Mikurajima

Mikura-jima

Native name: 御蔵島
Mikura-jima
Geography
Location	Izu Islands
Coordinates	33°52′16″N 139°36′18″E / 33.87111°N 139.60500°E / 33.87111; 139.60500
Archipelago	Izu Islands
Area	20.58 km2 (7.95 sq mi)
Length	5,900 m (19,400 ft)
Width	5,500 m (18,000 ft)
Coastline	16,920 m (55,510 ft)
Highest elevation	851 m (2,792 ft)
Administration
Japan
Demographics
Population	351 (September 2009)

Mikura-jima (御蔵島^?) is a volcanic Japanese island in the Pacific Ocean. The island is administered by Tōkyō Metropolis and located approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of Tokyo and 19 kilometres (12 mi) south-southeast of Miyake-jima. It is one of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago. Mikurajima is administratively part of Mikurajima Village under Miyake Subprefecture of Tokyo Metropolis. As of 2009^[update], the island's population was 351. Mikura-jima is also within the boundaries of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

The island has apparently been inhabited for thousands of years, but existing records only extend to the Edo period. Mikura, along with the rest of the Izu Islands, was designated as a place of exile during the Tokugawa shogunate, and up to 10% of current island residents are descendents of political exiles.

In 1714, an important official from the shogunate, physician Kochikuin Okuyama, arrived on the island. Okuyama was able to use his connections with the shogunate to retrieve Mikura's official seal from officials on Miyake Island, who were using it to skim profits from Mikura's exports of lumber.

In 1863, a ship with a crew of 460 Chinese laborers and 23 American sailors, bound for the United States from China, was shipwrecked on the island. Although at that time the Japanese populace had been ordered by the shogunate to kill or imprison any foreigners who entered Japan without authorization, Mikura's inhabitants treated the shipwrecked crew with hospitality and kindness.

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Wikipedia