Azuma Kagami
The islands have been inhabited since at least the Jōmon period. During historic times, mentioned is made of the islands in the "Heike monogatari" and the "Azuma Kagami," and local legend states that the islands were a refuge for the defeated Heike clan following the Genpei War. During the Edo period, the islands came under the control of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Domain.