Chichijima Island

In short

Chichijima Island is the main island of the Ogasawara Islands, floating in the Pacific Ocean approximately 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. There is no airport, and it takes 24 hours to cross from Takeshiba Pier aboard the regular liner "Ogasawara Maru." The deep blue sea known as "Bonin Blue" and the forests inhabited by endemic species are registered as a World Natural Heritage site.

• ​Beaches with Different Atmospheres​​: The scenery varies from beach to beach, including Kominato Coast, the longest on the island, and Miyanohama Beach, which is well-suited for snorkeling.
• ​Remnants of a Submarine Volcano​​: The cliff of pillow lava at the exit of Nagasaki Tunnel serves as evidence that the island was once a submarine volcano.
• ​Rock Named After the Islands​​: "Boninite," a rock formed from solidified magma when Chichijima Island was created, was named after the Western name for Ogasawara, the Bonin Islands.

History and Highlights

​Chichijima Island​ is the main island of the Ogasawara Islands, located approximately 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. With an area of about 24 square kilometers, it is more than twice the size of Chiyoda Ward. The island is elongated from north to south, and while the terrain is rugged, the area around the settlements is comparatively flat.

For a long time, no one settled in Ogasawara, and it was called "Munin-to" (uninhabited island). The word "munin" was corrupted into "Bonin." In 1830, Westerners and others from Oahu, Hawaii settled on Chichijima Island, becoming the first permanent residents of Ogasawara. Later, the Edo shogunate dispatched an expedition aboard the warship Kanrin Maru to survey the island. Mount Asahiyama, located behind Futami Fishing Port, is where the shogunate inspection team erected the Japanese national flag at the summit during that mission.

In 1944, during the Pacific War, most islanders were forcibly evacuated to the mainland. After the war, the island was placed under the occupation of the U.S. military, and it was 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 living creatures found nowhere else, and the islands were inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site in 2011. Chichijima Island features extensive low forests known as "dry scrub forests," where endemic plants have adapted by altering their leaf shapes to suit the dry climate. Chichijima Island was formed by submarine volcanic activity approximately 48 million years ago. The rock formed when the magma from this era cooled and solidified is called "boninite," named after the Western name for Ogasawara, the Bonin Islands.

Viewing and Experience Points

• ​Beaches with Different Atmospheres​​: The ocean around Chichijima Island is a deep blue known as "Bonin Blue." Kominato Coast is the longest beach on the island, characterized by its shallow waters. Miyanohama Beach is suitable for snorkeling. On the shore of Sakaiura, the reddish-rusted remains of the Hinko Maru, a cargo ship that ran aground after being torpedoed in 1944, still rest today.
• ​Remnants of a Submarine Volcano​​: From Nagasaki Observatory, you can look out over Anijimaseto Strait and see the tidal current flowing like a river. The cliff of pillow lava at the exit of Nagasaki Tunnel is proof that the island was once an underwater volcano.
• ​Overlooking Futami Bay​​: Ogamiyama Shrine stands on the mountain behind the Omura shopping street, and the surrounding viewpoints offer a sweeping panoramic view of Futami Bay.

Visitor Tips

There is no airport on Chichijima Island; visitors make the 24-hour journey aboard the regular liner "Ogasawara Maru" departing from Takeshiba Pier. Most of the island's restaurants and eateries are concentrated around Futami Port, where the ship docks. While Chichijima Island is a small island that can be toured in one or two days, Minamijima Island lies about 900 meters off the southwest coast and can be landed on with a guide. Hahajima Island, located about 50 kilometers south of Chichijima Island, is a 2-hour one-way trip on the "Hahajima Maru." When heading into the mountains or to other islands, be sure to check the soles of your shoes, clothing, and luggage to make sure no seeds or small insects are attached.