Nature Watching
　
Experience the flowers, plants and other natural features of the Amami Islands.
This picture is of Cyathea spinulosa wall, which grows naturally in Naze-city, Amami Oshima.
　
■Climate
 The Amami Islands has an oceanic, sub-tropical climate. The temperature is around 20 Celsius throughout the year.


■The Sea and Coral Reefs
 The Amami Islands are surrounded by numbers of coral reefs. These play a role as natural breakwaters. When the tide is ebbing, the coral reefs appear, and many kinds of colorful tropical fish can be seen in the water inside the reefs.
　
Basho
　
A bush of Japanese banana plants, called Basho, and wild banana fruit. Fiber taken from Basho leaves was traditionally used to make abaca cloth. Even now, abaca cloth is sold in some shops in the Amami Islands.

■Animals and Plants
 The Amami Islands are sometimes called the Galapagos of the East. There are many kinds of unusual animals and plants on the Islands.

Animals
● Designated Japan's National Natural Creatures
 ●Lidth's jay
●Ryukyu robin
●White's ground thrush
●Japanese wood pigeon
●Great spotted woodpecker
●Coenobita cavipes
●Ryukyu spiny rat
●Rattus legata
　
　
Bougainvillea
　
Bougainvillea and hibiscus plants flower throughout the year in the Amami Islands.
● Designated Japan's National Special Natural Creatures
 ・Amami rabbit (Pentalagus)
● Habu
 Poisonous snakes

　

　
　
Deigo
　
Around May, the flowers of Deigo trees come out. The bright-red color of the flowers is magnificent.
Plants
●Screw-pines
●Hibiscus
●Seaside morning glory (Ipomoea pescapraeL.)
●Japanese sago palm
●Cyathea spinulosa wall
●Mangrove thicket
●Laurel forest
　
　
　
Japonica Miq
　
Japonica Miq is a typical sub-tropical tree. The tree can be seen everywhere in the Amami Islands.
　
　
　
　
Gokurakuchoka
　
Strelitzia is called Gokurakuchoka in Japan. This name comes from the notion that the strelitzia looks like Gokurakucho, which is a type of bird usually called the bird of paradise.
　
　
　
Papaya
　
The fruit of papaya trees is often harvested while still green in the Amami Islands. This green papaya-fruit is used to make pickles. The pickles are unique to the Amami Islands.
　
Shell Flower
 (Shell Ginger)
　
In the Amami Islands, the shell flower is called Sanenn-bana. Its leaves are used to wrap and steam rice-cake, called Kasha-mochi. The leaves have a pleasant sweet smell, and they are often used for decorating food. Recently, fiber extracted from the leaves has been used to make paper, which is then used for high-quality name-cards, post-cards and other products.
　
　
　
Gold-shower
　
This flower is called Gold-shower in Japan. When the flowers are fully in bloom, they look as if a gold shower is coming out from the tree.
　
　
　
　
Gladiolus
　 　
　
　
　
　
Hibiscus
　
Hibiscus flowers are seen everywhere in the Amami Islands. They are often grown as trees, lining streets or hedges. Various kinds of hibiscus grow on the Islands.
　
　
　
　
Screw-pines
　
These are typical seaside plants in the Amami Islands. The fruit looks a lot like a pineapple.
　
　
　
　
Sugar Cane
　
Sugar cane is grown in many places on the Amami Islands. It is used to make a form of raw sugar called Kurozato, which is rich in minerals. An Amami-Island version of a sake-like alcohol, called Shochu, is made with this Kurozato, along with rice Koji (a fermentation agent) and pure water. This special Shochu is called Kokuto Shochu.
　
　
　
　
Mangroves
　
A huge, primeval forest of mangroves can be found in the sea off Sumiyou-village, in the south of Amami Oshima. There, you can enjoy exploring the mangrove-forest by canoe.
　
　
　
　
Ohama Beach
　
This is one of many beaches in the Amami Islands. The far-left building in this photo is the Marine Museum.
　
　
　
　
Marine Sports
　
There are many places in the Amami Islands where you can enjoy fishing, diving, surfing and other marine sports.
　
　
　
　
The Scenic Beauty
of the Sea Coast
　
Ria coasts are common in the Amami Islands. The sea coasts are surrounded by coral reefs and are famous for their beauty.
　
　
　
　
Japanese Sago Palm(Sotetsu)
　
This is one of the typical plants of the Amami Islands. After World War II, when food was difficult to obtain, the trunks and fruit of the Japanese sago palm were used as a food-source by people on the Islands. A Japanese sago-palm forest can be seen at Tatsugo-cho, in the middle of the Amami Islands.