Exploring Amami Oshima

GETTING THERE

Japan Airlines (jal.com) and its subsidiaries offer regular flights to Amami Oshima from Tokyo and Osaka, as well as regional connections to Kagoshima and Naha on Okinawa. A rental car is a must for getting around, and can be picked up at Amami Airport and in central Amami City.

WHEN TO GO

March through April— before the rainy season and the typhoons of September—is a pleasant time to visit the island; the climate is also reliably cool and dry from October through December.

WHERE TO STAY

The chic, minimalist villas at The Beachfront Mijora offer a front-row seat to the shimmering blues and greens of Kasari Bay (den-paku .com; doubles from US$240). Architectowner Yasuhiro Yamashita was also behind the design of Miru Amami (miru collection.com; doubles from US$180), a clutch of seaside cottages whose shape was partly inspired by the local conch shell.

WHAT TO DO AND SEE

Before hitting the hiking trails of Amamigunto National Park (home to the island’s highest mountain, 694-meter Mount Yuwan), get a primer on the native flora and birdlife at the Tanaka Isson Memorial Museum of Art (amamipark.com/ isson). Then explore Japan’s second-largest mangrove forest by kayak with Kuroshiono-mori Mangrove Park (mangrovepark .com). In Toguchi, visit traditional mud-dyeing workshop Kanai Kougei (kanaikougei.com), which also sells a variety of naturally dyed clothes and accessories.