Amami Oshima is something of an enigma for historians. No one can accurately place its age: stone tools suggest habitation as early as the Japanese Paleolithic period (pre-10,000 BC), while other artefacts, including pottery, indicate human presence much later, from the bronze age onwards. Great clumps of the sub-tropical cycad plant — one of the oldest surviving species in the world, said to be over 250 million years old — cover the island in profusion, immediately conjuring up images of dinosaurs chomping on the enormous leaves. In other words, it’s very, very old.You won’t find the island’s port, Naze, mentioned in many guidebooks, nor indeed will you find much documentation about the island itself. Despite being the largest island in the Amami archipelago, tourism has not stretch this far. Closer to Taiwan than Tokyo, Amami Oshima is about as far off the beaten track as it gets.Do not expect the usual Japanese hybrid of techno wizardry versus ancient tradition here. Moreover, splendid coastline and verdant forested interior. There is superb diving and snorkelling to be had in the clear, coral-encrusted waters off the island, and many little-used, golden-sanded beaches to picnic on. The unspoilt slopes of Amami’s Kinsakubaru forest are filled with bright, healthy looking plants, many of which even the most ardent botanist would have trouble naming. Purple Lidth’s jay, Ryukyu robin, the orange-crowned Akahige, or the striking red-backed Ryukyu Akashobin, all live peacefully in the treetops.