, also known as Yoron, is one of the
Amami Islands
The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is a Japanese archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is sout ...
.
The island, 20.8 km
2 (8 sq. mi.) in area, has a population of approximately 6,000 people, and is administered as the town of
Yoron, Kagoshima. Much of the island is within the borders of the
Amami Guntō National Park.
Geography
Yoronjima is the southernmost of the Amami Islands and is located approximately north of
Hedo Point, the northernmost point of
Okinawa Island
, officially , is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five Japanese archipelago, main islands of Japan. The island is ...
, and south of the southern tip of Kyushu.
The island is an elevated coralline island with a highest point above sea level. 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 group ...
.
Climate
Yoronjima has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''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 tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
s.
History
It is uncertain when Yoron Island was first settled. It was ruled by the
Aji nobility from the 8th century onwards. From 1266 it was part of the
Hokuzan Kingdom until its incorporation into the
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom was a kingdom in the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a Tributary system of China, tributary state of Ming dynasty, imperial Ming China by the King of Ryukyu, Ryukyuan monarchy, who unified Okinawa Island t ...
in 1416. The
samurai
The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
force from
Satsuma Domain
The , briefly known as the , was a Han system, domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871.
The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of ...
went around Yoron on their way to Okinawa 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 resistanc ...
, after which its incorporation into the official holdings of that domain was recognized by the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
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 tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
to meet high taxation, which often resulted in famine.
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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
the island was incorporated into
Ōsumi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of southeastern Kyūshū, corresponding to the eastern half of modern Kagoshima Prefecture, and including the Ōsumi Islands . Ōsumi bordered on Hyūga to the northeast, and Satsuma Province to the nor ...
and later became part of
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...
. Following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, along with the other Amami Islands, it was occupied by the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
until 1953, at which time it reverted to the control of Japan.
Economy
When Okinawa was governed by the United States, Yoronjima was the southernmost island Japanese mainlanders could go to for vacation, and it became a tourist spot. Tourism is still a large part of the local economy, with numerous resorts offering water sports and other activities.
With moderate rainfall and a warm climate, the island is suitable for agriculture. Main crops include sweet potatoes, sugar cane and
floriculture
Floriculture (from ) is the study of the efficient production of the plants that produce showy, colorful flowers and foliage for human enjoyment in human environments. It is a commercially successful branch of horticulture and agriculture found ...
. Brown
sugar refining
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...
and the production of distilled ''
shōchū'' liquor and
vinegar
Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...
and sea salt are also major industries.
Transportation
Yoron Airport (
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...
: RNJ;
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
: RORY) serves travelers to and from the island.
Japan Air Commuter flies to
Kagoshima
, is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Etymology
While the ...
and
Okinoerabu Airports, and
Ryukyu Air Commuter provides service to
Naha Airport.
Ships on the
Marix and
A Line Lines operate between Yoron Port and
Kagoshima
, is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Etymology
While the ...
,
Amami Ōshima
, also known as Amami, is the largest island in the Amami Islands, Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. It is one of the Satsunan Islands, all of which belong to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
The island, 712.35 ...
, and other local destinations, as well as
Kobe
Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...
and
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
.
Culture
The island still maintains close ties to Okinawan culture, with
''Eisa'', a kind of Okinawa drumming and dancing style, popular for
festivals
A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...
such as the ''Sango Matsuri'' (Coral Festival), held every August. Okinawa patterns and styles of dress are also more common than that of mainland Japan.
Another difference from mainland Japan are cultural religious practices. Mainland Japanese practice both
Shintoism and
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, but the native culture of Yoron does not include many of the Buddhist elements seen on the mainland, and both weddings and funerals are practiced in the ancient Shinto tradition. Islanders still celebrate many ancient practices and festivals, with costumes and descriptions on display at the Yoron Museum, including a replica of a traditional village, complete with thatched-roof huts, tools, palm-leaf textiles and other items on display. Thatched-roof huts still exist in use throughout the island.
A unique cultural practice is
''Yoron Kenpo'', which includes formalized speeches along with the consumption of
sugar-based shōchū as an offering to the gods. This practice dates back to the
Muromachi Period
The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...
of Japanese history.
Some Yoron people continue to speak their own language, ''Yunnu futuba'' (
Yoron language
The Yoron language ( ''Yunnu Futuba'') is a dialect continuum spoken on Yoronjima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. It is one of the Northern Ryukyuan languages, which are a sub-branch within the Japonic languages, Japonic language fami ...
), a dialect of the
Ryukyuan languages
The , also Lewchewan or Luchuan (), are the indigenous languages of the Ryukyu Islands, the southernmost part of the Japanese archipelago. Along with the Japanese language and the Hachijō language, they make up the Japonic language family.
Ju ...
. Its basic grammar is similar to
Japanese language
is the principal language of the Japonic languages, Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese dia ...
, however, Yunnu Futuba has a wider range of sounds and an even stricter system of hierarchy for speech, with respectful suffixes and prefixes for elders and men being an integral part of the grammar and syntax of the language. Most young adults can still speak Yunnu Futuba but children no longer learn the language or do not learn fluency, as standard Japanese is spoken at school and at work.
Local attractions
Yoron has a number of beaches, including Yuri and Sunset, and its white beaches are famous throughout Japan. It is also the home of Pricia Resort, a popular location for Japanese people on holiday.
Notes
Yoron is the island on the album art for "All Of Me" by Masayoshi Takanaka.
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)
External links
Yoron(town government official site)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoronjima
Amami Islands
Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture