, also known as Satsuma Iōjima and Tokara Iōjima, is an island in the Ōsumi island chain located in the northern part of the Satsunan Islands. Along with Takeshima and Kuroshima, it makes up the three-island village of Mishima

Mishima, Kagoshima

is a village made up of islands located in Kagoshima District, Kagoshima, Japan. The village office is located at Kagoshima City outside the village.As of 2008, the village has an estimated population of 427 and the density of 13.6 persons per km²...

, Kagoshima Prefecture

Kagoshima Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

Iōjima is 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) in length from east to west and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from north to south. It has a perimeter of 14.5 kilometres (9 mi) and a surface area of 11.65 square kilometre. It has a population of 142 residents. There is Shōwa Iōjima

Showa Iojima

, also known as Iōjima Shintō, is a deserted volcanic island, located just off the northern shore of Iōjima, Kagoshima. Shōwa Iōjima came into existence during an eruption in 1934. On September 6, 1934, earthquakes began...

, a small uninhabited island, just offshore to the north.

Historically it is identified as Kikai Island

Kikai Island

is the historical island where Shunkan, Taira no Yasuyori, and Fujiwara no Naritsune were exiled following the Shishigatani Incident of 1177. It belonged to Satsuma Province....

, an island of exile. According to Heike Monogatari, Shunkan

Shunkan

Shunkan was a Japanese monk who, after taking part in the Shishigatani plot to overthrow Taira no Kiyomori, was exiled along with two others to Kikai-ga-shima. His story is featured in the Heike monogatari, and in a number of traditional derivative works, including the Noh play Shunkan and jōruri...

 was exiled there.

It is a volcanic island that makes up the northern edge of the Kikai Caldera

Kikai Caldera

is a massive, mostly submerged caldera up to in diameter in the Ōsumi Islands of Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. It is the remains of the ancient eruption of a gigantic volcano....

, and is ranked class A for volcanic activity. The main peak is known as Mount Iō and is 703.7 m in height. It is constantly erupting, emitting massive amounts of sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...

 which causes damage to agricultural products. Hot springs high in iron concentration from the port bottom gush and due to contact with oxygen, the port waters change to a reddish-brown color. Due to the sulfur, the sea area around the island is yellow in color. This gave rise to the name "Sulfur Island" (Iōjima).

There are five guest houses and two stores, but the majority of resources come from a bi-weekly ferry. In addition to livestock, there are many wild peacocks.

External links

• Map of Shōwa Iōjima, Kagoshima by Geographical Survey Institute
• Map of Iōjima, Kagoshima by Geographical Survey Institute
• Mishimamura webpage
• Japan Meteorological Agency: Satsuma Iōjima information page