AMAMI OSHIMA

Amami Oshima (奄美大島 Amami Ōshima), literally "Big Amami Island", is the largest of the Amami Islands, a small archipelago south of Kyushu, Japan. Here we saw Cycads - one of the earliest form of tree on earth. Next we moved to the Oshima Tsumugi silk-dyeing museum where bundles of silk thread are dipped in muddy water many times to create various shades from yellow to near black. Then the silk is hand dyed and hand woven into cloth. Finally we went to the local distillery where they make various varieties of the local spirit "Shochu" made from sweet potatoes.