TOKUNOSHIMA, Kagoshima Pref. — Astute readers will notice this story is datelined "Kagoshima Prefecture." But given that this island lies just southwest of Amami-Oshima and roughly 100 km from the northern tip of Okinawa, it's no surprise that Tokunoshima feels more like a part of the Ryukyu Islands than Kyushu.
Famed for its bullfighting, pristine beaches — one of which, Prince Beach, was named after the Emperor, who visited the area when he was the Crown Prince — and an annual triathlon that draws athletes from all over Japan and abroad, including Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi, who got a local road named after her, Tokunoshima is about as far away from Kyushu as you can get and still be in "Kagoshima."
In a local "izakaya" (pub), the tunes played on the stereo system aren't the ubiquitous "enka" (folk songs) heard on Japan's four main islands but lively, upbeat Okinawan folk songs, and "goya," Okinawa's famous bitter vegetable, is on the menu. The rugged mountains and foliage on the northern part of the island are reminiscent of Okinawa, especially the area around Nago.