, also known as Okinoerabu, is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. The island, 93.63 km² in area, has a population of approximately 14,000 persons. Administratively it is divided into the towns of Wadomari and China in Kagoshima Prefecture. Much of the island is within the borders of the Amami Guntō National Park.

Geography

Okinoerabujima is isolated from the other Amami islands, and is located in between

Tokunoshima , also known in English as is an island in the Amami archipelago of the southern Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 27,000. The island is divided into three administrative ...

and Yoronjima, approximately south of the southern tip of Kyūshū and north of

. The island is an elevated coralline island with a length of approximately and width of , with Mount Ōyama at above sea level at its highest peak. In the eastern part of the island is an extensive limestone cave system, one of the largest in Asia. The coast of the island is surrounded by a

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. C ...

Climate

Okinoerabujima has a humid subtropical climate (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Cfa'') with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is somewhat lower in winter. The island is subject to frequent

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

History

It is uncertain when Okinoerabujima was first settled. It was ruled by the Aji nobility who built numerous gusuku fortifications from the 8th century onwards. From 1266 it was part of Hokuzan, and from 1422 the

Ryukyu Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...

. The island was invaded by

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

from Satsuma Domain during the 1609

Invasion of Ryukyu The by forces of the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma took place from March to May of 1609, and marked the beginning of the Ryukyu Kingdom's status as a vassal state under the Satsuma domain. The invasion force was met with stiff resistance ...

and its incorporation into the official holdings of Satsuma was recognized by the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

in 1624. Satsuma rule was harsh, with the inhabitants of the island reduced to serfdom and forced to raise

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

to meet high taxation, which often resulted in famine. The island was subordinate to Tokunoshima from 1616 to 1690, when an independent ''

daikansho A was the office of a ''daikan'' (magistrate) during the Edo period (18th & 19th century) of Japanese history. External links Edo period Legal history of Japan {{japan-gov-stub ...

'' was established. Throughout the Satsuma period, the island was used as a prison settlement, especially for political offenders, including many members of the Ryukyuan royal family.

Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsum ...

was exiled to Okinoerabujima from 1862 to 1864. After the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

the island was incorporated into

Ōsumi Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Kagoshima Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Ōsumi bordered on Hyūga and Satsuma Provinces. Osumi's ancient capital was near modern Kokubu. During the Sengoku ...

and later became part of Kagoshima Prefecture. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, along with the other Amami Islands, it was occupied by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

until 1953, at which time it reverted to the control of Japan. In September 1977, a massive typhoon (

Typhoon Babe (1977) Typhoon Babe, known in Japan as , and in the Philippines as Typhoon Miling, was regarded as " the worst typhoon to threaten Japan in 18 years." Developing as a tropical depression on September 2, Babe initially tracked west-northwestw ...

) devastated the island, which experienced winds in excess of for two hours as the typhoon passed by. Nearly two-thirds of the homes across the island were damaged or destroyed by the storm and 73 people were injured. Most of the injuries across the island were caused by collapsing buildings.

Fauna

Okinoerabujima is home to several rare species of reptiles and insects endemic to the island itself, or more generally to the Ryukyu Islands. The island is one of fewer locations where swimming with whales (

humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hu ...

s) is legally approved.Kamibayashi T.. 2014
沖永良部島のホエールスイムとケイビング - Tourism activities in Okinoerabu Island：Swimming with whales and caving
みどりいし (25). pp.36-37. Retrieved on February 15, 2017

Economy

With moderate rainfall and a warm climate, the island is suitable for agriculture. Main crops include sweet potatoes, sugar cane and

floriculture Floriculture, or flower farming, is a branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development of new varieties by plant breeding is ...

. Brown sugar refining and the production of distilled '' shōchū'' liquor is the major industry. The island is not a major tourist destination, unlike many in the Amami archipelago.

Transportation

The port of Wadomari, located in the town of the same name, has regular ferry services to Okinawa and Kagoshima. The smaller port of China, in the town of China, has ferries to Kagoshima and other of the Amami islands.

Okinoerabu Airport is located on the island of Okinoerabujima in the town of Wadomari, Kagoshima, Wadomari, Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Ōshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. History Okinoerabu Airport was opened on 1 May 1969 with a 1200-meter runway, a ...

, in Wadomari, is located in east side of the island. Flights connect the island to Kagoshima, Tokunoshima, Amami (via Tokunoshima), and Okinawa (Naha).

References

*Eldridge, Mark. ''The Return of the Amami Islands: The Reversion Movement and U.S.-Japan Relati''ons. Levington Books (2004) *Hellyer. Robert. Defining Engagement: Japan and Global Contexts, 1640-1868. Harvard University Press (2009) *Turnbull, Stephen. ''The Most Daring Raid of the Samurai''. Rosen Publishing Group (2011) *Ravina, Mark. ''The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori''.　Whiley (2011)

External links

Okinoerabujima visitor’s guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinoerabujima Amami Islands Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture