Miyakejima
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| Miyakejima | |
|---|---|
 View from Kozushima |
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| Elevation | 815 metres (2,674 feet) |
| Location | Izu Islands, Japan |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | 2005 |
Miyakejima (三宅島) is an island in the Izu group, southeast of Honshū, Japan, administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, with an area of 55.50km². The island, 180km south of Tokyo, is located at 34.5N and 139.34E. As of January 1st, 2006, the population of the island is 2884. Like other islands in the Izu Island group, Miyakejima forms part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
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[edit] Mt. Oyama
The island is a basalt stratovolcanic in origin, and the main volcano, Mount Oyama, has erupted several times in recent history. A lava flow in 1940 killed 11 people, and other eruptions occurred in 1962 and 1983. [1] On July 14, 2000, Mount Oyama began another series of eruptions, and by September, the island was completely evacuated. After a four-year period of volcanic emissions, residents were allowed to return permanently on February 1, 2005. After the eruption, there has been a constant flow of sulfuric gas coming from Mount Oyama (see link).
[edit] Culture and tourism
Miyakejima is famous for its traditional taiko performances, known as kamitsuki kiyari taiko, as well as being home to the rare endemic Izu Thrush (akakokko). [2] The island is home to an unusually rich flora and fauna with several rare species of birds and animals, although its natural habitats are constantly under threat from human and volcanic activity. Underwater, the island is valued by divers for its coral reefs and marine fauna (including the dolphin population outside nearby Mikurajima).
The island was used as a penal colony during the Edo Period.
[edit] Access
The island is accessible by over-night ferry, the Sarubia Maru or the Camellia, which is operated by Tokai Kisen. The ferry departs from Takeshiba Sanbashi Pier, near Hammatsucho, Tokyo at 22:30 and arrives at Miyakejima at 5:00. There are also two helicopter flights operated by Tokyo Island Shuttle which originate in Aogashima and Izu Oshima and fly to Toshima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima and Aogashima. In the past, there were flights from Haneda Airport with an approximate flying time of 50 minutes. However, the area is a high sulfuric gas volume area and flights have been suspended since before the July 14, 2000 eruption.
[edit] Jack Moyer
In years past, foreign visitors were often greeted by locals with the query: "Jack friend?" During the Korean War, the U.S. airforce was using Onoharajima, a small rocky outcrop near Miyakejima, as a practice bombing range. U.S. serviceman Jack Moyer wrote a letter to an associate of President Truman to stop the bombing in order to save a rare seabird, the Japanese Murrelet, that breeds on Onoharajima (also known as Sanbondake). The bombing was stopped. Jack Moyer moved to the island and became a part of the island community for over 50 years. Moyer eventually attained his doctorate in marine ecology from the University of Tokyo. In 1996, he was awarded the Asahi Shimbun prize for his work on ocean ecology and the education of young children.
Jack Moyer was an ornithologist, marine biologist and naturalist who focused on the Izu islands and promoted the need for preservation of the islands' unique ecology. Having spent many years on Miyakejima he was aware of the changes that came with modernization. Construction of public roads and harbours claimed increasing amounts of previously untouched mountain forest areas of the islands, and increasing car traffic and sea pollution were important concerns of his as well.
Along with the other residents of the island, Moyer was forced to flee the island following the eruptions of Mount Oyama in 2000. Later, he was asked by the Tokyo Metropolitan government to survey the island. He concluded that the island's ecology was recovering. Dr. Moyer died in 2004.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- 2005 Asahi News article about Miyakejima and Jack Moyer
- 1987 New York Times travel article about Miyake and J. Moyer
- J.Moyer's history
- Sulfuric gas levels on the island
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| Districts and Subprefectures: Nishitama District | Hachijō Subprefecture | Miyake Subprefecture | Ogasawara Subprefecture | Ōshima Subprefecture | ||
