Tobishima (Yamagata)

This article is about the island. For the municipality in Aichi Prefecture, see Tobishima, Aichi.
Tobishima
Native name: <span class="nickname" ">Japanese: 飛島

Aerial photograph of Tobishima in 1976.
Geography
Location Sea of Japan
Coordinates 39°11′40″N 139°32′56″E / 39.19444°N 139.54889°E / 39.19444; 139.54889
Area 2.75 km2 (1.06 sq mi)
Length 2 km (1.2 mi)
Width 1 km (0.6 mi)
Coastline 10.2 km (6.34 mi)
Highest elevation 68 m (223 ft)
Highest point Takamoriyama
Country
Japan
Yamagata Prefecture
Demographics
Population 275 (as of 2005)
Density 91 /km2 (236 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups Japanese

Tobishima (飛島), is an inhabited island located in the Sea of Japan, administered part of Sakata, Yamagata, Japan. The island, 2.75 km² in area, had 275 inhabitants as of 2005. The island has no airport, and access is normally by ferry to the city of Sakata on the mainland. The islanders are dependent mainly on commercial fishing and seasonal tourism.

Geography

Tobishima is approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) by 1 kilometre (0.62 mi). It is located 39 kilometres (21 nmi) west of Honshu. The highest point is Takamori-yama ( 高森山 ) at 68 metres (223 ft)

The island is mostly flat, with a gentle rise from the east coast to the west coast, the west coast is characterized by steep cliffs. The port facilities are therefore located on the east coast and along with most of the population. Due to the effects of the warm Tsushima current, the island has relatively mild weather year-round average annual temperatures of 12 °C; even snowfall of 10 cm is rare. The island is covered with evergreen deciduous trees, including Eurya japonica. The island also serves as an important nesting grounds for some 270 species of migratory birds.

History

Tobishima has been populated for several thousand years, with archaeological finds from the early Jomon period dated to 6000–7000 years ago. In the late Heian period, the island was controlled by the Abe clan, followed by the Kiyohara clan. During the 15th century, it was a base for the wakō pirates. In the Edo period, it was part of the holdings of the Sakai clan at Shonai Domain and an occasional port for the kitamaebune coastal trading vessels.

As of April 1950, the village of Tobishima and thus the island was annexed by the city of Sakata, Yamagata.

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, June 21, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.