Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
quarters of a mile (1 kilometer) or less. Its area is only 1.3 square miles (3.46 square kilomet-
ers) but it has a rather long circumference of 10 miles (16 kilometers).
Most of Tonaki is too hilly and rocky for agriculture. Its highest point is Mt Ufu (
大岳
;
Ufu-daké, also called Ō-také) at 587 feet (179 meters) above sea level. There are approxim-
ately 600 residents, almost all of whom live at the port town, Tonaki village, also known as
Sonota (
その他
; Sonota). The village is located at the island's midsection, which is the only
low ground. It's a saddle straddling the island, connecting the village to the sea on both sides.
There are several
minshuku
inns located in the village. The operators will meet you at the har-
bor if you make a reservation. The village is tiny enough that nothing is more than a couple
of hundred meters distant.
The harbor is on the west side of the island. The east side is too shallow for a port but it
has a good beach. There are beaches on the west coast as well. The lower southern two-thirds
of the island is ringed by a paved road. The northern one-third only has jeep tracks and hik-
ing trails.
From Tonaki Port you can see the next island we'll pass by. It's a bit less than 2.5 miles (4
kilometers) to the northwest.
IRISUNAJIMAORIDESUNAJIMA
(
入砂島
or
出砂島
; Irisuna-jima or Idésuna-jima). This poor
little teardrop of an islet is used as an aerial bombing target range by the American Air Force
from Kadena Air Base. It is an equal opportunity bomb site, however, as the Japanese Self-
Defense Forces training out of Naha Air Base use it as well. Visiting the island is prohibited
because it's littered with unexploded ordnance.
It is located 2.25 miles (3.6 kilometers) northwest of Tonaki Port. At its greatest length
it's 1,400 feet (700 meters) long, at its widest 2,300 feet (425 meters) across. Its highest point
is probably 10-15 feet (4-5 meters). If you zoom in on it from a satellite camera like Google
Earth, you'll see that it is completely pockmarked from the many explosions it has endured.
“Get on Sand Island”/“Get off Sand Island,” used by the US as an aerial bombing target range.
