Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
TORISHIMA
鳥島
This uninhabited “Bird Island” is primarily a block of undersea limestone topped with a
sandbar. It long ago produced phosphates commercially. It is 18 miles (29 kilometers) north
of Kume Island. Its other name is Torijima Shabakujo (
鳥島の射爆場
) or the Torijima Firing
Range. It has been used as a bombing training site by the US Air Force and Marines based
in Okinawa since the end of World War II. Torishima (
鳥島
; Torishima) is extensively pock-
marked by bomb craters. No one is allowed there.
Uninhabitable Torishima from the air.
It is roughly an oval in shape, about 1,475 feet (450 meters) long east to west, by 500 feet
(150 meters) wide north to south. Its area is approximately 0.04 square kilometers and its
circumference is a little more than three-quarters of a mile (1 kilometer). It's taller than it ap-
pears in the top-down view photo. Its highest elevation is 80 feet (25 meters). All in all, it's
not much of a place although Japanese fishermen report good fishing nearby and regularly
protest their exclusion from its surrounding waters. The island is often referred to as Kumé-
Torishima to avoid confusion with Iōtorishima (
硫黄鳥島
; Iwō-torishima; lit. “Sulphur Bird
Island”) some 125 miles (200 kilometers) to the northeast, near Tokunojima.
Approximately 24 miles (38 kilometers) due east of Torishima is Aguni, the next island
we'll visit, but of course we can't get there from here. In fact, we've got no business out here at
all. It's a restricted area. From Kume we'll take the ferry or fly back to Naha and then ferry or
fly to Aguni.
7
AGUNIJIMA
粟国島
Aguni Island is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Kume and 14 miles (22 kilomet-
ers) north of Tonaki, but neither island has commercial connections to the island. There is
not enough demand for an inter-island passenger ferry service, so everything is consolidated
at hubs like Naha.
