Chichijima Island: World Heritage Island, Minamijima Island, and Sunsets from the Weather Station

This course takes you on a 24-hour voyage by ship from Takeshiba Pier to Chichijima Island, introduces you to the island's nature at the Ogasawara World Heritage Center, brings you ashore to Minamijima Island with a guide, and lets you watch the sun sink into the horizon from the Weather Station Observation Deck.

History and Regional Charm

Chichijima Island is the main island of the Ogasawara Islands, located approximately 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. For a long time, the Ogasawara Islands had no permanent residents and were called "Munin-to" (uninhabited islands). This "Munin" was later corrupted into "Bonin." In 1830, Westerners and others arrived from Oahu, Hawaii, settling on Chichijima Island as the first permanent residents of Ogasawara. In 1944, during the Pacific War, many islanders were forcibly evacuated to the Japanese mainland, and after the war, the islands were placed under U.S. military occupation. The islands were returned to Japan in June 1968. The Ogasawara Islands are oceanic islands that have never been connected to any continent. Consequently, there are many endemic species found nowhere else, leading to their inscription as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2011. On the other hand, the numbers of endemic species have decreased due to predation by invasive alien species and the loss of their habitats. A journey to Chichijima Island allows you to encounter both the deep blue sea known as "Bonin Blue" and the preserved, endemic nature.

Key Highlights

• ​Chichijima Island​​: Most of the island's dining establishments are concentrated around Futami Port, where the ship docks. Each beach offers a different atmosphere, such as Kominato Coast, the longest beach on the island, and Miyanohama Beach, which is suitable for snorkeling.
• ​Ogasawara World Heritage Center​​: Opened in May 2017, this facility introduces the value of the Ogasawara Islands as a World Heritage site and the conservation efforts to protect it. In the breeding and conservation room, visitors can observe rare land snails (maimai) and tiger beetles being raised through glass windows.
• ​Minamijima Island​​: An uninhabited island floating approximately 900 meters southwest of Chichijima Island, its "submerged karst topography" formed by limestone features sinking into the sea is designated as a national Natural Monument. Ogi-ike Pond in the center of the island is a depression connected to the open ocean by a natural rock arch, where a sandy beach has formed.
• ​Weather Station Observation Deck​​: Located at an elevation of 150 meters on the site of a former meteorological observatory, this viewing deck sits on high western ground and is known as a vantage point for sunsets. It is also famous as a spot where the "green flash," in which the sun glows green for an instant as it sinks below the horizon, is relatively easy to see.

Recommended Itinerary and Required Time

The estimated required time is 5 nights and 6 days. There is no airport on Chichijima Island, so visitors travel by the regular liner "Ogasawara Maru" from Takeshiba Pier, taking 24 hours. A ship departing Takeshiba Pier on Day 1 arrives at Chichijima Island just before noon on Day 2. After having lunch around Futami Port, head to the Ogasawara World Heritage Center in the afternoon. Learning in advance about the endemic wildlife and the efforts to protect them will change how you see the island. The foot-washing station outside the building is designed for rinsing mud off shoes before and after activities in mountainous areas. In the evening, watch the sunset from the Weather Station Observation Deck. It is located about 660 meters west-northwest of the World Heritage Center and about a 35 to 40-minute walk from Futami Port. On Day 3, book a local tour to visit Minamijima Island. Access is by boat or kayak, and landing requires the accompaniment of a Tokyo Nature Guide. A single guide may lead no more than 15 people, and entering outside designated visitor routes is not permitted. The fossil shells of Hirobesokatamaimai snails remaining in the island's sand dunes are designated Natural Monuments and cannot be taken away. The daily limits on visitor numbers and stay durations, as well as the annual three-month island closure, were abolished in June 2023. After returning from Minamijima Island, head back to the Weather Station Observation Deck in the evening. When the sky turns red, not only tourists but also local residents gather there. Once the sun sets, a star-filled sky appears. On Day 4, you can tour various beaches or take the "Hahajima Maru" for a 2-hour one-way trip to Hahajima Island. Board the return Ogasawara Maru on Day 5, and after another 24-hour sea voyage, return to Takeshiba Pier on Day 6.

Experience Summary

At the end of a 24-hour ship journey, discover the endemic species of this World Heritage island and the conservation efforts of the people protecting them, then step onto the white sandy beach of an uninhabited island with a guide. In the evening, wait on the western heights for the sun to sink into the horizon, and after dark, look up at the star-filled sky. It is a slow, unhurried time that can only be experienced on an island accessible solely by ship.