How would you like to enjoy the blue skies, azure waters, and white sandy beaches of Amami Oshima all to yourself? Amami Resort Bashayamamura is where you can make those dreams come true. With palm trees and gazebos lining the beach it doesn’t feel like a part of Japan almost. Even though this scenery makes you want to just do nothing and relax there are tons of activities for you as well! The restaurants with local cuisine are also alluring. We visit a wonderful hotel where you can enjoy all that Amami Oshima has to offer.
Amami Resort Bashayamamura, a resort hotel on the beach
Amami Resort Bashayamamura is only a 10 minute drive from Amami Airport and alongside Route 82 heading towards Katase. Straddling the prefectural road on the ocean-side is Uminomura Bashayamamura where the hotel and restaurant are, while on the mountain side of the road is the Yamanomura Amami Minzokumura, where there are facilities that allow you to experience pottery and the folk songs. At the entrance of the town is the guardian deity “Kenmun” depicted on a panel welcoming you in.
Pictured above is the sea view and main building, from the hotel’s new building. If nothing else this is truly what you call a beachside hotel.
Some of you may wonder what the “Bashayama” means in “Bashayamamura”. Basha is the local name for Basho, called Japanese banana in English. Long ago, a family on the island who had a mountain full of Basho was considered wealthy, and once there was such a wealthy family had a daughter who was simply put, not attractive at all, and to get someone to marry her, they gave a Bashayama (a mountain full of Basho) as a dowry, and in turn “Bashayama” came to mean a not so attractive woman apparently.
Amami Resort Bashayamamura’s mountain part is literally a Bashayama and so it was named as such. As for the ocean side part…
The closest hotel to the ocean in Amami
The oceanfront hotel boasts a long white sand beach. This is where you can enjoy the azure waters, the blue skies and the white sands of this quiet beach. As you can see pictured above are gazebos and palm trees reminiscent of a tropical foreign country. It is the closest hotel to the beach in Amami so during your stay you can just watch the view all day, walk along the shore, or if the beach is open for swimming you can go straight there from your room in your swimwear.
This beautiful beach has been used as a backdrop for many movies. Many directors and actors fall in love with Bashayamamura and come here privately after shooting.
This beach called Yoan Kaigan, and if you walk 20 minutes west you can find yourself at the power spot of Amami “Heart Rock”. Take a leisurely stroll along to beach to find this jewel of the sea.
Check the link in the Memo section for the location of Heart Rock as well as directions by car.
A resort pool in the courtyard
The courtyard which is sandwiched between the main building and restaurant is a pool pictured above.
This really adds to the feeling of a resort in a foreign country. On the other side of the pool is the shoreline so you can have fun at the pool while enjoying the seascape. At night the pool is lit up and transforms into a magical sight with the sounds of the waves lapping at the sands close by.
At the large bathhouse in the hotel you can also partake in the bath that is filled with heated seawater. The seawater bath which is used in thalassotherapy warms you to the core.
The east building twin room
This is the east building twin room. All the rooms in the east building have a fantastic ocean view! You can view both the sunset and sunrise from them. Although this hotel is close to the sea the ocean is quite calm here and the sounds of the waves is a gentle one. Sleep with to sound of those gentle waves to really have one of the best sleeps you will ever have.
The bath in the room is separate from the sink area. There is even a changing area. The toilet is also separate and is fitted with a washlet for those who are fans of the washlet seats.
Dine with a full view of the sea!
The restaurant on the first floor AMAnesia is also facing the sea and with large windows to capture the picturesque view while you dine. The dinner included in the 2 meal 1 night plan includes a 20cm large rubber tree leaf with a handwritten message on it. It is heartwarming reminder that you are on a tropical island. The dinner menu is a chicken rice or Japanese cuisine which you can choose when you make your reservations.
Have some black sugar shochu along with your dinner. There are 7 different ones on offer and you can have a tasting set to select 3 of them to compare for only 1000 JPY.
Local liquor does match local cuisine! Even if you haven’t had black sugar shochu before try it out as they say when in Rome right?
Pictured above is the breakfast buffet. Bathe in the morning light on the terrace while you dine! What is great about this buffet as that many of the dishes are local delicacies and many are also handmade from scratch.
The restaurant is also open to non-guests of the hotel as well. One step outside is the beautiful beach. Making this a popular destination to dine at for locals as well as from around the world.
The spirit of “Toutonagashi” in the hospitality
Every day there is a Bashayama newsletter that is left at each room. It lists a guide to the town for that day, the weather the next day as well as high tide and low tide as well as sunrise and sunset times, as well as events going on in Amami.
I really recommend trying out the morning Shimaguchi Radio Taiso, (morning exercises done in the island dialect) and the morning walk after it. The Bashayamamura staff accompany you and explain the history and facts about Amami on the walk which lasts for about 40 minutes. Depending on the day you can watch the sunrise! As long as you are in Amami it would be a waste not to get up early to move around a bit in such a majestic setting. Both are free to join so jump in with some clothes that make moving around easy.
In Amami there is a spirit of Tounagashi. Which means to forget oneself and meet people with respect, and this spirit is passed down from their ancestors. You will be surprised how warm and friendly the people of Amami are when you meet them. With such hospitality and untouched nature abound Amami is a top class tropical resort that has everything you need.
In need of a reset button to your hectic day to day? Head here to find it!
[Amami Resort Bashayamamura] Address: 1246-1 Yoan Kasari, Kagoshima, Amami City Kagoshima Prefecture Phone: 0997-63-1178 Main building, East Building 29 rooms and 2 cottages Marine sports and swimming open from March third to end of October
History
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