 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007) |
The Izu Islands (伊豆諸島 Izu-shotō) are a group of volcanic islands stretching south and east from the Izu Peninsula of Honshū, Japan. Administratively, they form two towns and six villages; all part of Tokyo. The largest is Izu Ōshima, usually called simply Ōshima.
Although traditionally referred to as the "Izu Seven" (伊豆七島 Izu Shichitō), there are in fact more than a dozen islands and islets. Nine among them are currently inhabited. These are (North to South):
Contents |
Islands
1) Udone-shima was inhabited during the Meiji era.
2) uninhabited since 1969 (then population 31, with a peak of 513)
3) Torishima, the largest of the uninhabited islands, had a population of 150 until 1902, when all were killed by a volcanic eruption. Since then, the island has been uninhabited.
Administrative Divisions
- Ōshima Subprefecture
Ōshima Town: Izu Ōshima
Toshima Village: Toshima
Niijima Village: Niijima, Shikinejima, and Udoneshima
Kōzushima Village: Kōzushima
- Miyake Subprefecture
Miyake Village: Miyakejima and Ōnoharajima
Mikurajima Village: Mikurajima, Inambajima
- Hachijō Subprefecture
Hachijō Town: Hachijōjima and Hachijōkojima
Aogashima Village: Aogashima- unincorporated: Bayonaise Rocks (Beyonēzu Retsugan), Sumisu-tō, Torishima, and Sōfu-iwa
.png){kind=spacer}
Geography
The total administrated area of the islands is 301.39 square km and is home to 24,960 people. The four southernmost islands are not administrated under any town or village in Hachijō Subprefecture, but are unincorporated areas.
All the islands lie within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Fishing by professionals and sports people is year-round, with the majority of boats docked on the Izu Peninsula. Torishima is now uninhabited but is an important bird refuge.
Izu Ōshima and Hachijōjima each form towns. The remaining seven islands form six villages, with Niijima and Shikinejima forming one village. Three subprefectures are formed above the municipalities as branch offices of the metropolitan government.
Deserted islands between Aogashima and Ogasawara Islands, namely Bayonaise Rocks (Beyonēzu Retsugan), Smith Island (Sumisu-tō), Torishima, and Lot's Wife (Sōfu-iwa) do not belong to any municipality, because both Hachijō Town and Aogashima Village claim administrative rights. They are directly controlled by Hachijō Subprefecture instead.
During the Edo period, Nii-jima, Miyake-jima, and Hachijō-jima served as places of exile for criminals.
The subtropical Ogasawara Islands, which are also administratively part of Tokyo, lie further to the south. They form a far-flung archipelago of over thirty (30) islands some 1,000 km due south of Tokyo.
Geology
The islands occupy the northern portion of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc which extends to the Izu Peninsula and Mount Fuji on the Honshū mainland which are northern extensions of the Izu volcanic arc. The Izu arc ends there at a tectonic triple junction.
Volcanic activity is frequent in the area.[1] The Eruption of Myōjin-shō in 1953 killed 31 people when the research vessel Kaiyō Maru no 5 was destroyed. Volcanic activity, including the release of harmful gases, forced the evacuation of Miyake-jima in 2000. In February 2005, residents were allowed to return permanently to the island but were required to carry gas masks in case of future volcanic emissions.
Gallery
 Map showing general location |
 Shikinejima from Kōzushima. Furthest: Ōshima; left: Toshima; right: Niijima; smallest: Jinai-tō. |
 Miyakejima from Kōzushima |
 Niijima from Kōzushima |
See also
References
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
