Amami, City and island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Amami is a city and island in southern Japan, part of Kagoshima Prefecture, lying between Kyushu and Okinawa. The main urban center of the island is the Naze district, a busy town area with shops, restaurants, and small hotels.
Amami was long contested between the Ryukyu Kingdom and Japan before coming under control of the Satsuma clan in the 17th century. The samurai Saigo Takamori was exiled to the island in the 19th century, where he spent several years of his life.
In Amami, Oshima tsumugi is a silk fabric that has been dyed with local mud for over 1,300 years. In markets and small shops around the island, finished pieces are on display and available to buy.
A rental car is the most practical way to get around the island, as buses do not reach all points of interest. The weather is warm for most of the year, though rain is common and can arrive suddenly.
The Honohoshi Coast in the south of the island has a beach made entirely of smooth, rounded stones instead of sand. When waves come in, the sound of the stones rolling against each other is clearly audible from the shore.
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