Bonin Island : The Farthest Land in Japan

Hi there!

I want you know about a Islands in Japan, it's really small and maybe you can't find out from the world map ,called BONIN islands. As known as Ogasawara islands by Japanese . My proudly hometown.

Do you know how many World natural heritage site in Japan? Japan has 4 world natural heritage site and Bonin islands is one of those.

The islands has about 30 small islands and people living in only 2 islands that locates on the Pacific Ocean, 1000km far from Tokyo, and the only transportation is a vessel which runs 1 round trip per week. We need 24 hours for one way.

If it has 24 hours for move , we could go almost every where in the world in this era. Now, temporal distance are valued when people consider traveling  but here has been left behind in the times in good meaning.

Once you go this island, you can't get back to Tokyo until next liner, 1 week later.

For these reasons, I said "The Farthest Land in Japan".

Why this islands was registered for World natural heritage site?

The islands are categorized as oceanic island. Oceanic island means the island that has never connected to continent. Hawai and Galapagos are also this. Thanks to that, ecosystem of the island had been evolved into to unique. There are many unique endemic species that really rare in the islands. Especially snails and their ecosystem are very unique. 106 species of snails are living and 100 of them are endemic species so 94% are endemic. It's very high number of rate.

Because of oceanic island and unique ecosystem, the islands are also called Oriental Galapagos.

Bonin Islamds charm

 1st. Sea, Bonin Blue

Needless to say, the sea is really beautiful.

Often asked "is there similar to Okinawa?" but it's different. 
Easily to say, Okinawa's sea is emerald green and shallow. Bonin islands is not so. Sea of Bonin islands is deep blue and water depth is deep.

We can enjoy diving or snorkeling whole year and hunmp back whales are grow their children around islands from winter to spring so we can enjoy whale watching. 

This quality is on the beach in the center of the island. The picture without edit taken from depth of about 5 meters.

This deep blue called Bonin blue.

Whales  come up close to coast so we can watch them from the land yourself even applying to tour.

if you keep finding them all day, you could watch more than 10 whales in a day. Sometimes I hear the sound of jumping when I am on the mountain or they suddenly surface to right in front of me when I am fishing from shore. So many whales around islands.

And dolphins. They're so funny. I know they like having fun.

They often surf tide swell, run parallel to boats or come people to play.

However, I don't like to find them when I surf alone.

Many people thinks dolphins are cute animal but actually they are big animal and if I meet dolphins when I surf alone, it's gonna be really scary experience because I can't judge dolphins or sharks in a hurry.

2nd. Sunset, Green Flash

Sunset is important point on island life. We can feel different atmosphere everyday. It is also good that you can go it if you have a little time because of small island. There are countless spots in the small island so change the spots depends on feeling and you can spend favorite sunset time.

It is awesome when you spend nice time alone and go back to home with motivation like "I wanna tell this !!". Or it is also awesome when you spend beautiful time with your friends and share the good feeling.

This one taken from my favorite spot. Spend super private time is available. Honestly, sunset is seen from everywhere on the Earth. What is the strength of Bonin islands?

it's a Green Frash.

A Green Flash is a fantastic phenomenon in which part of the sun appears to suddenly change color for a moment. As the sun sinks into the Pacific, its last light seems to glow green. This "green flash," caused by light refracting in the atmosphere, is rarely seen. 

I don't know why but a Green Frash rate of Bonin islands is high compared to other place.

Green Frash is said "it is lucky if you can see it once in your life". Bonin islands is not so. I've seen it many times in This islands.

3rd. Star, Astronomical  observation

It is not joke that strry sky of Bonin islands is the best in Japan. MOE corrects the data of starry sky around Japan and decide "How easy is it to watch the stars?" Bonin islands was shining brightest in Japan on 2011,2012 and 2018. There was no contests while 5 years 2012 to 2018 so it's possible to say winner of 3 times consecutive.

It is difficult to tell in photo because my camera skills are not good.

You can usually be enjoyed this quality even in the center of the island. On the beach or mountain is the more and more beautiful. Feel the space and image natural.

4th. Battlefield, War history

Do you know about history of the island? You may have heard some movie name, "Letters from Iwo-Jima" or "Frans of our fathers" , are set in Iwo-Jima which is a part of Bonin islands.

Japanese army were fortress the islands prepared for battle of Iwo-Jima. Currently public access to Iwo-Jima is prohibited but we can see some military facilities or weapons of wartime in other islands of Bonin, Chichijima and Hahajima.

There are many no touched objects in the island so we can feel the courage of the predecessors and like time travel.

The bunkers that was watching over the enemy warships during the war is now a scenic spot where you can see the beautiful sea and the sunset. I feel complicated when I stand on there because the young soldiers as same age as me were standing on same place almost 80 years ago. And I stand on there. I always wonder about feelings of soldiers and appreciate living peaceful world.

There are many battlefield tour in the island and I recommend that.

At last

Thanks for reading unwell English until here. Actually there are more charms of Bonin islands. I'm gonna try write part2 some day meybe.

Hope you enjoyed the article and learned about my hometown. If you wanna visit Bonin islands, let me know that!