Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
THE TOKARA ISLANDS
吐噶喇列島
Remote isles, volcanic peaks
1
Kuchinoshima
口之島
2
Kogajajima
小臥蛇島
3
Gajajima
臥蛇島
4
Nakanoshima
中之島
5
Tairajima
平島
6
Suwanosejima
諏訪之瀬島
7
Akusekijima
悪石島
8
Kojima
小島
9
Kotakarajima
小宝島
10
Takarajima
宝島
11
Kaminoneshima
上ノ根島
12
Yokoatejima
横当島
Tokara Islands (
吐
噶
喇列島
or
トカラ列島
; Tokara-rettō, also called Shichi-tō (
七島
), which
means “Seven Islands,” consists of 12 very small islands scattered across 100 miles (160 kilo-
meters) of Japanese waters between the northeastern group of the Ōsumi's and the Amami's
northernmost and largest island, Amami-Ōshima. Seven islands are inhabited, five are not.
The group is also commonly called the Toshima Islands (
十島
; Toshima-mura) although that
name is more properly applied to the Japanese administrative district, which is the village of
Toshima.
Toshima means “ten islands,” a reference to the former administrative union of the present
seven inhabited islands plus the Mishima, the three inhabited islands of the Ōsumi's north-
western group. Although the political boundaries were realigned some years ago, the name
Toshima has stuck. The total area of all 12 islands of the present Tokara group is 39 square
miles (100 square kilometers). The population of all the Tokara Islands combined is about 650,
which averages some 30-170 people on each inhabited island. The largest island in the group
