Minna Island, or , ( Miyako: ''Minna'') is an island in the

Miyako Islands The (also Miyako Jima group) are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, belonging to the Ryukyu Islands. They are situated between Okinawa Island and the Yaeyama Islands. In the early 1870s, the population of the islands was estim ...

in the jurisdiction of Tarama, Miyako District,

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Geography

Minnajima is part of the

and is 8 km north of Tarama Island. The island is surrounded by an

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...

, primarily spreading to the west, with the

East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...

to the north and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

to the south.

History

Minnajima was historically host to a fishing village, with the local population reaching more than 200 adults. Due to regular typhoon damage and water shortages, The majority of the residents of Minnajima were relocated to the Takano district of Hirara in 1961. A lighthouse was built on the southeastern portion of the island, first lit in 1972. The light is 21m above sea level and is visible up to a distance of 12.0 nautical miles. As of 2016, there are 5 residents who raise over 100 cattle on the island. * 1734 – Hisashiya Asatoshi was executed, and his eldest son was exiled to Minna Island. * 1771 – The Great Yaeyama Tsunami devastated the island. * 1900 – A branch school was set up on the island. * 1961 – A majority of the residents were relocated. * 1978 – The branch school closed. * 1983 – A fresh water supply facility was completed. * 1989 – Submarine power transmission from Tarama to the island. * 2011 – Tarama Prefectural Natural park is established around Tarama and Minna Island.

Historic Sites

* Sakishima Beacons National Historic Site. Minna Island Tarama ISS045

Infrastructure

* Electricity is transmitted through submarine cables from a power station on Tarama Island. * A combination of groundwater purification and rainwater collection is used to provide fresh water to the island. * Telephone cables have been run to the island, and cellphone service through NTT Docomo is available over the entire island. * Two cottages and multiple campsites are available for visitors, but food will have to be prepared in advance, as there are no shops on the island. * A heliport was built next to the lighthouse, but is only used by the

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard responsible for the protection of the Geography of Japan#Composition, topography and geography, coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It consists of about ...

in an emergency. * Access to the island is provided by ship from Tarama Island.

References

Miyako Islands Islands of Okinawa Prefecture Tarama, Okinawa {{Okinawa-geo-stub

Geography

History

Historic Sites

Infrastructure

See also

References