# Okinoshima, Shimane

Okinoshima (隠岐の島町, Okinoshima-chō) is a town located on Dōgo, in Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. As of June 2013, the town had an estimated population of 14,849 and a population density of 61.1 persons per km$^2$. The total area was 242.95 km$^2$.

## Etymology

Okinoshima Town takes its name from Okinoshima, the traditional name for all four inhabited Oki Islands. There is no single island named Okinoshima.

## History

Okinoshima Town was formed from the merger of the town of Saigō, and the villages of Fuse, Goka and Tsuma on October 1, 2004, all from Oki District.

## Geography

Okinoshima occupies all of the island of Dōgo, in the Oki Islands archipelago in the Sea of Japan, along with numerous offshore uninhabited islands and rocks. For administrative purposes, the Japanese government officially considers the disputed islet of Takeshima (Liancourt Rocks) to be a part of the town of Okinoshima.

### Climate

Okinoshima has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year. The average annual temperature in Okinoshima is 14.5 °C (58.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,816.4 mm (71.51 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.1 °C (79.0 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.5 °C (40.1 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Okinoshima was 35.8 °C (96.4 °F) on 14 August 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −8.9 °C (16.0 °F) on 26 February 1981.
Climate data for Okinoshima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1939−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) | 20.1 (68.2) | 22.5 (72.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.6 (88.9) | 35.3 (95.5) | 35.8 (96.4) | 33.9 (93.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 24.2 (75.6) | 20.1 (68.2) | 35.8 (96.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) | 8.6 (47.5) | 11.7 (53.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 21.1 (70.0) | 24.3 (75.7) | 27.9 (82.2) | 29.9 (85.8) | 26.1 (79.0) | 21.3 (70.3) | 16.1 (61.0) | 10.8 (51.4) | 18.6 (65.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) | 4.6 (40.3) | 7.3 (45.1) | 12.0 (53.6) | 16.7 (62.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 24.6 (76.3) | 26.1 (79.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 16.9 (62.4) | 11.9 (53.4) | 7.1 (44.8) | 14.5 (58.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.2 (34.2) | 0.8 (33.4) | 2.7 (36.9) | 7.1 (44.8) | 12.1 (53.8) | 16.9 (62.4) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.0 (73.4) | 18.7 (65.7) | 12.7 (54.9) | 7.8 (46.0) | 3.4 (38.1) | 10.7 (51.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.7 (19.9) | −8.9 (16.0) | −6.7 (19.9) | −3.2 (26.2) | 1.4 (34.5) | 6.8 (44.2) | 11.5 (52.7) | 13.5 (56.3) | 7.3 (45.1) | 2.8 (37.0) | −1.8 (28.8) | −4.5 (23.9) | −8.9 (16.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 158.3 (6.23) | 111.9 (4.41) | 125.0 (4.92) | 123.5 (4.86) | 134.1 (5.28) | 165.7 (6.52) | 203.9 (8.03) | 154.8 (6.09) | 234.9 (9.25) | 121.6 (4.79) | 123.0 (4.84) | 159.8 (6.29) | 1,816.4 (71.51) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 39 (15) | 30 (12) | 6 (2.4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 17 (6.7) | 93 (37) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 19.3 | 14.4 | 12.4 | 9.2 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 12.7 | 18.4 | 141 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) | 8.8 | 6.9 | 1.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.4 | 21.7 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 74 | 81 | 83 | 81 | 79 | 76 | 74 | 73 | 76 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 69.2 | 87.7 | 142.1 | 190.0 | 214.0 | 164.6 | 160.5 | 205.6 | 149.0 | 152.7 | 106.0 | 76.7 | 1,718.1 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Oki Airport, Okinoshima (2003−2020 normals, extremes 2003−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.5 (59.9) | 18.9 (66.0) | 21.1 (70.0) | 26.0 (78.8) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.7 (87.3) | 33.7 (92.7) | 35.3 (95.5) | 32.5 (90.5) | 28.6 (83.5) | 24.1 (75.4) | 19.4 (66.9) | 35.3 (95.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) | 8.1 (46.6) | 11.2 (52.2) | 15.7 (60.3) | 20.3 (68.5) | 23.6 (74.5) | 27.0 (80.6) | 29.4 (84.9) | 25.5 (77.9) | 20.8 (69.4) | 15.8 (60.4) | 10.2 (50.4) | 17.9 (64.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.6 (40.3) | 5.0 (41.0) | 7.6 (45.7) | 12.0 (53.6) | 16.5 (61.7) | 20.2 (68.4) | 24.0 (75.2) | 26.0 (78.8) | 22.5 (72.5) | 17.5 (63.5) | 12.7 (54.9) | 7.3 (45.1) | 14.7 (58.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) | 1.7 (35.1) | 3.8 (38.8) | 8.0 (46.4) | 12.9 (55.2) | 17.5 (63.5) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.4 (74.1) | 19.8 (67.6) | 14.3 (57.7) | 9.4 (48.9) | 4.3 (39.7) | 11.6 (52.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −7.0 (19.4) | −5.6 (21.9) | −3.0 (26.6) | −0.4 (31.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 9.9 (49.8) | 16.1 (61.0) | 17.3 (63.1) | 11.9 (53.4) | 5.8 (42.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | −3.6 (25.5) | −7.0 (19.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 103.5 (4.07) | 76.5 (3.01) | 97.5 (3.84) | 117.1 (4.61) | 120.8 (4.76) | 130.5 (5.14) | 197.4 (7.77) | 157.0 (6.18) | 204.9 (8.07) | 116.4 (4.58) | 94.3 (3.71) | 123.2 (4.85) | 1,539.1 (60.59) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 16.9 | 12.7 | 11.8 | 9.1 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 10.1 | 8.1 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 11.5 | 18.4 | 132 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||

### Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Okinoshima in 2020 is 13,433 people. Okinoshima has been conducting censuses since 1920.

## Economy

The town economy is primarily based on agriculture and commercial fishing.

## Transportation
### Airport

* Oki Airport (OKI), a Class III facility with a 1991 m runway, is located within the town. It provides air service to Osaka International Airport ("Itami") and Izumo Airport.

### Highway

* National Route 485

### Sea Port

* Saigō Port is the major seaport and ferry terminal in the Oki Islands

## Sister cities

* Krotoszyn, Poland, since 2016

## Local attractions

* Araki Shrine
* A set of two station bells designated as Important Cultural Property of Japan is located at the (Oki family treasure hall (億岐家宝物館, Oki-ke Hōmotsukan) in Okinoshima.

## Notable people from Okinoshima

* Okinoumi Ayumi – sumo wrestler, the first wrestler from Shimane Prefecture to reach the top makuuchi division in 88 years
* Kai Hirano – professional soccer player