- Izu Islands
The nihongo|Izu Islands|伊豆諸島|Izu-shotō are a group of
volcanic island s stretching south and east from theIzu Peninsula ofHonshū ,Japan . Administratively, they form two towns and six villages; all part ofTokyo . The largest isIzu Ōshima , usually called simply Ōshima.Although traditionally referred to as the nihongo|"Izu Seven"|伊豆七島|Izu Shichitō, there are in fact more than a dozen islands and islets. Nine among them are currently inhabited. These are (North to South):
*Ōshima Subprefecture
**
**
**
**
*Miyake Subprefecture
**
**
*Hachijō Subprefecture
**
**All the islands lie within the
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park . Fishing by professionals and sports people is year-round, with the majority of boats docked on theIzu Peninsula . Torishima is now uninhabited but is an important bird refuge.Izu Ōshima and Hachijōjima each form towns. The remaining seven islands form six villages, with Niijima and Shikinejima forming one village. Three subprefectures are formed above the municipalities as branch offices of the metropolitan government.
Deserted islands between Aogashima and Ogasawara Islands, namely
Bayonaise Rocks ("Beyonēzu Retsugan"), Smith Island ("Sumisu-tō"), Torishima, and Lot's Wife ("Sōfu-iwa") do not belong to any municipality, because both Hachijō Town and Aogashima Village claim administrative rights. They are directly controlled byHachijō Subprefecture instead.Volcanic activity is frequent in the area. For photos and descriptions of the volcanoes, see [http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/region.cfm?rnum=0804 Volcanoes of the Izu, Volcano and Mariana Islands] . The Eruption of
Myōjin-shō in1953 killed 31 people when the research vessel "Kaiyō Maru no 5" was destroyed. Volcanic activity, including the release of harmful gases, forced the evacuation of Miyake-jima in2000 . In February2005 , residents were allowed to return permanently to the island but were required to carrygas mask s in case of future volcanic emissions.During the
Edo period , Nii-jima, Miyake-jima, and Hachijō-jima served as places of exile for criminals.The subtropical
Ogasawara Islands , which are also administratively part of Tokyo, lie further to the south. They form a far-flung archipelago of over thirty (30) islands some 1,000 km due south of Tokyo.Geologically, the
Izu Peninsula andMount Fuji on theHonshū mainland are northern extensions of the Izu volcanic arc. The Izu arc ends there because of the tectonictriple junction .Gallery
ee also
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.