| Kerama Islands | |
| Native Name Link: | Japanese language |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan Okinawa Prefecture#Japan Ryukyu Islands#Japan |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Kerama Islands |
| Location: | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates: | 26.2°N 127.333°W |
| Total Islands: | 36 |
| Major Islands: | Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island |
| Area Km2: | 35.97 |
| Archipelago: | Okinawa Islands |
| Country: | Japan |
| Country Admin Divisions Title: | Prefecture |
| Country Admin Divisions: | Okinawa Prefecture |
| Population: | 1,625 |
| Population As Of: | October 2010 |
| Density Km2: | 45.2 |
| Ethnic Groups: | Ryukyuan, Japanese |
The are a subtropical island group southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan.
Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island.[1] The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Village within Shimajiri District.[2] The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site.[3]
The archipelago consists of the following islands (-jima/-shima) – inhabited ones are highlighted in blue – and rocks (other suffixes, unnamed entries) with an area of at least 0.01 km2.[4] [5]
| Photo | Name | Japanese name | Size [km<sup>2</sup>] | Height [m] | Group | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese: 渡嘉敷島 | 15,31 | 227,3 | Tokashiki | 26.1867°N 127.3556°W | |||
| Japanese: 座間味島 | 6,66 | 160,7 | Zamami | 26.2344°N 127.3075°W | |||
| Japanese: 阿嘉島 | 3,82 | 165,0 | Zamami | 26.1989°N 127.2781°W | |||
| Mae Island | Japanese: 前島 | 1,60 | 132,8 | Tokashiki | 26.2122°N 127.4472°W | ||
| Japanese: 久場島 | 1,55 | 270,1 | Zamami | 26.1714°N 127.2378°W | |||
| Japanese: 屋嘉比島 | 1,26 | 214,4 | Zamami | 26.2164°N 127.2444°W | |||
| Japanese: 慶留間島 | 1,15 | 157,3 | Zamami | 26.1817°N 127.2892°W | |||
| Japanese: 外地島 | 0,83 | 76 | Zamami | 26.1683°N 127.2928°W | |||
| Japanese: 安室島 | 0,73 | 98,8 | Zamami | 26.2072°N 127.3111°W | |||
| Japanese: 儀志布島 | 0,49 | 113,6 | Tokashiki | 26.2303°N 127.3694°W | |||
| Japanese: 黒島 | 0,27 | 126,1 | Tokashiki | 26.2517°N 127.4042°W | |||
| Un-jima | Japanese: ウン島 | 0,26 | 87 | Tokashiki | 26.1428°N 127.3431°W | ||
| Gahi-jima | Japanese: 嘉比島 | 0,13 | 51 | Zamami | 26.2183°N 127.2861°W | ||
| Gusukushima | Japanese: 城島 | 0,11 | 105,9 | Tokashiki | 26.1986°N 127.3778°W | ||
| Hanari-jima | Japanese: 離島 | 0,10 | 59,2 | Tokashiki | 26.1617°N 127.3383°W | ||
| Agenashiku-jima | Japanese: 安慶名敷島 | 0,10 | 41,6 | Zamami | 26.2153°N 127.295°W | ||
| Sunashiru-jima | Japanese: 砂白島 | 0,05 | 28 | Zamami | 26.1842°N 127.2747°W | ||
| Ou-jima (Ubu-iwa) | Japanese: 奥武島(うぶ岩) | 0,05 | 45,6 | Zamami | 26.1567°N 127.2733°W | ||
| Kuba-iwa | Japanese: くば岩 | 0,01 | 14 | Zamami | 26.1592°N 127.2731°W | ||
| Yubu-iwa | Japanese: ゆぶ岩 | 0,01 | 34 | Zamami | 26.1472°N 127.2697°W | ||
| Naka-iwa | Japanese: なか岩 | 0,01 | 17 | Zamami | 26.1503°N 127.2683°W | ||
| data-sort-value="Achiraneiwa" | Achirāne-iwa | Japanese: アチラーネ岩 | 0,05 | – | Zamami | ||
| Mokaraku-jima | Japanese: モカラク島 | 0,04 | 25 | Zamami | 26.1561°N 127.2897°W | ||
| Tsumishiro-shima | Japanese: 積城島 | 0,02 | – | Zamami | 26.1811°N 127.2736°W | ||
| Ijakaja-jima | Japanese: 伊釈迦釈島 | 0,02 | 56 | Zamami | 26.2156°N 127.2683°W | ||
| Jinojitsuru-jima | Japanese: 地自津留島 | 0,01 | 54 | Tokashiki | 26.2378°N 127.3686°W | ||
| Sakuhara no Hana | Japanese: 佐久原の鼻 | 0,01 | – | Zamami | 26.1783°N 127.2742°W | ||
| Fukakane-se | Japanese: ふかかね瀬 | 0,01 | 47 | Zamami | 26.1758°N 127.229°W | ||
| unbenannt[6] | 0,01 | – | Zamami | 26.1833°N 127.2725°W | |||
| unbenannt[7] | 0,01 | – | Zamami | 26.1594°N 127.2919°W |
These are notable beaches of the Kerama Islands:
| Name | Island | Japanese name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aharen Beach | Tokashiki Island | 阿波連ビーチ（渡嘉敷島） | |
| Tokashiku Beach | Tokashiki Island | 渡嘉志久ビーチ（渡嘉敷島） | |
| Ama Beach | Zamami Island | 阿真ビーチ（座間味島） | |
| Furuzamami Beach | Zamami Island | 古座間味ビーチ（座間味島） | |
| Kitahama Beach | Aka Island | 北浜ビーチ（阿嘉島） |
The archipelago has several extensive coral reefs. Two of them were designated as Ramsar sites in November 2005: a 120-hectare area along the west coast of Tokashiki-jima and around Hanari-jima, and a 233-hectare area around Ijakaja-jima, Gahi-jima and Agenashiku-jima, i.e., between Aka Island and Zamami Island. These reefs are home to 248 different coral species, most notably of the Acropora genus.[8] On March 5, 2014, the waters and the islands were placed under protection as Kerama Shotō National Park.
The islands of Aka, Fukaji, Geruma and Yakabi provide the sole natural habitat of the endangered Kerama deer (Cervus nippon keramae), thought to be an introduced population of the Japanese sika deer in the early 17th century that has since adapted to their island environment.[9]
The Kerama islands were historically part of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429–1879), when islanders were employed as navigators on the kingdom’s trading vessels to China.[10]
During World War II and preliminary to the Battle of Okinawa, soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division landed in the Kerama Islands on March 26, 1945. Further landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. Kerama was used as a staging area for the assault on Okinawa. During the battle the first civilian mass suicides that later marked the Battle of Okinawa took place. The first US Navy ship to anchor in the harbor was, a small "jeep" carrier.
Thereafter, the archipelago, like the rest of the Ryukyu Islands, was under US military administration before being returned to Japan in 1972.
The Kerama islands was the site of a true story about romance between two dogs who lived on neighboring islands that was made into the 1988 Japanese film I Want to See Marilyn (Marilyn ni Aitai). It is now a popular beach and diving destination for visitors to Okinawa.
The Kerama Islands are served by the Kerama Airport, located on Fukaji Island.[11] Regular ferries are also available from Naha to the three largest islands, Aka, Zamami, and Tokashiki. Ferries between the islands are also available, as are boat tours.