Amami Oshima: Getting there and around

Getting to Amami Oshima

By air

Amami Oshima is served by the JAL Group, Skymark and Peach Aviation:

JAL and its subsidiary airlines operate one or two flights a day to Amami Oshima from multiple cities in Japan including Tokyo (about 2.5 hours), Osaka (about 2 hours), Fukuoka (about 90 minutes), Kagoshima (about 1 hour) and Naha (about 1 hour). Discount fares are sometimes available for around 24,000 to 30,000 yen one way (around 11,000 from Kagoshima), while regular fares are about twice as expensive.

Peach Aviation connects Amami Oshima once per day from Tokyo's Narita Airport and Osaka's Kansai Airport. One way fares start around 7,500 yen from Tokyo and around 6,500 yen from Osaka.

Skymark operates between Amami Oshima and Kagoshima from where it also connects Tokyo, Kobe and Nagoya. Flight duration is 45 minutes. The regular one way fare is around 15,000 yen, but discount fares are usually available around 7,000 to 8,000 yen.

Airfares from Tokyo to Amami over the next 30 days June 15, 2025 - July 14, 2025
AirlineLowest fareAverage lowest fare
JAL16,228 yen31,378 yen
Peach12,232 yen17,310 yen
Skymark14,850 yen17,225 yen
Book Now
By ferry

Amami Oshima's Naze Port is a stop along the ferry route that connects Kagoshima with Naha on Okinawa Island. Ferries are operated by two different companies and run roughly every other day. The ride from Kagoshima takes about eleven hours and the ride from Naha about 13 hours. The one way fare is around 10,500 yen for either journey. With a vehicle, the price of the journey increases 5-6 fold depending on the size of the vehicle.

Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.

Getting around

Amami Oshima is a relatively large island, and it takes around two hours to drive from top to bottom. The island's largest town is Amami City (also referred to as Naze), located on the northern coast near the center of the island. This is where ferries from Kagoshima and Okinawa arrive.

Amami Airport is located in the northeast corner of the island, a 45 minute car ride or 60 minute bus ride (1100 yen one way) from central Amami City. Near the island's southern tip lies another larger town, named Setouchi (also referred to as Koniya). A main road connects the airport with Amami City and Setouchi and serves as the main artery of Amami Oshima.

Another main road connects Amami City and Setouchi along the west coast; however, note that this road is convoluted and much slower. The entire island is very hilly, especially the center and south. Consequently, there are many tunnels along the roads.

A minor road in the island's interior

The most convenient way to get around Amami Oshima is by rental car because public transportation is infrequent and in some places nonexistent. Rental cars are available from outlets at Amami Airport and in central Amami City.

Public transportation is provided by the Shimabus ("island bus"). There are around ten bus routes that converge in central Amami City and splinter off to other parts of the island. Buses operate every 30 minutes between the airport and central Amami City, and about every 90 minutes between Amami City and Setouchi, but much less frequently elsewhere.

Bus fares depend on distance travelled. Alternatively, there are 1-day, 2-day and 3-day passes for unlimited travel available for 2400, 3600 and 4800 yen respectively. They can be purchased at Amami Airport, the Shimabus counter in downtown Amami City and Amami City Port.

A Shimabus

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Links and Resources

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