Tori-shima (Izu Islands)
Torishima (Japanese鸟岛, literally Bird Island, formerly Ponafidin Island ) is a small volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. It is the second - most southern island of the Izu Islands. To distinguish them from other Japanese " bird islands ", it is sometimes referred to as Izu - Torishima.
Management
As the entire island chain of the Izu Islands Torishima belongs administratively to the prefecture of Tokyo. They are part of the sub-prefecture Hachijo, which is managed by Hachijo -jima off. However, you belong to, as well as the three Izu Islands Bayonnaise Rocks, Sumisu -jima and Sōfugan to no congregation and are thus de facto unincorporated community. However, they are claimed by the communities Aogashima and Hachijo.
Geography
Torishima is located about 575 km south of Tokyo and 76 km north of the rocky isle Sofugan. The nearly circular island has a diameter of 2.7 km and an area of 4.79 km ² and reaches the Iō -zan ( also outdated Iwo -zan ;硫 黄山, dt " sulfur mountain" ) has a height of 394 m above the sea. Torishima is the summit of a stratovolcano is, the more recently had numerous eruptions, most recently in 2002 The current appearance of the island with vegetation Wi- cone is the result of an outbreak of 1939 Torishima was inhabited.. ( Capital: Tamakisato ) until all 125 residents the island died during an outbreak in August 1902. By the ejection of ash and phreatomagmatic explosions all the houses were destroyed; In addition, there was submarine eruptions in the vicinity of the island. A later equipped meteorological station was abandoned in November 1965 after a series of earthquakes; its ruins are still present at the Cape Hatsune (初 寝 崎, Hatsune - zaki ) in the west of the island.
The island is an important breeding area for seabirds, especially for the Kurzschwanzalbatros ( Phoebastria albatrus ) and the Schwarzfußalbatros ( Phoebastria nigripes ), and part of the Fuji -Hakone -Izu National Park. Torishima is a bird sanctuary and may be entered only with permission and only for scientific purposes.