Kinsakubaru Wilderness Exploration Tour

The sound of tiny insects underfoot, birds singing in the distance... I hadn't listened so closely in a long time. The sense of oneness with nature was pleasant, and I felt refreshed by the end of the day.

It's just a walk in the woods, right? If you thought it was just a walk in the forest, you were mistaken. As I walked through the primeval forest with its ancient atmosphere, listening to the guide's stories, I was overwhelmed by the depth of nature.

普段運動不足なので不安でしたが、原生林の空気の清々しさに気分が上がり、思っていたよりも歩けました。1歳の子どもも安心して連れていける配慮がされていてありがたかったです。

Blessed with fine weather, we had a canoeing experience going through the mangroves, which we had longed for! As the guide told us, we were able to spend a rich time feeling the surrounding scenery and nature. I am filled with gratitude for the attention to detail. I discovered and learned a lot by going to the Kanezakuhara Wilderness Forest with the guide. I was happy to see the Amamiisikawa frog, the Kinobori lizard, the Ryukyu damselfly, the damselfly, and the damselfly. Thank you very much!

Due to the tide, we canoed in the morning and walked around Kanezakubara in the afternoon. It was the first time for all seven members of the family to experience canoeing, but the 78-year-old and 26-year-old, who were not confident in their physical strength, chose the two-person canoe, while the rest chose the one-person canoe. The rest of us chose the single-person canoeing option. First, there was a lecture on how to paddle, which I understood in my head, and then it was time to try it. On the river, the canoe was more stable than expected and everyone was able to paddle well. When we entered a tributary, it was a little difficult to paddle, as we bumped into each other and got sideways, but that was experience. Gradually we got used to it and were able to change direction without difficulty. We encountered a squall on the way, but since we were wearing rash guards and swimsuits, there was no problem. We were able to enjoy the Amami's unique climate. We entered a tributary from the main stream and proceeded to observe crabs and gobies at the base of the mangroves while looking at mangroves near the left and right sides of the stream. We knew that the water was receding rapidly toward low tide, but at last the water was too big for the canoe to proceed. We got out of the canoe and pulled the canoe by hand to where there was enough water, which was also a great experience. The blue sky, white clouds, dark green mountains, mangrove forests, the sound of paddling, the wind, cicadas, and birds singing on the slow-moving river. It was an extraordinary experience that made my soul happy. After lunch, we gathered at another location in the afternoon. He explained to us about the plants we could see from the road on the way to be taken by wagon to the Kinsaku-plains primeval forest. Arriving at Kanezakubara, we were lent peppermint spray to ward off horseflies, and off we went! We were able to follow our certified tour guide through the World Heritage forest without any worries. As we walked, he explained about the endemic species, and gave us some additional trivia such as the difference between the Ryukyu and the Amami, and the difference between them and the ones we see in Honshu. He also told us about the frogs in the hollows of the trees and the himehabu, a species that sat motionless at the base of a tree, assimilated with the leaves. He said, "I know because I walk as a guide every day. It also seemed that the guides exchanged information with each other, and there were times when they turned back to look at something they had missed and explained it to us. Each guide has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, but I thought they covered them well. It was not a long walk, and since we walked slowly, it was not hard at all. The 250-year-old Okinawa white oak tree at the end of the tour was a highlight of the tour, and I have fond memories of taking a commemorative photo with the whole family. We enjoyed the nature of Amami throughout the day. Thank you very much.

The guide carefully explained the names of various plants and creatures to look for, Although we are very old, the paths were not too high or low, and we enjoyed forest bathing for the first time in a long time. I was overwhelmed by the scenery of the forest as if it were a long time ago! Thank you very much for a pleasant time.