Iōjima, Kagoshima

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Not to be confused with Iwo Jima, an island with World War II historical significance.
For other uses, see Iōjima.

Iōjima (硫黄島?) is an island in the Ōsumi island chain located in the northern part of the Satsunan Islands. Along with Takeshima and Kuroshima, it makes up the three-island village of Mishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as Satsuma Iōjima.

Iōjima is 5.5 km in length from east to west and 4.0 km from north to south. It has a perimeter of 14.5 km and a surface area of 11.65 km². It has a population of 142 residents. There is Shōwa Iōjima, a small uninhabited island, just offshore to the north.

Historically it is identified as Kikai Island, an island of exile. According to Heike Monogatari, Shunkan was exiled there.

It is a volcanic island that makes up the northern edge of the Kikai Caldera, and is ranked class A for volcanic activity. The main peak is known as Iōjimagake and is 703.7 m in height. It is constantly erupting, emitting massive amounts of sulfur dioxide which causes damage to agricultural products. Hot springs high in iron concentration from the port bottom gush and due to contact with oxygen, the port waters change to a reddish-brown color. Due to the sulfur, the sea area around the island is yellow in color. This gave rise to the name "Sulfur Island" (Iōjima).

There are five guest houses and two stores, but the majority of resources come from a bi-weekly ferry. In addition to livestock, there are many wild peacocks.

This island is different from Iwo Jima (硫黄島 Iōjima?), which is administered by Tōkyō. Until 2007, the two islands shared the exact same name in Japanese, with the only difference being conventional English names. In 2007, Japanese pronunciation of Iwo Jima officially changed to Iōtō, the kanji remains unchanged. This island's name remains unchanged either.

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Coordinates: 30°47′27″N, 130°17′46″E