Akuseki-jima
| Akuseki-jima | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Waters | East China Sea | |
| Archipelago | Tokara Islands | |
| Geographical location | 29 ° 27 '36 " N , 129 ° 36' 6" E | |
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| length | 3.2 km | |
| width | 2.5 km | |
| surface | 7.49 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Mitake 584 m TP |
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| Residents | 73 (June 30, 2016) 9.7 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Ōaza Akusekijima, Toshima | |
Akuseki-jima ( Japanese. 悪 石島 ) is a volcanic island of the Tokara Islands , which in turn form part of the Japanese Ryūkyū Islands .
The Andesite - Dazite stratovolcano is formed by two summit craters, the Biro-yama ( ビ ロ 山 ; 355.5 m) and the Naka-dake ( 中岳 ; 464 m). The Mitake ( 御 岳 ; 584.0 m) lava dome forms the highest point of the 2.5 × 3.2 kilometers (7.49 km²) island. The Dazitic Omune lava flow on the northeast flank was determined to be 80,000 years old by means of potassium-argon dating .
The island has about 70 residents who are administered by Toshima . The island has a port but no airport. There is a regular ferry service to Kagoshima on the mainland. The travel time is approx. 10 hours.
history
Since when the island is known is unknown. It is first mentioned in the Japanese historical chronicle Nihonshoki (approx. 720).
Until 1624 it was part of the Kingdom of Ryūkyū and since 1609 under the rule of the Japanese Shimazu clan .
After the Meiji Restoration in 1879, these islands - like others - were added to the Ōsumi province .
In the spring of 1945 the island was occupied by the United States and returned to Japan on February 10, 1952.
Second World War
A Japanese convoy passed the island on August 22, 1944. Between 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. the convoy was attacked by the American submarine USS Bowfin (SS-287) and the transporter Tsushima Maru sank within 15 minutes. The convoy was supposed to evacuate the residents of the Ryukyu Islands. Therefore, the ship was loaded with 1788 people. 259 people could still be saved. The accident was known throughout Japan, as 826 children were on board, of which 741 were killed.
On December 12, 1997, a team from JAMSTEC (Japan Marine Science and Technology Center) found the wreck of the ship about 10 miles northwest of Akuseki-jima.
various
- The asteroid 10164 is named after Akusekijima.
- The island was one of the best viewing points for the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2009 . This solar eclipse is the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century with a maximum duration of 6 minutes and 39 seconds at 24 ° 13 'north latitude and 144 ° 6' east longitude. On Akuseki-jima the duration of the total eclipse was only slightly shorter at 6 minutes and 20 seconds. The island's population was concerned about the thousands of visitors expected at the event. The number of inns is given as five with 66 beds. The quantities of drinking water are also limited.
Web links
- Akuseki-jima in the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution (English)
- Tsushima Maru Sinking. Off the coast of Akusekijima ( Memento from June 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- The Dacite Omune lava flow