Kuroshima (黒島; Yaeyama: ''Ffusïma'', Okinawan: ''Kurushima''), also known as "Kuro Island", is an island in

Taketomi is an island in the town of Taketomi, within Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Taketomi is one of the Yaeyama Islands. The population of Taketomi Island was 323 as of January 2012. Geography Taketomi Island is located south o ...

Town,

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

, Japan, part of the Yaeyama archipelago. The island has the approximate shape of a heart symbol when viewed from the air, and is marketed as "Heart Island". The name means "Black Island". The island has an area of about and a population of approximately 210 . Kuroshima is a comparatively flat island, as the highest point is just

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

Cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

raising is a major economic activity and a yearly "cow festival" is held. Sometimes the island is marketed as "Island of Cows" as well, as there are more cows than inhabitants living on it.

Tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

activities include diving and sunbathing.

Sights

Kuroshima has various sights to offer: *A

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

stands at the southern tip. *In the Visitors' Center in the west of the island various old photos, stuffed animals and traditional fishing and agricultural equipment are on display. *''Puzumari'' is an old tower built of dark coral stones close to the Visitors' Center. During the times of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the top of the tower was the highest point of the whole island, and it was used to observe the ships going to and from Ishigaki and to send fire signals to the neighbouring island.Yamakei: ''Ryukyu Nansei Shoto'', p.113. Tokio 2003. There are similar towers dating from the 17th century on other islands of the Yaeyama group as well, e.g.

Hateruma Hateruma (波照間島; ''Hateruma-jima''; Yaeyama: ''Patirooma'', Hateruma dialect: ''Besїma'' "our island", Okinawan: ''Hatiruma'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Patara'') is an island in the Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is t ...

. *''Nakamoto Beach'', the west coast of Kuroshima, is worth a visit as well. Impressive corals can be seen close to a small Shinto Shrine at low tide. *In the middle of Kuroshima there is a tower offering a scenic view of the whole island. *Several ruins consisting of dark coral stones overgrown with plants are scattered all over the island. *Traditional architecture is well preserved in the village in the middle of the island. Many houses which have a typical

hip roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downward to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope, with variants including Tented roof, tented roofs and others. Thus, a hipped roof has no gables or other ve ...

are still surrounded by walls built of dark coral stones. *The banana trees vegetate and bear fruit on the island helped by high temperatures. *

Sea Turtle Association of Japan, Kuroshima Research Station Kuroshima Research Station is a marine research institute in Okinawa, Japan, located on the island of Kuroshima. (黒島) It was established in 1973 as the Yaeyama Marine Park Research Institute, for the purpose of managing and utilising the mari ...

Infrastructure

Kuroshima can be reached by ferry from Ishigaki several times a day. Bikes are for hire at the small harbour in the north of the island. All the sights can easily be reached on foot. There are several guest houses (''minshuku'') on Kuroshima. In the village, there is a shop and a post offices which serves as a bank as well.

Education

The

town authorities maintain a single combined elementary and junior high school on the island: Kuroshima Elementary and Junior High School (竹富町立黒島小中学校). For public senior high school students may attend schools of the

Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education The Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education (沖縄県教育委員会) is the prefectural education agency of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. The board oversees municipal school districts in Okinawa and directly operates many high schools. Schools dir ...

. File:Kuroshima lighthouse.jpg, Kuroshima Lighthouse File:Puzumari.jpg, ''Puzumari'' Tower File:Kuroshima Nakamoto Watanji.jpg, Nakamoto Beach File:KuroshimaTower.jpg, Tower in the middle of the island File:黒島の伊古桟橋P1243533.jpg, Iko Pier File:Kuroshima laboratory.jpg, Kuroshima Research Station File:Okinawa kendo213.jpg, Typical landscape File:KuroshimaMainStreet.jpg, Main Street of Agarisuji Village

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuroshima Islands of Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama Islands