(also erroneously named Ueshima Island) is the second largest island in the

Amakusa , which means "Heaven's Grass," is a series of islands off the west coast of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. Geography The largest island of the Amakusa group is Shimoshima, which is 26.5 miles long and 13.5 mil ...

archipelago of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Its coasts are washed by

Yatsushiro Sea The , which is also called the , is a shallow semi-enclosed inland sea separating the island of Kyūshū from the Amakusa Islands. It lies mostly within Kumamoto Prefecture and at the southern end of the sea it also borders Kagoshima Prefecture ...

and of

Ariake Sea The is a body of salt water surrounded by Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto Prefectures, all of which lie on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It is the largest bay in Kyūshū. Its deepest point is only about 50 meters (165 ft) deep, and ...

, both being the part of

East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...

. The western part of ''Kamishima Island'' is administered as part of

city, while eastern part is administered as part of

Kami-Amakusa is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The modern city of Kami-Amakusa was established on March 31, 2004, from the merger of the towns of Himedo, Kumamoto, Himedo, Matsushima, Kumamoto, Matsushima, Ōyano, Kumamoto, � ...

city. The island's highest peak is Mount Kuratake .

Transportation

The

Five Bridges of Amakusa 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awar ...

connects the ''Kamishima Island'' to the

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

mainland since 1966. Additionally, the connects ''Kamishima'' to Shimoshima island - the largest island in

archipelago. The national roads serving the island are the Route 266 and Route 324

Climate

Kamishima Island is located in the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

zone (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cfa''), with four distinct seasons. Winters tend to be sunny, windy, and relatively dry; snow falls occasionally in the higher elevations, but seldom near sea level. Spring in Kamishima Island starts off mild, but ends up being hot and humid. The summer tends to be Kamishima's wettest season, with the — the rainy season — occurring between early June (average: June 7) to late July (average: July 21). The island's weather is affected by the nearby while being shielded from the warm

Kuroshio Current The , also known as the Black or or the is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Ku ...

off the coast of

island, resulting in a wetter and colder climate than should be expected at those latitudes.

Attractions

* *

Notable people

Amakusa Shirō , also known as , was a Japanese Christian of the Edo period and leader of the Shimabara Rebellion, an uprising of Japanese Roman Catholics against the Shogunate. His Christian name was Geronimo and later Francisco. The uprising led by Shirō ...

References

External links

熊本県の島＞＞天草上島（あまくさかみしま）
Islands of Kumamoto Prefecture Islands of the East China Sea {{kumamoto-geo-stub

Transportation

Climate

Attractions

Notable people

See also

Islands with similar names

Other related

References

External links