00AM and 9:50AM, respectively. Note, and this is very important, on the days one of the ships makes the round-trip extension to China Port, the preceding times are extended by several hours. It's best to verify your actual shipping time prior to your date of departure.

Four-person berths aboard the Kikai.

Sugira Beach is popular for snorkeling and diving.

The Kikai Garden Golf Course.

The “Esplanado” path along Kikai’s western shore.

Kikai is popular for its good snorkeling and diving in safe, sheltered lagoons. Nakazato (中里; Naka-zato) is one of the most popular, with its long stretch of white sand. There are two tiny coral islands in the middle of the cove that are perfect for exploring. But Sugira Beach (スギラビーチ; Sugira bīchi) is the most convenient as it is close to town. The beach is part of the Airport Seaside Park (空港臨海公園; Kūkō rinkai kōen) and you can walk there from town. It’s located just behind the airport. There are changing facilities, toilets and showers at the beach.

As is the case with all the northern Ryukyus, swimming is best from late April through November since December to March is cool and often rainy. If you enjoy snorkeling, the waters of Kikai are perfect natural aquariums full of colorful fish and coral.

If you’re interested, next door to Sugira Beach and its children’s playground is Kikai’s only golf course. It’s a nine-hole set-up and guest privileges are available. It’s called the Kikai Garden Golf Course (喜界ガーデンゴルフ; Kikai gāden gorufu) and it’s located in between the airport and the beach. An errant wild shot has an equal chance of landing on the runway or in the ocean.

Before leaving this southwest section of the island, there’s one more thing worth mentioning. Just a little to the west of the end of the airport runway and Sugira Beach begins what is called the “Esplanado” (遊歩道; Esplanado). It’s a 1.5-mile-(2.4-kilometer)-long path running north to south along the island’s far western shore. It ends at Araki (荒木; Araki) village. It’s mostly coral and rock, but sections of the trail also go through dense banyan tree groves, and at one point there’s an observatory with splendid views of the sea. It’s a beautiful walk, one of the nicest you’ll find anywhere. It’s also Kikai’s best place to watch the sun set into the ocean. Incidentally, some signs refer to it by a rather longer name: the Arakinakasato Promenade (荒木中里遊歩道; Arakinakasato Esplanado).

There’s one more sightseeing attraction not far from this end of the island. A little less than a mile (2 kilometers) southeast of Araki, you’ll see signs for the Gajyumaru Big Banyan Tree (ガジュマル巨木; Gaju maru kyo boku). There’s no question about it, it’s big. And if you really like giant banyan trees, there’s a whole grove of them about halfway up the escarpment on the way to Nakanishi Park. It’s called the Couple Banyan Tree (夫婦ガジュマル; Fūfu gaju maru) and there are well over a dozen of them—all giants. The road goes right through it. We’ll drive there next.

At this point we’ve been more or less following Kikai’s circle-island road, Route 619, counter-clockwise. From the Giant Banyan to the Couple Banyans, it’s about 4 miles (6 kilometers). The road goes around the southernmost end of Kikai, then heads north along the east coast. Watch for the signs for the Couple Banyan and Nakanishi Park just after the village of Keraji (花良治; Keraji). The left-hand turn is less than half a mile (0.7 kilometer) north just after exiting the village. From the turn-off at Route 619, it’s a bit more than 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) up a twisting, winding road past the Couple Banyans to the Nakanishi Park.

You will crest the mountain and find yourself on the top of Kikai’s escarpmen. This spot is crowned by a little observation platform on the island’s highest point at 695 feet (212 meters) at Nakanishi Park (中西公園; Nakan-ishi kōen). On a clear day, you’ll get some splendid views looking down over the cultivated fields, the small villages and the unending expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Incidentally, if you look behind you to the west, you’ll see a fairly large barracks and an enormous circular something. It’s a Japanese military installation and the big circle is a “listening” post.

Gajyumaru Big Banyan Tree.

Nakanishi Park, the highest point on Kikai.

From Nakanishi Park, perhaps the scenic highlight of the island begins. There is a road, or you can hike along the trail, that follows the crest of the Kikai escarpment 3 miles (5 kilometers) north, all along the heights of the east coast of the island. This especially lovely drive terminates at the almost equally tall 666-feet (203-meter) Hyakunodai Park Observation Platform (百之台公園展望台; Hyaku no-dai kōen Tenbō-dai). From this vantage point there are great views towards the north of island. It truly is beautiful and you’ll wonder why more people don’t know about this island. But they don’t, so we’ll leave it at that.

From the northern end of the escarpment, there are several alternative routes that may be taken. There are many roads that crisscross over and through Kikai Island. Most of this part of Kikai’s mid-section is a fairly level but elevated plateau, and there are attractive villages scattered around even up here. For the most part, it’s all cultivated with sugar cane.

View of Kikai Island from the Hyakunodai Park Observation Platform.

The Tonbizaki Lighthouse near Cape Tonbi.

Let’s, however, stay on Route 619 and continue north to the top end of the island. As we do, we’ll gradually descend. The topmost third of Kikai is for the most part uniformly flat and not elevated. The end of the island is marked by the Tonbizaki Lighthouse (トンビ崎灯台; Tonbi-zaki tōdai) near Cape Tonbi (トンビ崎; Tonbi-zaki). Essentially, we’re rounding the northern tip of Kikai on a small road that parallels just above Route 619. You’ll see signs here and there for a couple of miles/kilometers along this section of shoreline for Tonbizaki “Beach” (トンビ崎海岸; Tonbi-zaki kaigan). Despite the signs, there is no beach. The better translation of the Kanji characters would be coast, not beach. It may have some interest to visitors, but it’s more a long stretch of rather desolate coral stone and tidal basins on the northwest coast of Kikai.

Karimata Spring, a sacred fresh water spring.

Now driving southwest, you’ll soon come to the village of Onotsu (小野津; Onotsu). There is one minor attraction here and one nearby.

It so happens that the 130th East Longitude Meridian Line (東経130度線 - 子午線 モニュメント; Tōkei 130 (sha ku tan jie) do-sen-Shigosen Monyumento) runs through Kikai’s northern end. To celebrate this invisible meridian, there’s a small marker and a couple of yellow lines in the road. It’s right on the shore of town, perhaps 330 feet (100 meters) to the west of the fishing port and overlooking the ocean. Naturally, the line would continue across the island and indeed continue around the world from the North to the South Pole. It exits Kikai someplace near the east coast village of Sōmachi (早町; Sōmachi) but there’s nothing special over there to mark it although it is indicated where it passes through Hyakunodai Park.

Let’s admit it, there are longitude and latitude lines all over the face of the earth, at least on maps. We don’t normally pay too much attention to them unless they are, for example, the Greenwich Prime Meridian, International Date Line, Equator, Arctic Circle or something like that. But this is Kikai and things are on a slightly smaller scale here. Embrace it.

From Onotsu it’s just a bit up the hill leaving town and you’ll see a sign for the Karimata Spring (雁股の泉; Karimata-no izumi). Again, it’s nothing too, too special, but one can easily imagine that it was something special a few hundred years ago. Miraculously flowing fresh water supplies on small islands surrounded by the un-drinkable ocean are always special, usually revered. The Japanese town website reports that there is a wealth of legend surrounding this particular fountain and thus it is a sacred place. If fresh water springs interest you, there is another one, which includes a small waterfall, in the village of Ōasato (大朝戸; Ōasato), which is approximately in the center of the island, on the east side. Its waters are brilliantly clear.

Not far from the Ōasato Spring, perhaps less than three-quarters of a mile (1 kilometer), you’ll come to the last place we’ll visit on Kikai, the Ufuyaguchi Limestone Caverns (ウフヤグチ鐘乳洞; Ufu yaguchi shōn yūdō). It’s a little difficult to find. There are only a couple of small signs and they are only in Japanese. Watch for the last Kanji character “洞” as it means cave or cavern. There’s a small parking area on the side of the road and then a short walk up a hill leads you there. The caverns are not commercialized and therefore entry is free.

Pachinko (パチンコ)

Okinawa and the Ryukyus may be another world, and they are, but they are still Japan, and that means Pachinko. Like Sumo wrestling and Kabuki theater, Pachinko is wholly unique to this country and found nowhere else. Superficially, a Pachinko machine resembles pinball, but it’s vertical and there are no levers (flippers) for the player. Also, the steel balls are much smaller than those used in pinball. The player initiates the ball’s speed, but then has no further control over it. The ball travels downwards through a maze of pins, in most cases, to be lost at the bottom. But some, by chance, are diverted to side pockets, which then generate more balls for the player. As gambling is illegal in Japan, that’s essentially the payout: more balls and thus more playing time. Patrons may while away countless hours in brightly lit, smoke-filled Pachinko Parlors, where the sound levels are always a deafening cacophony of machine noise. Not so surprisingly perhaps, you’ll find fairly large Pachinko Parlors on even some of the smallest islands in the Ryukyus. It may be a little difficult for a gaijin (外人) (foreigner) to understand, but after all, what’s a sugar cane farmer to do in the off season?

The Ufuyaguchi site is a good example of the difference between a cave and a cavern. Rather than a tunnel or some narrow, confined space, this opening into the earth is large—“cavernous.” There are several chambers and they may be reached from several entrances. You’ll need a flashlight, so bring one. There’s usually no one around and it’s a little spooky. Watch your step. In a couple of places there are vents in the ceilings allowing some light to stream in. There are few stalactites or stalagmites but there are some limestone formations. Altogether the caverns are fairly large. It’s no Kentucky Mammoth Cave, but it is impressive enough.

A chamber in the Ufuyaguchi Limestone Caverns.

From either the Ōasato Spring or the Ufuyaguchi Limestone Caverns, you’re only about 2.4 miles (4 kilometers) east of Kikai Town. You can either head back over the local roads or turn north, back on to the coast, and take the last section of Route 619, completing this big circle we’ve made around the island.

Kikai is a surprising place, a lovely, peaceful island that seems to have fallen off the radar screen. No doubt the town fathers would like to promote tourism. The widely available free island map and directory (only in Japanese) is nicely put together and comprehensive. Yet, few people seem to have heard of the place. Most travelers, if they get to the northern Ryukyus at all, never leave Amami-Ōshima. That’s understandable for it takes an extra flight or ferry ride to reach Kikaijima.

Nonetheless, it’s worth the effort. Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that Kikai is one of the few Ryukyu Islands that does not have habu snakes. For whatever reason, they’re not part of the island’s indigenous wildlife. Among the Ryukyus, only Kikai, Okinoerabu and Yoron share this distinction.

The marine terminal at Kametoku Port.

4 TOKUNOSHIMA 徳之島

For the Ryukyus, Tokunoshima (徳之島; Tokuno-shima) is a fairly large island (the second largest of the Amamis) as it has an area of 96 square miles (248 square kilometers) and a circumference of 52 miles (84 kilometers). Depending on your point of view, it’s a rectangle or an oval. It spans almost exactly 15 miles (24 kilometers) from north to south and anywhere from 5–8 miles (8–13 kilometers) east to west. Tokuno also has a large population of about 26,750. The island is divided administratively into three “towns” : Tokunoshima (徳之島町; Tokunoshima-chō), Amagi (天城町; Amagi-chō), and Isen (伊仙町; Isen-chō). The largest is Tokunoshima Town whose village is called Kametsu (亀津; Kamétsu). This is where the main port is located and where most of the island’s hotels, restaurants and other services are found. It’s on Tokuno’s Pacific Ocean side.

Tokuno Island has a small airport, (徳之 島空港; Tokuno-shima-kūkō), which is located on the island’s northwest side, approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) driving distance from Kametsu. There are two flights a day to Amami-Ōshima (25 minutes) and two daily flights to Kagoshima (one hour). There is occasional service to Naha, Okinawa through Okinoerabu.

Tokunoshima’s air terminal and control tower.

The island is well served by the alternating “A” Line and Marix Ferries, which run daily from Okinawa to Kagoshima and vice versa. Sailing time south from Nazé Port is about three hours and 30 minutes. Sailing north from Naha, Okinawa, it takes the best part of a day, almost 10 hours, as the ferry stops at Motobu Port, Yoron and Okinoerabu along the way.

The ferry usually docks at the marine terminal at Kametsu’s Kametoku Port (亀徳港; Kamétoku-kō), but when the Pacific Ocean is stormy, the ferries often dock at Hetono Port (平土野港; Hétono-kō) on the island’s East China Sea side. Hetono lies just below the airport.

Ryukyu Bullfighting

Known as Tōgyū or Ushi-zumō (闘牛大会; “bull sumo”), it’s tough, potentially dangerous and probably politically incorrect but it’s popular on Okinawa and especially so on Tokunoshima. It’s a match between bull and bull. Thus, it really has nothing to do with Spanish, Portuguese or Mexican bullfighting where the contest is between man and bull and which, in many cases, ends in the bull’s death. Okinawan bullfighting, as it’s often called, is more like Sumo wrestling for bulls. The animals are guided by their coaches. Bulls will lock horns, push and shove one another, each attempting to force the other to yield. The match is over when either bull relents or tires, then withdraws. Great care is taken so that bulls are not harmed. Should a bull be gored, the contest is immediately stopped and the bull is given medical aid.

The Mushiroze volcanic rock formations.

A view of the East China Sea from Cape Inutabu.

In many ways, Tokuno is a perfect model of a typical Ryukyu Island. It’s small but not too small. It has beautiful waters, a couple of good beaches, friendly people and several nice hotels and minshuku in its small main town. All in all, Tokuno has at least a couple of days of interesting sightseeing.

First worth seeing are two rather unusual items. Along with Okinawa’s main island, Tokuno is one of the centers of “Tōgyū,” otherwise known as “Okinawan” or “Ryukyu” Bullfighting. It’s a unique form of the sport and has nothing to do with the bullfighting found in Spain or other places. In Tōgyū, the bulls fight each other, not a matador, and nobody dies.

The second, in this case rare, item is the presence of the prehistoric Amami Black Rabbit (奄美の黒兔; Amami no Kuro-Usagi). Along with Amami-Ōshima, Tokuno is the only other island, indeed the only other place in the world, where this nocturnal and secretive creature may be found. Unfortunately, since they truly are an animal of the jungle—and a nighttime one at that—most casual visitors will not get to see one.

Much easier to find and see because they never move and don’t hide themselves at night are the great rock formations at the island’s northwesternmost tip: Mushiroze (むしろ瀬; Mushi-rozé). They are volcanic, thus giving a clue to Tokuno’s origins. It’s not a coral island. At Tokuno’s opposite northern cape, the northeasternmost Promontory Kanami (金見崎; Kanami-zaki), you’ll find the Kanami Sotetsu (Sago Palm) Tree Tunnel (金見ソテツトンネル; Kanami Sotésu), a 400-year-old oceanside collection of these great ancient cycads. There’s one more seaside natural attraction, the “Glasses’ Rocks” (メガネ岩; Mégama-iwa) of Innojofuta (犬門蓋; Innojo-futa) near Hetono. It’s a twin set of natural arches carved by the sea bearing a resemblance to a pair of eyeglasses.

Another good view, this one from the island’s most prominent southwest cape, is from the Observatory at Inutabu (犬田布岬; Inutabu-misaki). The vista from the cliffs here is as long as the eye can see. It’s an impressive great stretch of headlands fronting the East China Sea. Close by on this same cape is an enigmatic monument for a non-Japanese, for there is nothing on or around the monument in English to describe it. If there were a plaque in English, its significance would still be virtually unknown except perhaps to naval historians.

The memorial is to the Battleship Yamato (大和) and the men who perished on her. She was, at the time of her construction, the largest ship ever built. Commissioned and launched at the beginning of the 1940s, the Yamato class of warships was intended to counter the numerical superiority of the United States’ fleet. The flagship Yamato and her sister ship Musashi (武蔵) were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing over 70,000 tons fully loaded and armed with the largest caliber of naval artillery ever placed on a warship. The Yamato had an extraordinary length of 863 feet (263 meters), a beam of 128 feet (39 meters) and a draft of 36 feet (11 meters). Originally intended to be a group of five such ships, these two were the only ones to be built. Neither survived World War II.

The Glasses’ rocks, a twin set of natural arches.

Although the Yamato saw action in 1944 at the Battle of the Philippine Sea and was damaged in the Japanese naval disaster of Leyte Gulf, by this stage of World War II the Empire of Japan was all but vanquished and near desperation. In April of 1945, in what was planned to be a final “special attack” (特攻; tokkō; lit. “suicide”), a euphemism for a suicide mission, the Yamato, along with nine other battleships, was ordered to sail to Okinawa and once there to beach itself and thereby implant its armory to defend the island. The mission was code-named Operation “Ten-go” (天號作戰 or 天号作戦; Kyūjitai or Shin-jitai) and is usually referred to as “Ten-gō Sakusen.” Once the ship had exhausted its munitions, or was destroyed, the crew was to join the island’s defenders.

The Yamato Memorial (大和慰霊塔) is a lonely memorial, but sacred and moving, for out at sea from this place thousands of men lost their lives in service to their country.

It never happened. Exiting Japan’s inland sea, the ship and its escorts were spotted by American submarines. On April 7th, attacking in three waves, US dive bombers pounded the Yamato with bombs and rockets while torpedoes pummeled the port side. Broken, battered and listing badly, the crew was ordered to abandon ship. As the great battleship capsized, it created a suction that drew hundreds of swimming crewmen back towards it to drown. As the ship began its final death roll, an enormous explosion ripped through it as fires had reached the ammunitions magazines. The resulting mushroom cloud was over 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) high and witnessed hundreds of miles/kilometers away on Kyūshū. Of the Yamato’s crew of 2,778, only 269 survived. The US Navy lost 10 aircraft and 12 airmen. Five of the other warships were also destroyed and several thousands of men on those ships perished as well.

This photo was taken from a carrier plane from the USS Yorktown shortly after the Yamato was destroyed by bombs and torpedoes and just before it sank.

The highlight of the Kure Yamato Museum is this 1:10 scale model of the battleship Yamato. It is 86 feet (26.3 meters) long. In Tokyo, at the Odaiba Maritime Museum (船の科学館; Fune no kagakukan), there is a 13-foot (4-meter) 1:20 scale model of the ship.

From the start of the attack, about 30 minutes after noon on April 7th, 1944, to the Yamato’s drop beneath the waves, about 2:30PM, it is estimated that the ship was hit by at least eleven torpedoes and eight bombs. The wreckage of the battleship was located in 1985 and explored more extensively in 1999. The remains of the Yamato lie under 1,115 feet (340 meters) of water in two main pieces. Undersea dive photographs show the bow portion, severed from the rest of the ship, in an upright position, the 7-foot (2-meter)-wide golden chrysanthemum crest still glowing in a faint hue. The midships and stern section are upside-down nearby, with two great holes in the bottom, the result of powerful internal explosions.

For the West, the message was clear. The battle convincingly demonstrated Japan’s willingness to sacrifice large numbers of its own citizens—as well as its remaining war machine—in increasingly impossible attempts, such as the Kamikazé (神風; lit. “Divine Wind”) missions, to stop the Allied advance on the Japanese home islands at any cost. Operation Ten-Go, had it been successful, would have resulted in thousands of soldiers dying in hand-to-hand combat.

There was simply no stopping the Japanese war machine. It is widely agreed by most historians that President Harry S. Truman’s decision to employ the atomic bomb against Japan was a direct result of the apparent willingness of Japan to sacrifice countless numbers of its citizens using suicidal tactics such as Operation Ten-Go and their resistance in the Battle of Okinawa. Although to this day there is no clear consensus among scholars and historians of the moral correctness of the decision to use the atomic bombs, the fact remains that Japan did not surrender until after the twin bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, respectively.

After the war, the Battleship Yamato became an object of intense interest and, in some quarters, veneration in Japan. It remains a very sensitive and controversial topic. One of the reasons the sinking of the Yamato is such an emotionally charged issue, and one that has such special significance in Japanese culture, is that the very word “Yamato” is used as a poetic name for Japan. The ship’s destruction and the disaster of Operation Ten-Go is eulogized, to one degree or another, in modern Japan and in popular Japanese culture, as a heroic, selfless but ultimately futile effort by the Japanese to defend their homeland. Thus, the Yamato is a symbolic emblem of great national pride and its fate has come to represent the end of the once invincible Imperial Japanese Navy, Japanese militarism and the Empire of Japan.

The nicest hotel in Tokunoshima Town is the Hotel Grand Ocean Resort. And the people running the place? They couldn’t be nicer either. It’s a pleasure to stay here.

The Cape Inutabu Memorial Tower was dedicated in April 1968 to the Yamato crew and all the seamen who died in Operation Ten-go on their way to defend Okinawa. In addition to many films and books published on the Yamato, there is a second memorial in mainland Japan. Opened in 2005 and built near the site of the former Kure shipyards in Hiroshima where the Yamato was built, the Kure Maritime Museum, commonly known as the Yamato Museum (大和ミュージアム; Yamato myuujiamu) is dedicated to the battleship and its engineering.

5 IŌTORISHIMA 硫黄鳥島

By all accounts this little islet, geographically located in the Amami group, should be included in Kagoshima Prefecture as it’s only 40 miles (65 kilometers) due west of Tokunoshima and thus way north of Okinawa. As the crow flies, it’s located 70 miles (112 kilometers) due north of Okinawa’s Cape Hedo and that’s much further north than either Yorontō or Okinoerabujima, both of which are in Kagoshima.

Yet, despite this geography, whenever one finds a reference to Iōtorishima (硫黄鳥島; Iwō-tori-shima) it’s invariably described as being 135 miles (216 kilometers) northeast of Kume Island, which is almost 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Okinawa and nowhere near Iōtori. So what’s the connection? Well none, geographically, but politically the reason is grounded in history. Long ago it was included in the Ryukyu Kingdom and another name for it was “Okinawa Torishima,” or in English “Okinawa Bird Island.” An island of birds? Perhaps, but there’s a reason for this as well. It’s common in the Ryukyus to call any minor, offshore, unnamed islet “Bird Island” (鳥島; Torishima). And historically this Bird Island, which is an active volcano, was mined for its sulphur by Okinawans, not people from Amami. Sulphur was an important source of tribute in the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Pot of Gold in Tokuno? A sugar cane field, the ocean in the background and a rainbow after a drench—it’s all anyone might ask for—except perhaps for that pot of gold.