Tuesday, April 1, 2025

(Naze), Amami Oshima, Japan – Birding and Island tour & Kimono Factory

March 5

We booked a birding tour with EIJI through Go With Guide. He got rave reviews, and they were spot on. He only takes 1 or 2 people so it was just us here. The docking process started later than planned as a local ferry had priority. I think this was the first ship that Amami has had.

Today was no exception to the cloudy, cool days with bouts of wind and rain. We did manage to get in a couple of hours of birding before the rain hit.  

the ferry had priority
views from the balcony

We started with hiking in Amami Nature Forest. Eiji (Agee)was such a nice guy and great nature guide. He knew the birds by sound and didn’t even bring binoculars. We saw 9 Species here with 7 being new. (bolded ones are new) Asian Tit, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Large-billed Crow, Lidth’s JayPale ThrushRyukyu RobinVaried TitWhistling Green-PigeonWhite-backed Woodpecker

driving through town
rest stop before the Amami Nature Park
gonna miss these TOTO toilets with heated seats
at the park

those signs in Japanese really help...lol
there were very nice paths





new leaves opening up










mushroom in a stump



No great photos as the forest was dense. It had started raining so we hiked back to the car. On the way to lunch we stopped at a small park to see the way grain and other things were stored to keep them safe from rodents and other critters.







Eiji asked if we were up for an Amamiian style lunch where you make your own chicken soup. Of course! It also was an excellent choice on the cool and rainy day.

the restaurant
the ingredients to put into the broth
the rice

rice is put in the bottom and then your ingredients before the broth is poured

He then drove us around the island to see the scenery and we stopped at Ose Beach and did some birding. We saw a total of 7 Species here with one of them being new. Blue Rock-Thrush, Eurasian Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Long-billed Plover, Northern Shoveler, Pacific Golden-Plover, White Wagtail.

cemetery

Ose Beach













We continued the drive in the rain (more troublesome than a downpour) and he was trying to think of some place we could visit. He asked if we would be interested in a Kimono factory, why not?

It was in a beautiful forest setting and the various stations were laid out on a trail winding through the forest. The name of the factory is Amami Oshima's Pride Natural Garden.

It was interesting to see the techniques of hand weaving and mud-dying that has been used for 1,300 years and is said to be a "National Cultural Heritage". Everything is all made with 100% silk and the various processes we saw were dyed in and hand weaving, plain weave, the process of weaving using warp and weft, hand weaving warp and weft and woven together. They had a room where you could try on Kimonos for a photo op (or buy one), but layered in wet clothes it wasn’t even tempting.

Kimono factory



the dyeing room
the hanging silk shows the shades based on how many times it is dipped in the dye (from white to black)


dipping the silk in the mud pools










meticulous work making sure the silk is tight







additional dyes


these machines know the pattern


making sure it's all lined up properly


they have received many awards
walking to the show room


end of the tour

Their gift shop had some nice silk items like scarves and ties and really nothing I’d use, but I bought a couple of pairs of earrings here. (woven in silk) I felt I needed to buy something as I don't think they see many tourists.

There were some vendors set up at the pier, but I wasn’t sure if they had magnets (looked more like foods and crafts) and I asked Eiji if there was a place where I could get a magnet. He took us to a store like a small Walmart and I did find one there.

Noordam

the vendors waving goodbye to the ship

Back at the port the wind and rain had really picked up. The poor vendors were trying their best to cover their items. I took a run through and didn’t see magnets, so I was glad that I had already found one. We rushed back on the ship. Even in the crappy weather the vendors waved until we sailed away.

Tonight, the entertainment was Dennis Lau, a violinist.

Naze, Amami Oshima, Japan https://photos.app.goo.gl/Em4ozTmSeK49x1xT6

Magnet

Tomorrow, we return to Okinawa.

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