Spotlight on Japanese Islands
Japan is made up of 6,852 islands of varying sizes. Five of these are the so-called mainislands of Hokkaidô, Honshû, Shikoku, Kyûshû, and the main island of Okinawa in the
Okinawa Islands. Of the country's 6,847 outlying or "remote" islands, 422 are home tohuman populations, while the remaining 6,425 are uninhabited.

Total islands in Japan

6,852

Main islands

5

Remote islands

6,847
Uninhabited islands

Inhabited islands

6,425

422

Notes: The total number ofislands includes those 0.1 km and larger
in circumference(based on data from the Japan Coast Guard).
The number of inhabited islands isbased on the 2005 Population Census.

313

109

(Within the scope of relevant laws)(Outside the scope of relevant laws)

261

52

(Target islands under
the Remote Islands
Development Act)

255

The Make-Up of Japan's Islands(Target islands under other laws)

6(General-category islands) (Islands off Hokkaidô)40(Okinawa andnearby islands)

8

4(Amami Islands) (Ogasawara Islands)

T he Importance of Japan's Remote Islands
Even for individuals living on Japan's main islands, the role played by outlying islands is a critical one. In
guaranteeing the country an exclusive economic zone in waters within a 200-nautical mile radius from themand by virtue of their underwater continental shelves, smaller islands surrounded by open sea fill the vital roleof demarcating Japan's sovereign territory. Other significant uses for the islands include conserving and using
marine resources, ensuring the safety of travel by sea, safeguarding maritime law and order, procuring foodsupplies, and surveying climatic and oceanic phenomena. Remote islands are heir to a wealth of precious
cultural, traditional, and historical legacies and are replete with natural surroundings. Moreover, on outlying
islands time passes languidly in a way that city dwellers seem to have forgotten.

R evitalizing Japan's Remote Islands
Based on the Remote Islands Development Act and other laws specifically targeting outlying islands, Japan is
actively working to improve such key areas of local infrastructure as roads, ports, sewage and drainage
systems, and high-speed communications in order to improve quality of life for residents. A unique support
system has been established to ensure more convenient modes of transportation, promote local industries,
guarantee medical care, provide better care for the elderly, advance education and culture, and promote tourism
and exchange. Various efforts are being undertaken to promote the islands' interests, including revitalization,
public relations surveys, and the holding of events. These measures require the continued support andunderstanding of the public.

2

Islands:
Cornerstones of a Maritime Nation
Japan is one of the world's foremost island countries. Islands secure roughly 50 percent ofJapan's exclusive economic zone, and also serve as contact points between Japan and othercountries, such as the Republic of Korea, China, and Russia. Small, outlying islands also
provide a base from which to monitor poaching and conduct maritime rescue operations, andserve as ports of call for ships in distress.
These geographic characteristics allow islands to perform the following main functions.

Defining the extent of national borders, sovereign land territory andwaters, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves(securing land territory and territorial waters)
Comparison of
exclusive economic zones
Country
Size
United States

7.62 million km2

Australia

7.01 million km2

Russia■：The area of Japan's continental shelf

2Indonesia

5.41 million km

2

New Zealand

4.83 million km

Canada4.70 million km2

Etorofutô
Kunashiritô

2

Japan

4.47 million km

Sea of Japan

Territorial
watersprolongation that the Japanese
government has submitted to theUnited Nations' Commission on the
Limits of the Continental Shelf(740,000 km2, equivalent to twice thesize of Japan's sovereign land territory)

Democratic People's
Republic of Korea

Takeshima

China

Pacific Ocean

Japan

Republic of Korea

Tsushima

Hachijôjima

Exclusive economic zone

East China Sea

Ogasawara
Islands

Senkaku Islands

Yonagunijima

Minami
Torishima

Iôtô(Iwo Jima)
Oki Daitôjima

TaiwanOkinotorishima
Northern Mariana Islands
Philippines

Note: The "exclusive economic zone" refers to territorial waters within 200 nautical miles (roughly 370 km) of the baseline ofJapan's territorial waters. Japan is recognized to have exclusive rights to explore and develop marine, mineral, andother resources within this zone. Japan also has jurisdiction over matters relating to scientific surveys andenvironmental conservation in these waters.

3

Monitoring poaching, illegal entry, and smuggling(upholding maritime law and order)
Oronoshima Illegal Entry Monitoring Station
Japan Maritime Rescue Oronoshima Station
Known cases of groups of individuals illegally entering Japan
Reported fromremote islands:
235 individuals(19.2%)

Reported elsewherein Japan:
987 individuals(80.8%)

Residents of islands at the borders of Japan's
sovereign territory help protect Japanese
resources from poaching by foreign ships(waters off Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture)

Source: "Immigration Control 1998,"
Immigration Bureau, Ministry of Justice,
October 1998.

A station from which island residents maintain watch
against illegal entry (Oronoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture)

Conducting rescue operations, serving as emergency ports of call, etc.
(ensuring maritime safety)
Maritime rescue operations
conducted from remote islands
Number of rescued ships(general-purpose vessels)

1 (25.0%)

3 (75.0%)

12
Number of rescued ships(fishing vessels) (13.8%)75(86.2%)

7
Number of rescued ships(pleasure craft) (11.3)%

55 (88.7%)

Combined tonnage ofrescued ships
Estimated value of rescued ships ¥116.78(millions of yen) (12.4%)

570 (54.1%)

484 (45.9%)¥821.46 (87.6%)

Remote islands

Remote islands serve as stations for watching overships at sea (Ôshima, Wakayama Prefecture)

Main islands

Notes: Figures for islands are limited to those islands specified in the Remote Islands
Development Act, the Act on Special Measures for the Promotion and Developmentof the Ogasawara Islands, the Act on Special Measures for the Promotion andDevelopment of the Amami Islands, and the Act on Special Measures for the
Promotion and Development of Okinawa. They represent the share of vessels(number of vessels, tonnage, monetary value) aided by rescue stations, fishingboats, etc. Figures are from January 1 to December 31, 2006.
Source: Marine Rescue Japan data.

Bases for procuring fish and other food supplies(procuring and complementing food supplies)
Value of marine products shipments
Remote islands:¥165.7 billion(10.4%)

Main islands:¥1.435 trillion(89.6%)The ocean underpins the Japanese way of life, and remote islands arelocated on its frontier (Okushiritô, Hokkaidô)Note: Figures for remote islands represent only those islands specified
in the four laws relating to remote islands development.
Sources: "Annual Statistics on Remote Islands 2007," National
Institute for Japanese Islands; "Statistics on Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fisheries," Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry,
and Fisheries, 2005.

4

Islands: Lands of Life
Against a backdrop of severe environmental conditions, remote islands have retained theirbountiful nature owing to an appropriate level of ongoing care from humans. And since they
are bounded on all sides by the sea, the islands have come to nurture a wide range of uniqueplant and animal life; therefore, in a larger sense they also work to protect the global
environment and ecology. Outlying islands also serve as an important setting for recreationaland health-related activities.
These environmental characteristics allow islands to perform the following main functions.

Protecting the habitats of various plants and animals(preserving species and ecosystems)
Total proportion of land occupied by nature parks

Remoteislands

33.1%

Main
islands

13.8%

Note: Figures for remote islands represent only those islands
specified in the four laws relating to remote islands
development.
Sources: "Annual Statistics on Remote Islands 2007," National
Institute for Japanese Islands; "Data on the Protection of
the Natural Environment," Ministry of the Environment,
March 2006.

Islands are home to a wide range of animal species(Rishiri, Hokkaidô)Comparison of the number of Japan's designated natural treasures

Total number ofnatural treasures

160 (16.4%)

Natural monument
preserves

Varieties ofwildlife

818 (83.6%)

8 (34.8%)

15 (65.2%)

70 (36.6%)

121 (63.4%)

Varieties ofplant life

56 (10.4%)483 (89.6%)

Topographies andminerals

26 (11.6%)

199 (88.4%)

Remote islands

Main islands

Sources: Nihon no shima gaido: Shimadas (Shimadas: Guide to Japan's Islands), National Institute for JapaneseIslands, 2004; materials from other sources including the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

5Algae beds, tidal flats, forests, and farmland keep air and water clean(environmental purification and preservation)
Combined area of tidal flats and algae beds
2,036
(3.9%)

50,400(96.1%)

Tidal flats(ha)

Algae beds
(ha)162,395(80.7%)

38,817(19.3%)

Remote islands

Harmonious lifestyles have helped preserve islands' abundantnatural surroundings (Nakanoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture)

Main islands

Source: "The Report of the Marine Biotic Environment Survey in the 4th National Survey
on the Natural Environment," Vol. 1 (Tidal Flats) and Vol. 2 (Algal and Sea-Grass
Beds), Nature Conservation Bureau, Environment Agency and Marine Parks
Center of Japan, July 1997.

Remote islands are resources for marine recreation and sightseeing,
restoration of health, and environmental education (provision of amenities)
Percentage of natural coastline
RemoteislandsMain
islands

Natural coastline

Enjoying and learning from nature (Iriomotejima, Okinawa Prefecture)

Artificial coastline

Other coastline

Notes: Here the main island of Okinawa is included in the remote islands category.
Natural coastlines are those defined as having no man-made structures. Seminatural coastlines are partly occupied by man-made structures but retain thenatural state of their tidal zone, or have man-made structures in their waters
but not on shore.
Source: "The Report of the Shoreline Survey in the 5th National Survey on the Natural
Environment," Environment Agency, March 1998. (Excludes data for Hyogo
Prefecture.)

Number of Tourists and Overnight Visitors Per Capita
Number of people

Remote islands
Main islands

Number of overnight visitors

Number of tourists

Note: Figures for remote islands represent only those islands specified in the four laws relating to remote islands development.
Sources: "Annual Statistics on Remote Islands 2007," National Institute for Japanese Islands; "White Paper on Tourism in Japan,
2006," Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.

6Islands: Repositories of Culture
Japan's outlying islands have a historical background as seafaring outposts and bases forexchange with foreign countries, coupled with an independence bred by seclusion, among
various other attributes. For centuries these islands have sustained a deeply distinct lifestyle,and they are a source of depth and diversity for Japanese culture.
Their cultural characteristics allow remote islands to perform the following main functions.

Employing local culture in handson learning, serving as sites formutual exchange (venues foreducation, exchange)

Societies living in harmony withthe ocean and other aspects of
the natural world foster various
ways of life (sustaining local
communities)

Using nature's bounty is a partof islanders' wisdom (wappani,a traditional style of cooking in
Awashima, Niigata Prefecture)
Much can be learned from islanders' ways of life
(lobster fishing in waters off Fukuejima, Nagasaki Prefecture)

Protecting unique scenery and aspects of traditional culture such as
festivals, cultural assets, and craftsmanship (preserving traditional culture)
Number of nationally designated cultural assets and treasures(items per 100,000 people)

Items/100,000
people9

Remote islands
Main islands

Nationally designated cultural assets
Remote islands provide a wealth of culturallegacies (a boze festival god from Akusekijima,
Kagoshima Prefecture)

7

National treasures

Sources: Nihon no shima gaido: Shimadas and "Annual Statistics on Remote Islands 2007,"
National Institute for Japanese Islands; materials from other sources including the
Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Functions of Remote Islands in Line
with Japan s National Interests
Functions unique to remote islands

Functions shared with other regions

Global environment, world level【Plentiful and diverse natural environments】
Natural coasts【Purification and preservation of the natural environment, complementation of the natural material cycle】

Nature parks

Habitat for plants and animals, preservation of wildlife diversity

Habitat for rare and unique species

Environment-cleansing function of algae beds and tidal flats

Preservation and rearing of unmixed species

Collection and disposal of driftage, etc. by island residents

Environmental cleansing of forestland

Stopping points, winter homes, and breeding grounds for migratory birds
Breeding waters and habitat for whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals【Maintenance of law and order】

National level

Environmental cleansing of farmland

Purification of ocean
environments（absorption
and cycling of CO2, etc.）【Bases for surveying】

Contributions to the security of the Asia-Pacific region
Bases for observing national borders, defending【Demarcation of Japan s vital sovereign territory】 sovereign territory, and maintaining law and order
Effective territorial control via Securing territorial waters andresidential settlements
exclusive economic zones

Maintenance andsupervision of coastlines

Securing
continental shelves

Ensuring the safety ofsea lanes

Securing sovereign
airspace

Contributions by island residents to themaintenance of law and order（reporting incidents
of illegal entry, smuggling, and poaching）

Early discovery of illegal immigration

Bases for environmental surveys of territorial waters, surveys ofoceanic and meteorological phenomena, astronomical observations

Bases for the activities of theJapan Self-Defense Forces
and Japan Coast Guard（facilities and activities）【Procurement of natural energy sources】【Legend】

Solar, wave, tidal, wind, sea wind, biomass, and geothermal energy; oceanic

Degree ofhuman
involvement

thermal energy conversion【Bases for the procurement and developmentof undersea and seabed resources】【Ensuring food supplies】

Fisheries

Venues for education

Coal, petroleum, natural gas

Leisure and recreation
spacesHands-on farming,fishing, oceanic
learning

Methane hydrate
Sea-floor hydrothermal deposits

Places for recuperation

Study opportunities andschools for off-island students

Manganese nodules
Cobalt-rich crust

Low【Bases for production】【Educational, instructional sites】 【Areas for health and amenities】

Procurement and stewardship ofaquatic resources

Deep-sea waterHigh【Bases for exchange】

Rare earth elements

Sites for international
exchange【Ensuring the safety of sea travel】

Venues for instruction
Sites for interregional exchange,
new homes for those moving
away from cities, etc.

Opportunities for farming
and fishing trainees【Bases for production activities】【Bases for research, development, and experimentation】

Services for visiting ships
Emergency marine rescue by island residents
Shelter and ports of call for seafaring vessels

Sites for advanced projects

Production in various
industries

Sites for various technologicaldevelopments, improvements

Agriculture
Manufacturing
Tourism, etc.

Biomass（waste, crop, marine）

Emergency use of airports
Navigational landmarks along sea, air routes, etc.

Fostering and training
members of the workforce

Securement of coastal waters for sea travel

Bases for stockpiling
national energy supplies【Rich and diverse local communities and cultures】
Cultural diversity

Regional level

Richness of local communities
Preservation of independence, self-sufficiency, and autonomy Continuation of proactive community activities

Preservation of diverse traditional and spiritual culture

Administration of small communities

Venues for artistic creation

Seawalls

Community systems in harmony with nature

Creation of unique landscapes

Retention and preservation of cultural assets

Creation of routes for bridge-building, power transmission, communications, etc.

Note: Created based on the Study on Remote Islands Diverse Functions, Including the Preservation of Sovereign
Territory and the Environment for Fiscal 2000, National Institute for Japanese Islands, March 2001.（Commissioned by
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.）8

Key Data
Combined area ofJapan's remote islands

Remote islands' coastline length

Japan's outlying islands account for no morethan 2% of the total size of Japan's sovereign
territory. Altogether they correspond to anarea larger than either Shizuoka (7,329 km2)
or Kôchi Prefecture (7,105 km2).

Japan's outlying islands account for more thana fifth of the country's total coastline. This is
greater than the coastline of either Italy(7,600 km) or Brazil (7,491 km).

Remote islands
27,594 km (2.0%)

Remote islands
7,982 km (22.5%)

Main islands
27,522 km (77.5%)

Main islands
2
370,321 km (98.0%)

Remote islands' populations
If the combined population of Japan's remoteislands were set at 100 in 1955, that number
would have shrunk to 52 by 2005. Their
population was roughly equivalent to the
populationof
ShimanePrefecture(approximately 742,000) in 2005.

Number of remote islands bysize of population
Grouping remote islands according topopulation shows that over half are inhabitedby fewer than 500 individuals.

Number of islands
Total population(millions of people)

Island population(thousands of people)

Fewer than 100 people
100-499 people
500-999
1,000-2,999
3,000-4,999
5,000-9,999

Population of Japan
Combined population of remote islands

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

10,000-49,999
50,000 or more

Note: Figures for remote islands represent only those islands specified in the four laws relating to remote islands development.
Sources: "Annual Statistics on Remote Islands 2007," National Institute for Japanese Islands; Population Census, Ministry ofInternal Affairs and Communications; "Fiscal 2005 Coastal Statistics," Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, andTourism; Dêtabukku: Nihon no kaiyô riyô (Databook: Japan's Use of Oceanic Resources), National Land PlanningResearch Committee.

9Japan,One of the World's Foremost Island Nations

Russian Federation

Kamchatka Peninsula
Sea of Okhotsk
Sakhalin
Bering Sea

Mongolia

RebuntôRishiritô

Kuril Islands
EtorofutôTeuritô

Democratic People s
Republic of Korea
People s Republicof China

Etorofutô

Kunashiritô
Shikotantô

Sea of Japan
Takeshimaolag Japan
Republic of Korea
ipe
h
c
r
Yellow
A
ese
Sea
an
Jap
Izu Islands

Pacific Ocean
Okushiritô

East China Sea
Ogasawara Islands

Nansei Islands
Yonagunijima

Minami TorishimaÔshimaIôtô（Iwo Jima）

TaiwanOkinotorishima

Viet Nam

Northern Mariana Islands Wake Island（USA）
Mariana Islands

Philippines
Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Guam（USA）
TobishimaÔshimaSea of Japan

Pacific Ocean

Awashima
Kinkazan

Sado
Hegurajima
Takeshima
Noto jima
Dôgo

Oki Islands

Tôkyô

Dôzen
ÔshimaToshimaNiijimaKôzushima Miyakejima

MishimaTushimaÔshimaKamishima

Awajishima
Shôdoshima

Yashirojima

Iki

Mikurajima

Izu Islands

Himeshima

Gotô Islands

Izu IslandsÔshimaÔsaki Kamijima

Hiradoshima

Kagoshima

Miyakejima
Mikurajima

Japan Trench
Hachijôjima

TanegashimaÔshimaAogashima

Nakadôrishima
Hachijôjima

Fukuejima

Yakushima

Okinoshima
Nakanoshima
Suwanosejima

Aogashima

Amakusa Islands
Danjo Islands
Koshikijima Islands
IôjimaAmami Ôshima

East China Sea

Torishima
KikaijimaTanegashima
Tokunoshima

Yakushima

Okinoerabujima
Yoronjima

East China Sea
Kumejima

Okinawa

Senkaku Islands
Amami Ôshima

Nansei Islands

Kerama Islands
Kita Daitôjima
Minami Daitôjima

TaiwanTokunoshima
Yonagunijima

Ishigakijima
Haterumajima

Nishinoshima

Miyakojima

Iriomotejima

Yaeyama Islands

Mukojima

Ogasawara IslandsRyûkyû Trench

Chichijima
Hahajima

Oki Daitôjima

Note: Japan's remote islands are shaded in red.
10

National Institute forJapanese Islands
Zenkoku Chôson Kaikan
Nishikan 5F
1-11-32 Nagata-chô, Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo 100-0014
TEL: 03-3591-1151
URL: http://www.nijinet.or.jp

October 2009