Japan Déjà vu: May 10-12 – Amami Ōshima 奄美大島

In the morning of May 10^th I will be leaving for Osaka and fly to Amami Ōshima, the largest island of Amami archipelago. The climate is quite different from other parts of Japan. Amami Ōshima is a heaven for snorkelers. Krystal clear waters also make this area a great diving spot. I will basically spend the first two days in the water, and the last day visiting the coastal city.

Amami Folk Song Déjà entendu

Amami folk song is my favorite Japanese music style. I was firstly attracted to this music style by songs of Hajime Chitose. This time I will be able to sit in traditional Izakaya (Japanese pub) and listen to the authentic folk song with the company of sanshin, the traditional Japanese string instrument. This might be a brand-new listening experience for me, simply by imagining how genuine it will sound without the influence of J-Pop on it.

Budget

Flight $366

Food $60

Hotel $90

Entertainment $120

Total $636

Where

I will be going to Japan and spend half of a month there. When talking about Japan, people think about Californian Rolls and Comics. Sadly, neither of these is genuinely Japanese. Californian Roll to Japanese is like tofu burger to Americans – Japanese people have never heard about Californian Rolls. Also, comics are American art while people in Japan call theirs manga.

Besides, Japan is just so much more than its food and contemporary art. With land area 1/25 size to Canada, Japan is surprisingly blessed with 6 vastly different climate zones from north to south, and over 90,000 species of wildlife.

Who

I will be travelling by myself, which I have never done before. This will be somewhat inconvenient from a traveler’s perspective, since no one will be at my side to help me make decisions, nor will there be a company to share my laughers and doubts to a new culture. But I want to be an explorer this time, an explorer who strides along in a totally different country, with people speaking an entirely different language. And this will be a great chance for me to push myself beyond limits to overcome obstacles yet to come. To be honest, I kind of take these potential obstacles as surprises that will add flavor to my trip!