National Parks · Kagoshima
Amami Guntō National Park
奄美群島国立公園あまみぐんとうこくりつこうえんAmami Guntō Kokuritsu KōenForests of living fossils and a culture shaped by the sea
Amami Guntō National Park spans the Amami Islands between Kyushu and Okinawa, protecting subtropical rainforest home to the Amami rabbit, mangroves, raised coral islands and the landscapes of island life. Designated in 2017, it contains the Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima parts of a World Heritage Site inscribed in 2021.
Overview
Amami Guntō National Park covers parts of eight inhabited islands in the southern half of Kagoshima Prefecture: Amami-Ōshima, Kakeromajima, Ukejima and Yoroshima in the north, Kikaijima to the east, and Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima and Yoronjima to the south. It stretches roughly 200 km along the Ryukyu arc between Yakushima and Okinawa.
The park was designated on 7 March 2017, upgraded from a quasi-national park created in 1974. It was conceived as an 'environmental culture' park, protecting not only wilderness but also the relationship between islanders and nature: sacred groves, coastal villages, fields of sugarcane and the sea on which they depend.
Its most important natural feature is the subtropical forest of Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima, which harbours animals found nowhere else, relics of lineages that became isolated when the islands separated from the continent. In 2021 these forests were inscribed, together with northern Okinawa Island and Iriomote, as a natural World Heritage Site.
Landscape and formation
The Amami Islands fall into two types. Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima are 'high islands' of older sedimentary and igneous rock, with steep, forested mountains cut by deep valleys; Yuwan-dake (694 m) on Amami-Ōshima is the highest peak. Kikaijima, Okinoerabujima and Yoronjima are 'low islands' of raised coral limestone with terraces, caves and sinkholes; Kikaijima is among the fastest-rising islands in the world, lifted by the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate.
Around the coasts, fringing coral reefs, white beaches and estuarine mangroves complete the picture. The Sumiyō River on Amami-Ōshima has one of the largest mangrove forests in Japan, while on Tokunoshima and Okinoerabujima wave-cut limestone forms dramatic rock gardens.
Highlights
- 奄美大島Amami-Ōshima
The largest island of the group, with most of the park's forest and mangroves.
Kinsakubaru
金作原KinsakubaruA primeval subtropical forest of tree ferns and chinquapin on Amami-Ōshima, visited with licensed guides.
Sumiyō mangroves
住用のマングローブ原生林Sumiyō no mangurōbu genseirinA tidal mangrove forest at the mouth of the Sumiyō and Yakugachi rivers, explored by canoe.
Inokawa-dake
井之川岳Inokawa-dakeThe highest mountain of Tokunoshima, whose forests are the island's stronghold of the Amami rabbit.
Innojōfuta
犬の門蓋InnojōfutaA coast of jagged raised-coral rocks and arches on western Tokunoshima.
Shōryūdō
昇竜洞ShōryūdōA limestone cave on Okinoerabujima with flowstone formations, open to visitors.
Yurigahama
百合ヶ浜YurigahamaA white sandbar off Yoronjima that appears only at low tide.
Nature
Ecology
The Amami Islands became isolated from the Asian mainland and from each other over the past million years or more, and their forests preserve ancient lineages. The Amami rabbit, a primitive dark-furred rabbit, survives only on Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima. Introduced mongooses, released in 1979 to control venomous habu snakes, devastated native wildlife; a long eradication campaign succeeded, and the Ministry of the Environment declared the mongoose eradicated from Amami-Ōshima in 2024. Feral cats remain a threat.
Flora
Japanese chinquapin
スダジイsudajiiThe dominant tree of the evergreen forest, whose nuts feed the rabbit, jay and wild boar.
Flying spider-monkey tree fern
ヒカゲヘゴhikagehegoA tree fern up to 10 m tall, giving Kinsakubaru its prehistoric look.
Oriental mangrove
オヒルギohirugiA mangrove tree with knee-shaped roots, dominant in the Sumiyō mangroves.
Fauna
Amami rabbit
アマミノクロウサギAmami no kurousagiA dark, short-eared rabbit found only on Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima; a special natural monument.
Lidth's jay
ルリカケスrurikakesuA blue and chestnut jay endemic to the Amami Islands and a national natural monument.
Amami woodcock
アマミヤマシギAmami yamashigiAn endemic woodcock of the forest floor, often seen on forest roads at night.
Amami Ishikawa's frog
アマミイシカワガエルAmami Ishikawa gaeruA strikingly green and gold frog of mountain streams, considered one of Japan's most beautiful.
Culture
The Amami Islands belonged to the sphere of the Ryukyu Kingdom until the Satsuma domain took control in 1609, and their culture blends Ryukyuan and Japanese elements. Shima-uta, the island songs sung with a high falsetto to the sanshin, the dance of hachigatsu-odori at the harvest festivals, and bullfighting on Tokunoshima are living traditions. Ōshima tsumugi, a finely patterned silk pongee dyed with the bark of the sharinbai tree and iron-rich mud, is one of Japan's most prized textiles.
After the Second World War the islands were under US administration until their return to Japan on 25 December 1953. The painter Tanaka Isson spent his last decades on Amami-Ōshima, depicting its plants and birds.
Ōshima tsumugi
大島紬Ōshima tsumugiHand-woven silk dyed repeatedly in sharinbai extract and mud to a deep black-brown.
Shima-uta
島唄shima-utaAmami folk songs characterised by falsetto singing, performed at gatherings and festivals.
Tōgyū (bullfighting)
闘牛tōgyūContests between bulls held on Tokunoshima, a central part of island life.
Tanaka Isson Memorial Museum
田中一村記念美術館Tanaka Isson Kinen BijutsukanA museum on Amami-Ōshima dedicated to the painter of Amami's subtropical nature.
History
1609
The Satsuma domain takes control of the Amami Islands from the Ryukyu Kingdom.
1953
The islands return to Japan from US administration on 25 December.
1974
The Amami Islands are designated a quasi-national park.
1979
Mongooses are released on Amami-Ōshima in an attempt to control habu snakes.
2017
Amami Guntō National Park is designated on 7 March.
2021
The forests of Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima are inscribed on the World Heritage List.
2024
The Ministry of the Environment declares the mongoose eradicated from Amami-Ōshima.
Through the seasons
Spring
Warm and green; birds breed in the forest and the sea becomes calm and clear from April.
Summer
Hot and humid with the rainy season from May to June; peak season for beaches and snorkelling, with typhoons possible from July.
Autumn
Typhoon season continues into September; later, dry and pleasant weather for forest walks. Hachigatsu-odori is danced in villages at harvest time.
Winter
Mild but often cloudy and windy; humpback whales can be seen offshore from late winter.
Routes and trails
Kinsakubaru guided walk
A walk through the primeval forest with a certified guide, as required by the local rules.
Sumiyō mangrove canoe
Canoe tours through the mangrove channels at high tide.
Night forest drive
Guided night tours on forest roads of Amami-Ōshima to see the Amami rabbit and woodcock.
Yurigahama by glass-bottomed boat
Boats cross the lagoon of Yoronjima to the sandbar at low tide.
Practical notes
- Amami Airport has flights from Kagoshima, Tokyo, Osaka and other cities; ferries link the islands with Kagoshima and Okinawa.
- Access to some forest areas, including Kinsakubaru, requires a certified guide and is limited in numbers; check Amami City and the Ministry of the Environment.
- Habu, a venomous pit viper, lives on Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima: wear boots, carry a torch at night and keep out of dense grass.
- Drive slowly on forest roads at night; rabbits and other rare animals are frequently killed by cars.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see the Amami rabbit?
Only on Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima. It is nocturnal and best seen on guided night tours along forest roads.
Which islands are part of the park?
Parts of Amami-Ōshima, Kakeromajima, Ukejima, Yoroshima, Kikaijima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima and Yoronjima.
Is Amami part of Okinawa?
No. The Amami Islands belong to Kagoshima Prefecture, although historically and culturally they are close to Okinawa.
When did Amami become a World Heritage Site?
In 2021, together with northern Okinawa Island and Iriomote, for their biodiversity and endemic species.
Are there dangerous snakes?
Yes, the habu lives on Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima. Bites are rare when visitors stay on paths, wear closed shoes and use a torch at night.
Related
Sources
- 1.環境省_奄美群島国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 2.環境省_国立公園_国立公園一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 3.Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.National Parks of Japan (opens in a new tab) — Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan