Kerama Islands

The Kerama Islands (慶良間諸島, Kerama-shotō, Okinawan: キラマ Kirama) are a subtropical island group 32 kilometres (20 mi) southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan.

Kerama Islands
Native name:
Kerama-shotō (慶良間諸島)
Map of the Kerama Islands
Kerama Islands is located in Okinawa Prefecture
Kerama Islands
Kerama Islands
Location of the Kerama Islands
Kerama Islands is located in Ryukyu Islands
Kerama Islands
Kerama Islands
Kerama Islands (Ryukyu Islands)
Kerama Islands is located in Japan
Kerama Islands
Kerama Islands
Kerama Islands (Japan)
Geography
LocationPacific Ocean
Coordinates26°12′00″N 127°19′59″E
ArchipelagoOkinawa Islands
Total islands36
Major islandsTokashiki Island, Zamami Island
Area35.97 km2 (13.89 sq mi)
Administration
Japan
PrefectureOkinawa Prefecture
Demographics
Population1,625 (October 2010)
Pop. density45.2/km2 (117.1/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsRyukyuan, Japanese
Official nameKeramashoto Coral Reef
Designated8 November 2005
Reference no.1546[1]

Geography

Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island.[2] The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Village within Shimajiri District.[3] The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site.[4]

The archipelago consists of the following islands (-jima/-shima) - inhabited ones are highlighted in blue - and rocks (other suffixes, unnamed entries) with an area of at least 0.01 km².[5][6]

Photo NameJapanese nameSize [km²]Height [m]GroupCoordinates
Tokashiki Island渡嘉敷島 15,31 227,3 Tokashiki 26.186667°N 127.355556°E / 26.186667; 127.355556 (Tokashiki-jima)
Zamami Island座間味島 6,66 160,7 Zamami 26.234444°N 127.3075°E / 26.234444; 127.3075 (Zamami-jima)
Aka Island阿嘉島 3,82 165,0 Zamami 26.198889°N 127.278056°E / 26.198889; 127.278056 (Aka-jima)
Maeshima (unterste Insel) Mae Island前島 1,60 132,8 Tokashiki 26.212222°N 127.447222°E / 26.212222; 127.447222 (Maeshima)
Kuba-shima久場島 1,55 270,1 Zamami 26.171389°N 127.237778°E / 26.171389; 127.237778 (Kuba-shima)
Yakabi-jima屋嘉比島 1,26 214,4 Zamami 26.216389°N 127.244444°E / 26.216389; 127.244444 (Yakabi-jima)
Geruma Island慶留間島 1,15 157,3 Zamami 26.181667°N 127.289167°E / 26.181667; 127.289167 (Geruma-jima)
Fukaji Island外地島 0,83 76,0 Zamami 26.168333°N 127.292778°E / 26.168333; 127.292778 (Fukaji-shima)
Amuro-jima安室島 0,73 98,8 Zamami 26.207222°N 127.311111°E / 26.207222; 127.311111 (Amuro-jima)
Gishippu-jima儀志布島 0,49 113,6 Tokashiki 26.230278°N 127.369444°E / 26.230278; 127.369444 (Gishippu-jima)
Kuroshima黒島 0,27 126,1 Tokashiki 26.251667°N 127.404167°E / 26.251667; 127.404167 (Kuroshima)
Un-jimaウン島 0,26 87,0 Tokashiki 26.142778°N 127.343056°E / 26.142778; 127.343056 (Un-jima)
Gahi-jima嘉比島 0,13 51,0 Zamami 26.218333°N 127.286111°E / 26.218333; 127.286111 (Gahi-jima)
Gusukushima城島 0,11 105,9 Tokashiki 26.198611°N 127.377778°E / 26.198611; 127.377778 (Gusukushima)
Hanari-jima離島 0,10 59,2 Tokashiki 26.161667°N 127.338333°E / 26.161667; 127.338333 (Hanari-jima)
Agenashiku-jima安慶名敷島 0,10 41,6 Zamami 26.215278°N 127.295°E / 26.215278; 127.295 (Agenashiku-jima)
Sunashiru-jima砂白島 0,05 28,0 Zamami 26.184167°N 127.274722°E / 26.184167; 127.274722 (Sunashiru-jima)
Kuba-iwa, Ou-jima, Naka-iwa und Yubu-iwa (von oben nach unten) Ou-jima (Ubu-iwa)奥武島(うぶ岩) 0,05 45,6 Zamami 26.156667°N 127.273333°E / 26.156667; 127.273333 (Ou-jima (Ubu-iwa))
Kuba-iwaくば岩 0,01 14,0 Zamami 26.159167°N 127.273056°E / 26.159167; 127.273056 (Kuba-iwa)
Yubu-iwaゆぶ岩 0,01 34,0 Zamami 26.147222°N 127.269722°E / 26.147222; 127.269722 (Yubu-iwa)
Naka-iwaなか岩 0,01 17,0 Zamami 26.150278°N 127.268333°E / 26.150278; 127.268333 (Naka-iwa)
Achirāne-iwaアチラーネ岩 0,05 – Zamami
Mokaraku-jimaモカラク島 0,04 25,0 Zamami 26.156111°N 127.289722°E / 26.156111; 127.289722 (Mokaraku-jima)
Tsumishiro-shima積城島 0,02 – Zamami 26.181111°N 127.273611°E / 26.181111; 127.273611 (Tsumishiro-shima)
Ijakaja-jima伊釈迦釈島 0,02 56,0 Zamami 26.215556°N 127.268333°E / 26.215556; 127.268333 (Ijakaja-jima)
Jinojitsuru-jima地自津留島 0,01 54,0 Tokashiki 26.237778°N 127.368611°E / 26.237778; 127.368611 (Jinojitsuru-jima)
Sakuhara no Hana佐久原の鼻 0,01 – Zamami 26.178333°N 127.274167°E / 26.178333; 127.274167 (Sakuhara no Hana)
Fukakane-seふかかね瀬 0,01 47,0 Zamami 26.175833°N 127.229028°E / 26.175833; 127.229028 (Fukakane-se)
unbenannt[7] 0,01 – Zamami 26.183333°N 127.2725°E / 26.183333; 127.2725 (Felseninsel)
unbenannt[8] 0,01 – Zamami 26.159444°N 127.291944°E / 26.159444; 127.291944 (Felseninsel)

Flora

The archipelago has several extensive coral reefs. Two of them were designated as Ramsar sites in November 2005: a 120-hectare area along the west coast of Tokashiki-jima and around Hanari-jima, and a 233-hectare area around Ijakaja-jima, Gahi-jima and Agenashiku-jima , i.e. H. between Aka Island and Zamami Island. These reefs are home to 248 different coral species, most notably of the Acropora genus.[9] On March 5, 2014, the waters and the islands were placed under protection as Kerama Shotō National Park.

  • Coral reef, Aka island
    Coral reef, Aka island
  • Coral reef, Aka island
    Coral reef, Aka island
  • Clownfish, Aka island
    Clownfish, Aka island

Beaches

These are notable beaches of the Kerama Islands:

Notable beaches
NameIslandJapanese name
Aharen BeachTokashiki Island阿波連ビーチ（渡嘉敷島）
Tokashiku BeachTokashiki Island渡嘉志久ビーチ（渡嘉敷島）
Ama BeachZamami Island阿真ビーチ（座間味島）
Furuzamami Beach Zamami Island 古座間味ビーチ（座間味島）
Kitahama Beach Aka Island 北浜ビーチ（阿嘉島）
  • Ama beach in Zamami island
    Ama beach in Zamami island
  • Aharen Beach on Tokashiki Island
    Aharen Beach on Tokashiki Island
  • Tokashiku beach on Tokashiki Island
    Tokashiku beach on Tokashiki Island
  • Tokashiku beach
    Tokashiku beach

Fauna

The islands of Aka, Fukaji, Geruma and Yakabi provide the sole natural habitat of the endangered Kerama deer (Cervus nippon keramae), thought to be an introduced population of the Japanese sika deer in the early 17th century that has since adapted to their island environment.[10]

History

The Kerama islands were historically part of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429–1879), when islanders were employed as navigators on the kingdom’s trading vessels to China.[11]

During World War II and preliminary to the Battle of Okinawa, soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division landed in the Kerama Islands on March 26, 1945. Further landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. Kerama was used as a staging area for the assault on Okinawa. During the battle the first civilian mass suicides that later marked the Battle of Okinawa took place. The first US Navy ship to anchor in the harbor was USS Makin Island, a small "jeep" carrier.

Thereafter, the archipelago, like the rest of the Ryukyu Islands, was under US military administration before being returned to Japan in 1972.

The Kerama islands was the site of a true story about romance between two dogs who lived on neighboring islands that was made into the 1988 Japanese film I Want to See Marilyn (Marilyn ni Aitai).[12] It is now a popular beach and diving destination for visitors to Okinawa.

Transportation

The Kerama Islands are served by the Kerama Airport, located on Fukaji Island.[13] Regular ferries are also available from Naha to the three largest islands, Aka, Zamami, and Tokashiki. Ferries between the islands are also available, as are boat tours.

References
  1. "Keramashoto Coral Reef". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. Kerama Islands. Open Coast Travel.
  3. Special Feature #1 : Seas of Okinawa -The Kerama Islands- Archived 2011-05-17 at the Wayback Machine, Okinawa Prefecture
  4. "Ramsar Sites in Japan - Kerama-shoto Coral Reef" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  5. "沖縄県島しょ別面積一覧" (in Japanese). Präfektur Okinawa. 2013-11-13. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  6. "指定離島・指定離島一覧" (PDF). pref.okinawa.jp 離島関係資料(平成28年1月) (in Japanese). 沖縄県企画部地域・離島課 [„Land and Islands Section, Planning Department, Okinawa Prefecture“]. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  7. vermutete Zuordnung: In der Quelle als シマ(砂白島北) ‚Insel (nördlich von Sunashiru-jima)‘ aufgeführt. Auf den amtlichen Karten ist an diesen Koordinaten eine unbenannte Insel mit der angegebenen Fläche.
  8. vermutete Zuordnung: In der Quelle als シマ(モカラク島北) ‚Insel (nördlich von Mokaraku-jima)‘ aufgeführt. Auf den amtlichen Karten ist an diesen Koordinaten eine unbenannte Insel mit der angegebenen Fläche.
  9. "Kerama-shoto Coral Reef" (PDF; 523 kB). Conservation and Wise Use of Rich and Diverse Wetlands: Ramsar Sites in Japan. Umweltministerium. 2008. p. 41. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  10. "Cervus nippon keramae". National Institute for Environmental Studies. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
  11. "Kerama islands". Kerama islands. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
  12. Marilyn Ni Aitai at IMDb
  13. Map showing islands of Zamami Village Archived 2011-05-26 at the Wayback Machine
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