The Nanpō Islands (南方諸島 nanpō shotō) is a collective term for the groups of islands that are located to the south of the Japanese archipelago. They extend from the Izu Peninsula west of Tokyo Bay southward for about 750 miles (1200 km), to within 300 miles (500 km) of the Mariana Islands. The Nanpō Islands are all administered by Tokyo Metropolis.
The Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of the Japan Coast Guard defines the Nanpō Shotō as follows:[1]
The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, another government organ that is responsible for standardization of place names, does not use the term Nanpō Shotō although it has agreed with the Japan Coast Guard over the names and extents of the subgroups of the Nanpō Shotō.[1]