Toshima, Kagoshima

Toshima 十島村
Village
十島村 • Toshima-mura
Toshima Village Hall
Seal
Location of Toshima in Kagoshima Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu (Takara Islands)
Prefecture	Kagoshima Prefecture
District	Kagoshima
Government
• - Mayor	Tadaaki Shikine
Area
• Total	101.35 km2 (39.13 sq mi)
Population  (June 1, 2013)
• Total	688
• Density	6.79/km2 (17.6/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
• Tree	Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis)
• Flower	Marubasatsuki (Rhododendron eriocarpum (Hayata) Nakai)
• Bird	Ryukyu robin
Phone number	099-222-2101
Address	14-15 Izumichō, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima-ken 892-0822
Website	www.tokara.jp

Gajaja Island and Ko-Gajaja Island, two islands located in the village.

Toshima (十島村, Toshima-mura) is a village consisting of the islands of the Tokara Islands located in the Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The village office is located in the city of Kagoshima, outside the village.

As of 2013, the village has an estimated population of 688 and a density of 6.79 persons per km². The total area is 101.35 km².

Iōjima, Kuroshima and Takeshima and the uninhabited islands of Shōwa Iōjima and Denshima

Geography

The islands of Tokara Village are the exposed peaks of stratovolcanos rising from the ocean floor, and most are volcanically active.

Surrounding municipalities

• Mishima
• Amami

History

Some of the islands have been inhabited since at least the Jomon period. During historic times, mentioned is made of the islands in the Shoku Nihongi and the Heike Monogatari, and local legend states that at least some of the islands were a refuge for the defeated Heike clan following the Gempei War. During the Edo period, the islands came under the control of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Domain.

After the Meiji Restoration, these islands were allotted to Kawanabe District of Satsuma Province, and then transferred to Ōshima District of Ōsumi Province in 1897. In 1908, the islands were grouped together with the Tokara Islands into Jitto Village (十島村, Jittō-son), of which seven were inhabited. At that time, the ten islands included Iōjima (硫黄島), Kuroshima (黒島), Takeshima (竹島), Kuchinoshima (口之島), Nakanoshima (中之島), Tairajima (平島), Suwanosejima (諏訪之瀬島), Akusekijima (悪石島), Kodakarajima (小宝島) and Takarajima (宝島).

After World War II, from 2 February 1946 all of the Japanese islands south of 30th latitude, including the Tokara Islands, were placed under United States military administration as part of the Provisional Government of Northern Ryukyu Islands. However, the three northern inhabited islands in the archipelago, known as the Kamimishima (上三島): Iōjima, Kuroshima and Takeshima, remained under the control of Japan, and were placed under the administration of the village of Mishima. The remaining Tokara Islands reverted to Japan on 10 February 1952 and are now administered as the village of Toshima. In 1973, the two villages were transferred to Kagoshima District.

External links

Media related to Toshima, Kagoshima at Wikimedia Commons

• Toshima official website Template:Ja icon