The Other Japan - Amami & Kikaijima (+ Fujinomiya)

BonVivant · September 29, 2023

London yesterday's morning, moments before touchdown.

From here it's another 14 hour flight...

Flying over Germany

Good morning, Tokyo! Watching the sunrise from my comfortable seat (JAL/Japan Airlines).

Long bridge that enters an underwater tunnel

Konnichiwa, Tokyo!

Have 4 hours to kill waiting for my connecting flight. I left home on the 27th and sill haven't reached my final destination. That'll be 7 hours from now, if I'm lucky. There's this thing at HND/Haneda airport that looks like a robo-mobility scooter. It goes round the terminal flashing its lights and making noises. Some children get on one for a ride. They all look so happy afterwards.

Edited May 3 by BonVivant (log)

JoNorvelleWalker · September 29, 2023

35 minutes ago, BonVivant said:

London yesterday's morning, moments before touchdown.

From here it's another 14 hour flight...

Flying over Germany

Good morning, Tokyo! Watching the sunrise from my comfortable seat (JAL/Japan Airlines).

Long bridge that enters an underwater tunnel

Konnichiwa, Tokyo!

Have 4 hours to kill waiting for my connecting flight. I left home on the 27th and sill haven't reached my final destination. That'll be 7 hours from now, if I'm lucky. There's this thing at HND/Haneda airport that looks like a robo-mobility scooter. It goes round the terminal flashing its lights and making noises. Some children get on one for a ride. They all look so happy afterwards.

Where is the bridge and tunnel?

heidih · September 29, 2023

Oh my. Hopefully the food will balance out the travel annoyances. I can not handle all the cutesy Japanese Hello Kitty kind of stuff but we all have different preferences/cultures. Thans for the out of plane window images - cool.

blue_dolphin · September 29, 2023

Oooh - I’m looking forward to seeing where you'll take us this time!

TicTac · September 29, 2023

Always enjoy your travel vlogs! Looking forward to this one!!!

Thank you.

BeeZee · September 29, 2023

Much anticipation...Japan is a bucket list destination for me, sometimes I look at Air BNB and dream...

Alex · September 29, 2023

16 hours ago, heidih said:

I can not handle all the cutesy Japanese Hello Kitty kind of stuff but we all have different preferences/cultures.

We do, indeed. One of these is tucked away in a drawer somewhere. There even was a picture of it on eG that I took back in 2003, shortly after I joined, but it disappeared after the infamous software changeover.

And here's an apron that @maggiethecat made for us in 2004.

Kerala · September 29, 2023

Oh, boy! Can't wait!

BonVivant · September 30, 2023

The plane was on time but we took off 25 minutes later than scheduled. Luckily we didn't miss our bus to our final destination. I was so dead tired and about to doze off then partner pointed at something big and black above a sea of clouds. Finally, we saw Mount Fuji! We did try on the very first trip to Japan but it was quite far away (in Hakone).

Yep, that's Mt. Fujji poking its top through the puffy, cottony clouds.

Almost there. Amami-Oshima island. Plane was about to make a turn. The runway is a man-made extension, like many islands, there's no real, totally flat surface that's naturally big enough for a commercial airport's runway.

The flight was gentle and the landing was smooth (the 14 hour one to Tokyo was the same). I had a fright of my life flying from Guadalajara to La Paz (Baja Sur). I think the suicidal pilots busted the landing gear on touchdown, too.

As soon as I exited the aircraft I was blown away by high heat. Thought Tokyo was hot (27C), on Amami it's boiling hot 31+.

Immediately round the corner was a display of Amami island's shochu, one of its specialities.

2 more hours going through many very long tunnels in an old (70's?) bus to the other end of the island to reach my lodging. Bus got full very soon as it was time young students got out of school. Only saw students and elderly islanders use the bus. Everyone else uses own cars here.

Staying at a "minshuku" (family-run small guesthouse with home-cooked meals) in rural Amami where public bus service is limited and no taxis. 15 minutes after our arrival dinner was served. OMG, rice 3 times a day. I don't eat rice at home but will make an exception for Japan. The owner cooks everything himself and presents it so beautifully, too!

Tuna sashimi. Always begin with sashimi. Tuna is a speciality in this part of the island. There's a big tuna statue at the ferry port.

Fried fish. Fatty fish just like salmon but flesh is completely white. This piece is the collar.

Thought it was a type of melon, until I saw the inside, which was young aubergine.

Tender and mellow

Seaweed

Soft tofu topped with crunchy, savoury seaweed.

Strawberry conch. A common starter in the Amami archipelago.

Fried fish paste next to the conch

Miso soup with clams

A piece of coral as chopstick rest and my first Amami shochu (made from sugarcanes, Amami-Oshima is the biggest producer, other Amami islands have their own versions, also made from sugarcanes.) More about this Amamian shochu.

3 days ago I was eating "Oktoberfest food" at home and now I'm eating home-cooked food on a tropical island far away.
Where exactly is Amami archipelago?

This is where the name of the thread comes from. In full it should be "The Other Japan - Strawberry conch, shochu and snorkeling". Japan's southernmost islands have their own cultures and languages. Their kingdom is now a part of Japan. If you listen to islanders when they speak with each other you'll notice it's not exactly Japanese. They speak own languages with each other, but of course Japanese is the administrative and commercial language.

Map of languages spoken in the archipelagos.

I always look forward to returning to this fascinating, complex, ENTHRALLING island nation. National Geographic Traveller magazine April 2023 issue. This is Japan's announcement of the official reopening of the country. Previous travel restrictions have been lifted.

The unofficial number one on my list. One that never ceases to surprise and delight.

Everywhere I go
Everything I go
Everyone I know
There's no one like you

On 9/29/2023 at 3:56 AM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Where is the bridge and tunnel?

In Tokyo.

Edited September 30, 2023 by BonVivant (log)

KennethT · September 30, 2023

How do you extract the meat out of the conch? What is the flavor/texture like? I've only had conch in the Caribbean, where it's a large conch that's typically chopped up and made into fritters since it's pretty tough and chewy on its own.

liuzhou · September 30, 2023

1 hour ago, BonVivant said:

I was blown away by high heat. Thought Tokyo was hot (27C), on Amami it's boiling hot 31+.

27℃ is what I set my air conditioner at when I want to cool down! It's 35℃ here right now at 23:30. Has been for months.

Looking forward to what's coming up next from your trip.

Kerala · September 30, 2023

So it looks like you have been here before, @BonVivant ?

This looks so good. I am following this with great interest.

BonVivant · October 2, 2023

Amami, island of the morning calm.

I don't even eat breakfast at home, here I eat fried fish and sausage at 7am.

Fried fish is part of a traditional Japanese breakfast. On Okinawan islands I usually got spam ("not for me" is the nicest I can say) so sausage is a nice change, though I would rather leave it out all together.

Owner-cook said the mackerel came from the waters round Kagoshima.

Took the ferry to neighbouring island Kakeroma and spent the afternoon at a beach there.

A giant cement emperor slit shell greets tourists

Someone said to me "Why take so long to get to Amami? You could go to other places in Asia. Cheaper, too."

Thanks for going there, and leaving me this all to myself. The photo above is a nightmare scenario for us.

The best beach is an empty one.

One minute it was burning hot like standing under a magnifying glass in the sun, then the next minute the rain came down in buckets. Took shelter in a tiny shrine up a hill where we ate our lunch. The guesthouse owner made us rice balls filled with leftover seaweed/salted fish etc.

Looking down at the village as we ate our simple but delicious rice balls.

Went back down to the beach after the rain. Many crabs scrammed as we approached, and they were so fast. This one held its breath waiting to see what I would do next.

Had a "sundowner" (or 3) on my deck during golden hour

Views from our room

The room here. Have stayed in traditional tamami room like this a bunch of times. Sit/eat/sleep on the floor hurts my back a lot as I'm not used to it. Ladder to the small loft. (We've moved it sideway leaning against the wall.)

Dinner as the sun was reaching the horizon. It gets very dark very fast after that.
Sashimi

One of the common fish in these waters. I was told it's OK to eat the head, bones and all.

3 tiny fish (cooked in a different way but I forgot to ask how)

Salted fish on soft tofu

Strips of pig's ear in a sour brine

Braised daikon and pork belly

I put the dishes closer together for the photo then put them back when done. In Japan they are particular about the position of each dish on the table.

I brought these from home for the owner. He was very surprised and happy. Okinawan cookery book I bought in Okinawa on a previous trip. In top right corner is some chocolate candies given to me by someone but I eat no chocolate under 99 or 100% cacao content. Also brought with me Okinawan fermented tofu but forgot to get it out of the bag for this photo. Gave it to him later, which he said he also liked to eat it. Many mainland Japanese hate this fermented tofu and can't eat it at all.

I bought the pumpkins recently. Took 3 small ones in my rucksack all the way here.

@Kerala, it's my third visit to Japan. Thanks.

@KennethT, these snacking ones are small, size of small whelks. Pierce the protruding meat using a toothpick and pull it out. It comes out of the shell in one fluid whirl, usually. Texture is a lot like octopus, tastes sweetish and briny.

Edited October 4, 2023 by BonVivant (log)

KennethT · October 2, 2023

How does one eat a sausage like that (at breakfast) with chopsticks? Is there a knife around to cut it into small pieces?

**Smithy** · October 2, 2023

@KennethT asks a good question!

Thanks for bringing us along. I'm with you on the "nightmare scenario" of a crowded beach, and the delight of an empty beach. The scenery and food all look wonderful. Do you know what sort of oil they use for frying the fish? More descriptions of flavor, texture, etc. would be welcome.

What language(s) do you communicate in with your hosts and elsewhere during your travels there?

Duvel · October 2, 2023

5 hours ago, KennethT said:

How does one eat a sausage like that (at breakfast) with chopsticks? Is there a knife around to cut it into small pieces?

Same as the fishes … you pick it up, take a bite, and put it back down 😌

haresfur · October 2, 2023

Looks like kayaking paradise. Will you have a chance to get out on the water? Do people fish for themselves/pleasure there or is it all commercial? The food looks wonderful. How was the mellon-looking eggplant?

JoNorvelleWalker · October 3, 2023

On 10/2/2023 at 9:05 AM, BonVivant said:

Amami, island of the morning calm.

I don't even eat breakfast at home, here I eat fried fish and sausage at 7am.

Fried fish is part of a traditional Japanese breakfast. On Okinawan islands I usually got spam ("not for me" is the nicest I can say) so sausage is a nice change, though I would rather leave it out all together.

Owner-cook said the mackerel came from the waters round Kagoshima.

Took the ferry to neighbouring island Kakeroma and spent the afternoon at a beach there.

A cement strawberry conch greets tourists

Someone said to me "Why take so long to get to Amami? You could go to other places in Asia. Cheaper, too."

Thanks for going there, and leaving me this all to myself. The photo above is a nightmare scenario for us.

The best beach is an empty one.

One minute it was burning hot like standing under a magnifying glass in the sun, then the next minute the rain came down in buckets. Took shelter in a tiny shrine up a hill where we ate our lunch. The guesthouse owner made us rice balls filled with leftover seaweed/salted fish etc.

Looking down at the village as we ate our simple but delicious rice balls.

Went back down to the beach after the rain. Many crabs scrammed as we approached, and they were so fast. This one held its breath waiting to see what I would do next.

Had a "sundowner" (or 3) on my deck during golden hour

Views from our room

The room here. Have stayed in traditional tamami room like this a bunch of times. Sit/eat/sleep on the floor hurts my back a lot as I'm not used to it. Ladder to the small loft. (We've moved it sideway leaning against the wall.)

Dinner as the sun was reaching the horizon. It gets very dark very fast after that.
Sashimi

One of the common fish in these waters. I was told it's OK to eat the head, bones and all.

3 tiny fish (cooked in a different way but I forgot to ask how)

Salted fish on soft tofu

Strips of pig's ear in a sour brine

Braised daikon and pork belly

The put the dishes closer together for the photo then put them back when done. In Japan they are specific about the position of each dish on the table.

I brought these from home for the owner. He was very surprised and happy. Okinawan cookery book I bought in Okinawa on a previous trip. In top right corner is some chocolate candies given to me by someone but I eat no chocolate under 99 or 100% cacao content. Also brought with me Okinawan fermented tofu but forgot to get it out of the bag for this photo. Gave it to him later, which he said he also liked to eat it. Many mainland Japanese hate this fermented tofu and can't eat it at all.

I bought the pumpkins recently. Took 3 small ones in my rucksack all the way here.

@Kerala, it's my third visit to Japan. Thanks.

@KennethT, these snacking ones are small, size of small whelks. Pierce the protruding meat using a toothpick and pull it out. It comes out of the shell in one fluid whirl, usually. Texture is a lot like octopus, tastes sweetish and briny.

The quaint television in your room reminds me of the movie Ringu.

My traveling days are probably done but when I was younger I sought out beaches in remote locations, such as Scarp in Scottland and Loiyangalani on Lake Turkana. Not that it was Turkana then. Nile perch from the lake were good eating.

BonVivant · October 4, 2023

Goya Chanpuru is one of the most typical Okinawan dishes. Amami is a blend of Okinawan, Kyushu and "mainland Japanese" cultures so this dish ("goya chanpuru"/stir-fried bitter melon with eggs, tofu and ham) is also typical on Amami islands. Amami-style does not contain tofu, however.

The rest of breakfast spread (sour plum, fried fish paste, goya chanpuru, crunchy savoury seaweed, pickles and delicious ginger marmalade). Must ask the cook how he makes the ginger marmalade so I can recreate it at home. Pretty sure it has the local brown sugar/sugarcane syrup in it.

This is the dining room. A table is literally a thick, whole piece of wood from a big tree.

The views from where we eat

Went to a neighbouring island on another day trip. Notice how quiet the village and streets are round these parts. This is one of the reasons we come all the way to "the other Japan"!

Danger in paradise is never far away. These signs are everywhere, each indicates the elevation in that area.

There's no one outside or on the street in this village. Someone was visiting an shop owner round the corner just parked her car in the middle of the road. We went to the shop to buy beer and the driver was chatting with the shop owner out front.

Big Indian coral trees, over 60 of them on this path. They are more than 300 years old. That's older than the USA.

So tropical here the plants love it. Dripping flowers everywhere, even the wild weeds are pretty. Empty village street again.

Fire service on Kakeroma island. This is the size of a mini van. The refuse vehicle is just a little bigger, which is less than half the size of one at home.

Time seems to stand still here. Ferry schedule and price list are hand-written

Another beach we had to ourselves

Beer on the deck again during golden hour.

Amami-style somen

Squid with "nari miso". Nari is sago palm, the symbol of Amami. The seeds are used to make "miso", flour etc. This miso is sweet and savoury with a coarse texture. I quite like it. Will buy some to take home as it's only available on these islands. (Some interesting info about sago palm and the role they play in the history of Amami here )

Amami has its own black pork. The guesthouse owner made tonkatsu today with it.

He churns out good meals day after day. He puts me to shame. A former high school teacher who became a guesthouse owner at 39 (15 years ago). He said his food was rubbish in the beginning, so he asked a cook at his regular pub to teach him. He also started learning from cooking programmes and cookery books. Now he's a confident and very good cook, it's also part of his success running the guesthouse business. Japanese guests marvel at his home-cooked meals every time, and we have the same reaction. I changed my plan twice to be able to secure a vacancy at this guesthouse! (There are only 3 rooms)

Across the street from our guesthouse in rural Amami. The green building is a shop that sells fruits, vegetables, preserves etc grown by locals in the area. There are prices on items and you just put money in a piggy bank tin. No one "works" there.

The app translates the characters: "fresh and safe. Direct sale!!" (2 exclamation marks)

Also nearby is a private dragon fruit farm. Japanese love to grow own fruits and vegetables in their own gardens.

A crab stopped in his tracks when he saw us. Immediately the ants tried to attack him. I poked him gently so he could make his escape from the ants.

It really feels like being on a (sub)tropical island. We are glad to be here. No pollution/exhaust, no sirens, more nature and less people.

On 10/2/2023 at 10:51 PM, haresfur said:

Looks like kayaking paradise. Will you have a chance to get out on the water? Do people fish for themselves/pleasure there or is it all commercial? The food looks wonderful. How was the mellon-looking eggplant?

Water activities are popular (SUP, kayaking, snorkelling, diving etc). We swim and snorkel. People fish for themselves, just enough to eat and no more. The aubergine was soft and mild. Goes well with soy sauce and bonito flakes.

On 10/2/2023 at 3:05 PM, KennethT said:

How does one eat a sausage like that (at breakfast) with chopsticks? Is there a knife around to cut it into small pieces?

With chopsticks. Not a knife or fork in sight.

I eat crisps with chopsticks.

On 10/2/2023 at 4:42 PM, Smithy said:

@KennethT asks a good question!

Thanks for bringing us along. I'm with you on the "nightmare scenario" of a crowded beach, and the delight of an empty beach. The scenery and food all look wonderful. Do you know what sort of oil they use for frying the fish? More descriptions of flavor, texture, etc. would be welcome.

What language(s) do you communicate in with your hosts and elsewhere during your travels there?

I asked the cook for you. He uses soya oil. Fish are firm-fleshed and flavourful. They are all new to us and we enjoy the taste.

The owner can speak a few English words, and the rest using a translation app. New tourists arrive almost every day, mostly from Tokyo. They happily act as translators for us. Same situation on previous trip to Okinawa.

We also use a translate app. We are the first non Japanese tourists he's had, and staying a week at his place. Southern islands are not on most non Japanese tourists' itinerary. Another reason we have come here.

Katie Meadow · October 4, 2023

These islands look incredible. I never knew they even existed. Fantastic trip.

liuzhou · October 4, 2023

6 hours ago, BonVivant said:

Goya Chanpuru is one of the most typical Okinawan dishes. Amami is a blend of Okinawan, Kyushu and "mainland Japanese" cultures so this dish ("goya chanpuru"/stir-fried bitter melon with eggs, tofu and ham) is also typical on Amami islands. Amami-style does not contain tofu, however.

Stir-fried bitter melon with eggs is common here in China, too. Also without tofu.

heidih · October 4, 2023

Lush Those coral tree trunks are gorgeous. So the crabs live on land it looks - are they eaten? On that breakast how was the ginger marmalade eaten? What paired with or alone?

heidih · October 4, 2023

Similar burlwood tables were a big thing in the seventys https://www.housedigest.com/1298335/west-elm-predicts-burl-wood-trend-making-comeback/#:~:text=Known for their unique appearance,now being called trendy again.

BonVivant · October 8, 2023

One of the last things I want to eat anywhere in Japan is "potato salad", and I love all things potatoes. Will not touch "potato salad" or "Russian salad", or anything similar. It most probably contains mayo, an ingredient I deeply dislike.

The cook says one can create several versions of sago palm seed "miso" by adding other ingredients to it. This one is my favourite. It has dried shrimp bits and bonito flakes. I've had versions with peanuts, squid and something else but this tastes the best (to me).

Little pink chunk on the left is uncured (herring) roe and other bits.

Breakfast at 7 in the morning

Shortly after breakfast we took 2 buses to a nice beach where we spent many hours swimming and snorkelling.

The sign right next to the path that leads down to the beach. Danger is never far away. Amami pit viper (Protobothrops flavoviridis) is venomous. They are found all over the island. They come down from the mountains and out of the bushes after heavy rain. They not only attack you on the ground in bushy areas but also from above (such as a branch or tree), a position which you don't usually notice.

Brought fruits and some snacks. Found a shop selling craft beer from a brewery in the biggest settlement on the island.

We passed through a little village along the way where we saw many of these signs. Probably reads "elderly people on the road, be patient". Have only seen 1 elderly person using a 4-wheeled walker all this time, all other (very) elderly people walk without any aid. This always amazes me in Japan. Back home many people the same age are in bad health.

A couple of hours after returning from the beach it was time for dinner.
Fish and octopus sashimi

Soup (daikon and tiny pig's knuckle)

Sesame "tofu"

Turn the piece of fish over, easier to eat. The cook taught us.

Vegetable tempura (?) and daikon kimchi. There's a big enough kimchi section in each supermarket here.

Strawberry conch meat out the the shell

Does not look like a big pile of food like in some other cuisines. We enjoy every last morsel and are so stuffed after every meal. We take our time, especially me as I'm not used to using chopsticks daily.

The last couple of days there's been a lot of heavy rainfall, also thunder and lightning happening the whole time. Our first time experiencing this kind tropical weather so it's quite intense for us. Rainy and typhoon season is supposed to be over but apparently it's not really, yet. Islanders are resilient, their homes have to be rain and typhoon proof (1 or 2 direct hits every year).

Last night it rained so very hard and literally non stop, all night, lightning lit up the sky and thunder rattled the windows until morning. I hardly slept a wink.

On 10/4/2023 at 4:37 PM, heidih said:

Lush Those coral tree trunks are gorgeous. So the crabs live on land it looks - are they eaten? On that breakast how was the ginger marmalade eaten? What paired with or alone?

Crabs leave the water sometimes. The cook says many come on land on days of full moon. Not sure if these local crabs are eaten, they are small. The wild hermit crabs, which can get quite large, are protected.

The ginger marmalade is eaten like other small breakfast components. Use chopsticks to pick up a small amount, eat with rice. Never put a whole big piece of food or portion or eat in one go. Eat slowly and a little morsel at a time.

I was told how to make the ginger marmalade. Easy enough. After the chat he let me try Hiroshima version, with clam meat. Much more intense but a bit different. Ideas for when I get back home.

Edited October 11, 2023 by BonVivant (log)

Duvel · October 8, 2023

6 hours ago, BonVivant said:

We passed through a little village along the way where we saw many of these signs. Probably reads "elderly people on the road, be patient". Have only seen 1 elderly person using a 4-wheeled walker all this time, all other (very) elderly people walk without any aid. This always amazes me in Japan. Back home many people the same age are in bad health.

It reads “Okaaay okaaay - relax and take it easy”. I love the tiny snail …

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The Other Japan - Amami & Kikaijima (+ Fujinomiya)

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