Shimoji Island

What it is

• An island of uplifted coral reef and Ryukyu limestone within a prefectural natural park.
• A small community with a population of ninety-five people as of 2019.
• The site of an airport originally built for pilot training with a three-thousand-meter runway.
• A landmass connected to neighboring Irabu Island by six different bridges.

What to see

• Toriike Pond which is designated as a National Scenic Spot.
• Obiiwa, a massive rock deposited on the island by a tsunami.
• The airport facility featuring instrument landing systems for modern aircraft.
• Natural landscapes reaching a maximum elevation of twenty-one point six meters.

When to go

• Regular flight times for arrivals from Tokyo, Osaka, and Hong Kong.

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.