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26-568: On 15 February 1974 the Amami Guntō Quasi-National Park was founded on Amami Ōshima . On 7 March 2017 the Amami Guntō National Park was established and it subsumed the former Amami Guntō Quasi-National Park. The Amami Guntō National Park includes parts of the municipalities of Amagi , Amami , China , Isen , Kikai , Setouchi , Tatsugō , Tokunoshima , Uken , Wadomari , Yamato , and Yoron . The designation of

52-545: A memorial museum. After the Meiji Restoration Amami Ōshima was incorporated into Ōsumi Province and later became part of Kagoshima Prefecture. Following World War II , along with the other Amami Islands, it was occupied by the United States until 1953, at which time it reverted to the control of Japan. Since February 1974, a 7,861-hectare (19,420-acre) area that includes portions of the island and surrounding sea

78-455: A stopping place for envoys from Japan to the court of Tang dynasty China. Mother of pearl was an important export item to Japan. Between 1571 and 1611, Amami Ōshima was briefly incorporated as part of the Ryukyu Kingdom as it expanded northwards along the archipelago. As Ryukyu was a tributary vassal of Ming China, this changed the status of the island as well. To counter Ming authority,

104-499: A water tunnel. Sea cliffs developed in the area of Minamata and Kunigamizaki. The entire coast is designated as part of the national park except for the area around Yoron Airport. Coral reefs surround the island. Amami %C5%8Cshima Amami Ōshima ( 奄美大島 , Okinawan : Uushima ( ウーシマ ) ; Amami : Ushima ( ウシマ ) ) , also known as Amami , is the largest island in the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa . It

130-420: Is 75,263 ha (185,980 acres) (land: 42,181 ha, water: 33,082 ha). It is a World Heritage Site candidate. The national park consists of areas from these islands: Tokunoshima , Kikai , Amami , Yoron , Okinoerabujima , Uke Island , Kakeromajima and Yoroshima . This national park features coral reefs , mangrove forests and tidal flats . A unique ecosystem has developed with endemic species such as

156-456: Is also notable that North Pacific right whale , the most endangered of all whale species, have repeatedly appeared around the island (there are five records of three sightings, a capture, and a stranding since 1901) and as of 2014 , Amami is the only location in East China Sea where this species has been confirmed in the past 110 years. It is also one of two locations in the world along with

182-443: Is based on agriculture ( sugar cane , rice and sweet potatoes ), commercial fishing , and the distillation of shōchū . The favorable climate allows for two rice crops a year. Seasonal tourism is also an important part of the economy. Traditional crafts on the island include the production of high quality hand-crafted silk called Ōshima-tsumugi which is mainly used to make kimono . Along with Persian carpets and Gobelin tapestries,

208-514: Is high throughout the year, but is highest in the months of May, June and September. The area is subject to frequent typhoons . Yakiuchi Village was established on April 1, 1908. It became Uken Village on November 1, 1917. Many inhabitants of the village emigrated to Brazil before World War II . As with all of the Amami Islands, the village came under the administration of the United States from July 1, 1946 to December 25, 1953. Efforts to merge

234-601: Is home to several rare or endangered endemic animals, including the Amami rabbit and the Lidth's jay , both of which are now found only in Amami Ōshima and Tokunoshima . The Amami rabbit is sometimes called a living fossil because it represents an ancient Asian lineage that has elsewhere disappeared. The island is also home to the habu , a venomous snake that can be found throughout the Ryūkyū Islands. Mongooses were introduced to kill

260-727: Is one of the Satsunan Islands . The island, 712.35 km in area, has a population of approximately 73,000 people. Administratively it is divided into the city of Amami , the towns of Tatsugō , Setouchi , and the villages of Uken and Yamato in Kagoshima Prefecture . Much of the island is within the borders of the Amami Guntō National Park . In 2021, it was listed as part of the serial UNESCO World Heritage Site of Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island . It

286-441: Is said to be one of the world's three great textiles. Ōshima-tsumugi is dyed with mud to create their characteristic black color. The port of Naze , located in the city of Amami is a major regional shipping and ferry hub. Amami Airport , located at the northern end of the island, is connected to Tokyo, Osaka, Naha , Fukuoka and Kagoshima as well as local flights to the other Amami Islands . There are bus routes and roads on

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312-509: Is uncertain when Amami Ōshima was first settled. Stone tools indicate settlement in the Japanese Paleolithic period, and other artifacts, including pottery, indicate a constant contact with Jōmon , Yayoi and Kofun period Japan. The island is mentioned in the ancient Japanese chronicle Nihon Shoki in an entry for the year 657 AD. During the Nara period and early Heian period it was

338-448: The Amami rabbit , Ryukyu spiny rat , birds: Amami's jay , Ryukyu robin . There are also snakes such as Habu and amphibians such as: Ishikawa's frog , Japanese warty newt and the Ryūkyū scops owl . Yuwandake is covered with subtropical hardwood forests such as Castanopsis sieboldii and Neolitsea aciculata and it has valuable vegetation. There are coral reefs, mangrove forests at

364-549: The Bonin Islands where constant appearance in winter has been confirmed since the 20th century. Discovery of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Seto strait made it the first confirmation in the nation. Other species include whales ( Bryde's , sperm ), smaller whales or dolphins ( false killer , spinner , spotted ), and so on. Before being wiped out, many large whales such as blue and fin were seasonal migrants. The island marks

390-489: The East China Sea on the west and the Pacific Ocean on the east. Amami Ōshima belongs to Kagoshima prefecture . It consists of the following municipalities. The climate of Amami Ōshima is classified as a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with very warm summers and mild winters. The rainy season lasts from May through September. The island is subject to frequent typhoons . Amami Ōshima

416-553: The North Korean vessel. In 2017 the Amami Guntō National Park was established. It absorbed the former Amami Gunto Quasi-national Park and other land and sea areas in adjacent municipalities . Amami Ōshima is the seventh-largest island in the Japanese archipelago after the four main islands, Okinawa Island and Sado Island (excluding the disputed Kuril Islands ). It is located approximately 380 kilometres (210 nmi) south of

442-443: The habu, but have become another problem, as an increase in the mongoose population has been linked to the decline of the Amami rabbit and other endemic species. After the mongoose population reached 10,000 by 2000, authorities launched an eradication campaign that led to the complete eradication of mongoose on the island by 2024. Whale watching to see humpback whales has become a featured attraction in winter in recent years. It

468-506: The island was invaded by samurai from Shimazu clan in 1609 and its incorporation into the official holdings of that domain was recognized by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1624. Shimazu rule was harsh, with the inhabitants of the island reduced to serfdom and forced to raise sugar cane to meet high taxation, which often resulted in famine. Saigō Takamori was exiled to Amami Ōshima in 1859, staying for two years, and his house has been preserved as

494-462: The island, while most of the younger generations are monolingual in Japanese . The Amami language, including the Ōshima dialects, is classified as endangered by UNESCO . There is also a village sign language , named as Amami Oshima Sign Language , being used in the area. Uken, Kagoshima Uken ( 宇検村 , Uken-son ) is a village located on Amami Ōshima , in Ōshima District , Kagoshima Prefecture , Japan . As of 1 October 2020,

520-571: The island. Two dialects of the Amami language are spoken in Amami Ōshima: the Northern Ōshima dialect and the Southern Ōshima dialect. These dialects are part of the Ryukyuan languages group. According to Ethnologue , as of 2005 there were about 10,000 speakers of the Northern Ōshima dialect and about 1,800 speakers of the Southern Ōshima dialect. These dialects are now spoken mostly by older residents of

546-529: The mouth of the Katsushi River and underwater scenery. Noticeable coastal terraces are distributed on the islands. Hyakunodai Park is a plateau where coral reefs have developed. This is a limestone island with a Karst topography. There is a natural Sea cave created by erosion. Mt. Inokawa is known as a treasure of endemic plants including ferns. There are large-scale caves such as the Shoryu Cavern and

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572-602: The new National Park, alongside that of Yanbaru National Park , is part of the movement to have Amami-Oshima Island , Tokunoshima Island , the northern part of Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List . The Amami Wildlife Center is managed by Japan's Ministry of the Environment to protect and preserve the natural ecosystem of the Amami Islands . Total designated area

598-496: The northernmost limit of dugong distribution, with occasional sightings throughout the 20th and into the 21st century. Amami Oshima is the only place where a nesting of leatherback turtle has been seen in Japan. Amami Oshima had a population of 73,000 people in 2013. 44,561 people live in the city of Amami . The total area of Amami city is 308.15 km with a population density of 145 persons per km . The economy of Amami Ōshima

624-400: The southern tip of Kyūshū and 250 kilometres (130 nmi) north of Okinawa . The island is of volcanic origin, with Mount Yuwanda at 605 metres (1,985 ft) above sea level at its highest peak. The coast of the island is surrounded by a coral reef , and the island may also have been home to some of the northernmost coral reefs in Japan during the last glacial period . It is surrounded by

650-494: The village had an estimated population of 1,621 and a population density of 15.73 persons per km . The total area was 103.07 km . Uken occupies the southern portion of the west coast of Amami Ōshima, facing the East China Sea . About 90% of the village is mountainous, and includes Uwandake, with a height of 694 metres (2,277 ft). The climate is classified as humid subtropical ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation

676-574: Was protected as the Amami Gunto Quasi-national Park. The area also has a large mangrove forest. In December 2001 there was a naval battle called the Battle of Amami-Ōshima between an armed North Korean spy craft and Japanese Coast Guard ships near Amami Ōshima. The spy craft violated the Exclusive economic zone of Japan . This was a six-hour confrontation that ended with the sinking of

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