Toshima, Kagoshima

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**Toshima**
**十島村**
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Kagoshima
District	Kagoshima
Physical characteristics
Area	101.35 km² (39.13 sq mi)
Population (as of January 2008)
Total	648
Density	6.39 /km² (17 /sq mi)
Location	29°36′53″N, 129°37′18″E
Symbols
Tree	Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinensis)
Flower	Marubasatsuki (Rhododendron eriocarpum (Hayata) Nakai)
Bird	Ryukyu Robin
Flag
Toshima Government Office
Mayor	Tadaaki Shikine
Address	〒892-0822 14-15 Izumichō, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima-ken
Phone number	099-222-2101
Official website: Toshima Village

Village office.

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

This article is about the village in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. For the special ward of Tokyo, see Toshima, Tokyo (ward). For the village of Tokyo, see Toshima, Tokyo (village).

Toshima (十島村, Toshima-mura^?) is a village located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan. The village encompasses the whole Tokara Islands. The village office is located in Kagoshima City outside the village.

As of 2008, the village has an estimated population of 648 and a density of 6.39 persons per km². The total area is 101.35 km². Toshima means ten islands: Iōjima (硫黄島, Iōjima^?), Kuroshima (黒島, Kuroshima^?), Takeshima (竹島, Takeshima^?), Kuchinoshima (口之島, Kuchinoshima^?), Nakanoshima (中之島, Nakanoshima^?), Tairajima (平島, Tairajima^?), Suwanosejima (諏訪之瀬島, Suwanosejima^?), Akusekijima (悪石島, Akusekijima^?), Kotakarajima (小宝島, Kotakarajima^?) and Takarajima (宝島, Takarajima^?). The former three were separated as Mishima Village.

[edit] History

The village is a part of the former Jittō Village (十島村, Jittō-son^?, the same kanji as the current name, but with a different pronunciation).

After the Meiji Restoration, these islands were allotted to Kawanabe District of Satsuma Province, then transferred to Ōshima District of Ōsumi Province in 1897. Jittō Village was established as a municipality in 1908.

In 1946, the southern seven of the ten islands were put under the administration of the United States and isolated from Japan, so that the remaining three islands formed Mishima, Kagoshima Village. In 1952, when the seven islands were returned to Japan, Jittō Village was officially divided into Toshima Village and Mishima Village. In 1973, the two villages were transferred to Kagoshima District.