Ōsumi-shotō

Introducing Ōsumi-shotō

The northernmost island group in Kagoshima-ken is the Ōsumi-shotō, consisting of the two main islands of Yakushima and Tanegashima and the tiny islet of Iō-jima. The all-star attraction in the group is Yakushima, a virtual paradise for nature lovers that attracts large numbers of both domestic and international travellers. Tanegashima, which is famous for its rocket-launch facility, sees few foreign travellers, though it is a fiercely popular surfing destination for Japanese. Finally, tiny Iō-jima is a rarely visited gem of a volcanic island with excellent onsen (hot springs), and it’s fairly likely that you’ll have plenty of elbow room here.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009