Tokyo as Foreign Tourists Have Never Seen It Before, Ogasawara islands
Have you ever heard of the Ogasawara Islands? Probably not.
I introduce you to the Ogasawara Islands, Tokyo’s only UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.
I’m Nobu, I like traveling overseas and in Japan, visited 25 countries. I’ve got the license of the certificate English guide in Japan for 7 years.I show you hidden Japan which you have never seen and heard of!
Ogasawara Islands
The Ogasawara islands are the village in Tokyo metropolitan prefecture , but it is located 1000 km away from mainland Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean.
There are more than 30 islands, but people live in only two islands, Chichijima 2,100and Hahajima 500, and they are home to about 2,600people.
The Ogasawara Islands have been isolated from the continent since their formation 66 million years ago.
So the living organisms on the islands have evolved in their own unique way, and there are so many precious plants and animals.
History
The Ogasawara Islands are said to have been discovered in 1593 by Samurai Sadayori Ogasawara, the great-grandson of the lord of Fukashi Castle in Shinshu.
Also there is an uncertain record that Spanish boat found similar island nearby in 16th century.
During 16-18th century there were records that whale catching boats , fishing boats and drifted boats dropped here.
1675,the Tokugawa Shogunate government landed here and researched.
Then they named here as Bunin( 無人,no man) islands.
English name ‘Bonin islands’ is from this story.
The first people to settle here were Westerners and Pacific islanders in the late Edo period 1830.
The islands were later surveyed and cultivated by the Tokugawa Shogunate and Meiji government, and in 1876 they were internationally recognized as Japanese territory.
UNRSCO World Natural Heritage site
This place became as a national park in Japan in 1972, and as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2011, in recognition of its precious nature, flora and fauna.
Then people call here as the “Galapagos of the East.“
There is no airport here, and the only way to visit is by ferry, which takes 24 hours one way from Tokyo. It departs once a week.
Moreover there is no wifi in the ferry!
And then another 24 hours to get back by the same boat 6days later.
As you imagine the Ogasawara trip is basically 6days by return.
If a villager is seriously injured or needs treatment at a major hospital, he or she will be transported there by SDF aircraft.
Therefore, the need for an airport has been talked about for several decades, but there is not enough space to build a large runway.
Also many people worry about destroying the precious nature, so it is always difficult to proceed.
The beautiful subtropical nature of Tokyo may be protected forever thanks to this inconvenient access.
You will arrive in Ogasawara at Chichijima. From Chichijima, you can also take a ferry to Hahajima, which takes two hours and ten minutes.
The Ogasawara Islands are a place where untouched nature remains.
Things to do in Ogasawara
There are many trekking routes. There are also many activities to choose from.
Snorkeling, diving, kayaking, whale-watching, swimming with dolphins, night tours.
You might be busy when you’re in Ogasawara. On the other hand, it might be nice to relax and do nothing here.
Even if you come to Japan, it is difficult to come to the Ogasawara Islands.
That’s because it’s basically a six-day trip, with a return ferry ride. But how about enjoying this unspoiled nature in Japan someday?
I’m Nobu, one heart enjoy together!!!