Yoronjima (与論島) is one of the Amami Islands of Japan. Yoron lies 22 km north of Hedo Point, the northernmost point on Okinawa Island. Situated along the line between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, it is the southernmost island in Kagoshima Prefecture. It is also informally known as Yorontō.
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The island has an area of 20.8 km² and a circumference of 23.5 km. The population is about 6,000. The highest point on Yoron stands 98 m above sea level.
Yoronjima is administered by the town of Yoron in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Yoron Airport (IATA: RNJ; ICAO: RORY) serves travellers to and from the island. Japan Air Commuter flies to Kagoshima and Okinoerabu Airports, and Ryukyu Air Commuter provides service to Naha Airport.
Ships on the Marix and A Line Lines operate between Yoron Port and Kagoshima, Amami Ōshima, and other local destinations, as well as Kobe and Osaka.
Yoronjima was initially part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom (now known synonymously as Okinawa) and the Yoron people continue to speak their own language, Yunnu Futuba (Yoron Language), a dialect of the Ryukyuan languages. Its basic grammar is similar to Japanese language, however, Yunnu Futuba has a wider range of sounds and an even stricter system of hierarchy for speech, with respectful suffixes and prefixes for elders and men being an integral part of the grammar and syntax of the language. Young adults can still speak Yunnu Futuba but children no longer learn the language or do not learn fluency, as standard Japanese is spoken at school and at work.
Yoronjima's modernization began primarily after the second World War, when many Okinawans swam the 20 km across open ocean to escape the Battle of Okinawa. The island first had electricity in the late 1960s, in time for the tourism boom as many Japanese, unable to go to Okinawa, vacationed in Yoronjima instead. The island still maintains close ties to Okinawan culture, despite being part of Kagoshima prefecture, with Eisa, a kind of Okinawa drumming and dancing style, still being popular for festivals such as the Sango Matsuri (Coral Festival), which is held every August on the island. Okinawa patterns and style of dress are also more common than that of mainland Japan.
Another difference from the mainland are cultural religious practices. Mainland Japanese practice both Shintoism and Buddhism, but the native culture of Yoron does not include the Buddhist elements seen on the mainland, and both weddings and funerals are practiced in the ancient Shinto tradition. Islanders still celebrate many ancient practices and festivals, with costumes and descriptions available at the Yoron Museum. There is also a replica of an ancient village, complete with thatched-roof huts, tools, palm-leaf textiles and other items on display at the Yoron Native Village. Thatched-roof huts still exist in use throughout the island.
An interesting cultural practice is Yoron Kenpo, which includes formalized speeches along with the consumption of sugarcane whiskey and an offering to the gods. This practice dates back to the Muromachi Period of Japanese history.
Yoron produces salt and sugarcane vinegar. It is also coral island, with coral reefs surrounding more than 80 percent of Yoron's coast. When Okinawa was governed by the United States, Yoronjima was the southernmost island Japanese mainlanders could go to for vacation, and it became a tourist spot. Tourism is still a large part of the local economy, with resorts, diving, snorkeling, glass-bottomed boats, windsailing and other sports widely available. It also hosts a variety of excellent restaurants, featuring a local variety of squid ink soup and other original dishes. The creation of fine, handmade pottery is also prominent on the island, and Yoron-Yaki, a pottery studio on the island, is famous throughout Japan. Yoron also hosts other fine craftsman, including a jeweler who specializes in coral and shell jewelry and sells his creations worldwide.
Yoron has a number of beaches, including Yuri and Sunset, and its white beaches are famous throughout Japan. It is also the home of Pricia Resort, a popular location for Japanese people on holiday.
This article contains material from 与論島 (Yoronjima), 与論町 (Yoronchō) and 与論空港 (Yoron Kūkō) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on January 3, 2008.