Unusual Islands to Explore When Traveling to Japan

Rabbit Island, Cat Island, Ghost Island... are the extraordinary islands you should explore if you ever get the chance to travel to Japan.

Unusual Islands to Explore When Traveling to Japan

Ghost Island

Located about 15km from Nagasaki, Gunkanjima Island (or Battleship Island) used to be a coal mining facility from 1887 to 1974, reaching its peak population of around 5,259 people in 1959. With the gradual replacement of coal by petroleum across Japan in the 1960s, the island was abandoned and became known as 'Ghost Island.' Despite being uninhabited, it was opened to tourists in 2009.

Gunkanjima Island also made a striking appearance in the Hollywood blockbuster film Skyfall (2012), featuring James Bond. Additionally, it was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Volcanic Island

Aogashima is a volcanic island located in the Izu archipelago, more than 350km south of Tokyo. The most recent eruption occurred in 1785, resulting in the death of around 140 islanders, and the survivors fled the island. 50 years after the disaster, people resettled on this completely isolated island. According to a 2013 census, there are only about 170 inhabitants on the island.

Cat Island

With more cats than humans, Tashirojima Island (in Miyagi Prefecture) and Aoshima Island (in Ehime Prefecture) have been dubbed Cat Island. In Japan, cats have long been regarded as symbols of luck and wealth. Particularly on Tashirojima Island, there is a cat shrine (Neko-jinja) with 51 stone cat statues, and dogs are prohibited from approaching the shrine area.

Island Resembling Caribbean Seascapes

With its white sandy beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters, it's no wonder that the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa Prefecture are compared to the Caribbean seas. They are also home to coral reefs, turtles, dolphins, whale sharks, and stingrays.

Rabbit Island

Okunoshima is a small island in Hiroshima Prefecture and has become a tourist attraction due to its abundance of adorable rabbits. The reason for the island's large rabbit population is explained by the fact that rabbits were brought here during World War II to test the toxicity of gas. After the war ended, the rabbits were released into the wild and flourished in numbers as they are today.

Gas Mask Island

Part of Japan's Izu Islands, the most prominent feature of Miyake Jima Island is the active volcano Oyama. Since its most recent eruption in 2005, this volcano has been continuously emitting harmful gases, requiring residents of the island to constantly wear gas masks for protection.

Itsukushima Shrine

Located on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, Itsukushima Shrine, also known as Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, is a significant spiritual site in Japan and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1996. If you have the chance to visit, don't miss the opportunity to witness the beautiful sunrise at this magnificent shrine gate.

Isles of Longevity

A group of islands in the East China Sea, part of the Southwest Islands (Ryukyu Arc) and Okinawa Island are regarded as Japan's Isles of Longevity. Nowhere else in the world do people achieve such high longevity as in these places. The life expectancy on these islands is five times higher than the rest of Japan's population. The reasons behind the longevity of the islanders are attributed to their diet (low in fat, with foods like fish, tofu, and seaweed), stress-free lifestyle, and spiritual culture.

Smoke Island

Sakurajima (Cherry Island) is a volcanic island, though technically it is no longer an island. The reason being a major eruption in 1914 caused lava to flow into the sea, creating the Osumi Peninsula and connecting it to the mainland. Sakurajima has been erupting almost continuously since 1955, and to this day, it still erupts on a small scale daily. However, there are still around 680,000 people living within a few miles of the volcano.

Green Isle

The Osumi Islands, including Yakushima, were recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1993 due to their unique ancient tropical forests and giant cedar trees. Today, the islands attract around 300,000 tourists annually.

Island of Flowers

Rishiri Island is a small island near the northern tip of Hokkaido, surrounded by the 1,721m tall Rishiri Mountain with breathtaking hiking trails. To the west of Rishiri lies Rebun Island, famous for its rich flora, hosting numerous unique species of high-altitude flowers found nowhere else in the world.

Eastern Galapagos (Galapagos was the first place name UNESCO listed as a World Heritage Site)

The Bonin Islands, also known as the Ogasawara Islands, are often dubbed the Galapagos of Asia due to their unique ecosystem. This area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. According to UNESCO, 'Bonin boasts numerous scenic landscapes and is home to various animal species, including the world's largest bat species (Bonin Flying Fox) and 195 bird species currently at risk of extinction.'

According to Traveltimes.vn

***

Reference: Travel guide from Mytour