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In the Shochogama ritual, men and children from the village climb onto a slanted wooden platform at dawn on the appointed day and stomp on it so that it collapses, thereby ensuring a rich harvest. Shochogama always takes place on the same day as the Hirase Mankai festival, marking the coming of autumn, such as it is in this subtropical climate, in the eighth month of the old lunar calendar.
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Hirase Mankai, where five shamanesses assemble on two craggy boulders to the west of Akina Port to pray and dance for good catches throughout the year.
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The dance called Yui no Hōnen Odori, designated an intangible folk cultural asset by Kagoshima Prefecture. Men dance to give thanks for the year’s harvest and also pray for a good harvest the next year.
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The Kasarizaki lighthouse, at the northernmost point of Amami Ōshima, offers superb ocean views.
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Naze Port, on the northwest shore, is Amami Ōshima’s transportation hub and departure point for the ferries serving the island.
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The Kinsakubaru primeval forest, where gigantic ferns called hikage hego and other sub-tropical vegetation grow.
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Virgin mangrove forests outside the Sumiyōchō district in the southern part of the island.
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Yadorihama is a popular beach known for its white sands.
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An aerial view of Kakeroma Island, from the vicinity of Yadorihama beach.
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Ōshima tsumugi kimono fabric is a vibrant traditional product of this southern island.
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