Izu Islands

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Map of Islands

The Izu Islands (伊豆諸島, Izu-shotō^?) are a group of volcanic islands stretching south and east from the Izu Peninsula of Honshū, Japan. Administratively, they form two towns and six villages; all part of Tokyo. The largest is Izu Ōshima, usually called simply Ōshima.

Although traditionally referred to as the "Izu Seven" (伊豆七島, Izu Shichitō^?), there are in fact more than a dozen islands and islets. Nine among them are currently inhabited. These are (North to South):

Ōshima Subprefecture
- Ōshima Town: Izu Ōshima
- Toshima Village: Toshima
- Niijima Village: Niijima and Shikinejima
- Kōzushima Village: Kōzushima
Miyake Subprefecture
- Miyake Village: Miyakejima
- Mikurajima Village: Mikurajima
Hachijō Subprefecture
- Hachijō Town: Hachijōjima
- Aogashima Village: Aogashima

All the islands lie within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Fishing by professionals and sports people is year-round, with the majority of boats docked on the Izu Peninsula. Torishima is now uninhabited but is an important bird refuge.

Izu Ōshima and Hachijōjima each form towns. The remaining seven islands form six villages, with Niijima and Shikinejima forming one village. Three subprefectures are formed above the municipalities as branch offices of the metropolitan government.

Deserted islands between Aogashima and Ogasawara Islands, namely Bayonaise Rocks (Beyonēzu Retsugan), Smith Island (Sumisu-tō), Torishima, and Lot's Wife (Sōfu-iwa) do not belong to any municipality, because both Hachijō Town and Aogashima Village claim administrative rights. They are directly controlled by Hachijō Subprefecture instead.

Volcanic activity is frequent in the area. For photos and descriptions of the volcanoes, see Volcanoes of the Izu, Volcano and Mariana Islands. The Eruption of Myōjin-shō in 1953 killed 31 people when the research vessel Kaiyō Maru no 5 was destroyed. Volcanic activity, including the release of harmful gases, forced the evacuation of Miyake-jima in 2000. In February 2005, residents were allowed to return permanently to the island but were required to carry gas masks in case of future volcanic emissions.

During the Edo period, Nii-jima, Miyake-jima, and Hachijō-jima served as places of exile for criminals.

The subtropical Ogasawara Islands, which are also administratively part of Tokyo, lie further to the south. They form a far-flung archipelago of over thirty (30) islands some 1,000 km due south of Tokyo.

Geologically, the Izu Peninsula and Mount Fuji on the Honshū mainland are northern extensions of the Izu volcanic arc. The Izu arc ends there because of the tectonic triple junction.