Located 35km south of Tokyo and surrounded by the Philippine Sea is Aogashima, a volcanic island in Japan's Izu archipelago, home to 200 residents inside an active volcano.
The island is also known as a volcanic island, with a unique shape formed through lava eruptions. With an area of about 9 square kilometers, this place is located in Tokyo, but visitors who want to get to Aogashima must spend 2 hours flying and a few more hours by boat. The island attracts very few tourists each year, because of its isolation.
Isolated volcanic island in the middle of the ocean
Aogashima is a volcanic island that emerged from the sea and is still considered a Class C active volcano, although it last erupted in the 1780s, killing 140 people. It took nearly 50 years for the island to fully recover, before some residents decided to return to live on this beautiful island.
Isolated volcanic island in the middle of the ocean.
It is believed that the island was formed by the remains of four volcanoes stacked on top of each other, measuring 3.5km long and 2.5km wide. Within the island is Maruyama, a smaller cone-shaped volcano that is considered to be still active.
The island is nestled in a volcanic crater and surrounded by steep, rugged volcanic cliffs. Located in the strong currents of the Kuroshio Sea, it is difficult for ships to dock. The island does not actually have a harbor to anchor ships due to the sheer cliffs that surround the entire island. The island’s only pier, Sanbo, can handle small vessels up to 500 tons and is unusable in high winds or inclement weather.
The only pier on the island.
There is also a helicopter service available to the island, provided by the Tokyo Island Shuttle Service. Both services (boat and helicopter) depart from Hachijojima Island, 60km away. Before the helicopter service was introduced in 1993, transport of passengers, essential goods and food was only possible by boat, and arrivals were unpredictable.
Helicopter flights to the island carry a maximum of nine passengers once a day. Depending on the season, flights are canceled if there is heavy fog, which is why Aogashima remains an isolated and difficult-to-reach island.
Wild nature, diverse vegetation
Today, despite the threat of volcanic activity, the residents of Aogashima live a peaceful and fearless life. They take advantage of the volcanic heat with natural hot springs and saunas, making it feel like an island paradise.
In the center of the island is a natural sauna with a steam room, a public bath and showers, you can use the heat to cook food such as boiling fresh vegetables, potatoes or eggs. Although the island is isolated, there is still a building here that takes advantage of geothermal energy and gas to serve the daily needs of the people.
One of the attractions in Aogashima is the hingya salt factory located right next to the Maruyama crater. Visitors can see the process of creating this high-quality salt product from the mineral- and calcium-rich Kuroshio seawater, crystallized over many weeks by the steam rising from the crater... This is a high-grade salt used to prepare some Japanese dishes. In addition, many tourists enjoy the most at the Fureai Community Spa geothermal sauna, which is powered by volcanic smoke located in the center of the island.
The highest point on the island is Otonbu, which is the top of the outer rim of the crater. At 432m above sea level, visitors can enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the volcano in the Pacific Ocean.
One of the best things about the island is that it is largely untouched by tourism, making Aogashima a perfect destination for tranquility seekers, adventurous souls, and anyone who enjoys exploring the undiscovered.
There is not much to do on the island, to have fun except to enjoy the tranquility of a paradise in the middle of the ocean. The volcanic island of Aogashima is blessed with extremely diverse vegetation, especially at night, and a rich flora and fauna that always surprises anyone who sees it for the first time. Due to the small population and the small number of tourists, many of the picnic paths are almost intact.
A carefree life, during the day you can watch flocks of wild birds come here to winter, at night you can lie on the grass and watch the velvet sky with thousands of twinkling stars. This is the perfect place for tourists looking for a place to heal their body, mind and spirit.
