Tobishima Island 飛島
Japan isolated
Tobishima is an island in the Sea of Japan, located off Sakata, in Yamagata Prefecture. A small island in the northern Sea of Japan, it has been inhabited since the Jomon period (from 14,000 to 300 BC) and offers visitors the chance to see a Japan that is still picturesque and preserved from the tremors of modernity.
The small island in the north of Japan
Tobishima is a pocket-sized island, approximately 3 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, rising 68 meters above sea level.
This piece of land has been inhabited since the Jomon period (14,000, -300 BC) and, after passing under the empire of the Abe and Kiyohara clans, was attached to the Shônai domain. The island was also a homeport for ships on the Kitamaebune trade route.
Since 1950, Tobishima, where a few hundred inhabitants now live, has been attached to the municipality of Sakata, from which it is nevertheless 39 kilometers away.
Tobishima Island seen from above
Wikipedia
A rich nature
Bird-watching tourists flock to the island when nearly 270 species migrate across the island and roost there, such as the black-tailed gull.
Tobishima also has preserved flora, it takes 75 min by ferry to reach the east coast where the fishing villages are located. The territory of the island is thus almost entirely wooded, with forests of Eurya Japonica which can be thick.
- Read also: Tokyo Sea Life park
The black-tailed gull
Wikipedia
And if Japan has cat islands or fox villages, Tobishima is an opportunity to swim with... sharks! Indeed, during the spring season between April and June, sharks of about 1 meter 50 of the dochizame species come to swim at the edge of the shore as well as in the caves of the island. With a little luck, it is even possible to see female sharks giving birth to their babies.
A limited tourist offer
Tobishima's charm lies in its smallness. At the time of mass tourism, it has for it to be able to accommodate only a few tourists.
Indeed, the island has only 13 ryokan and guesthouses in all, closed throughout the winter, from November to April. There are few restaurants, and no banks or ATMs. So plan your trip well!
The positive side is that a bike ride – free rental on the Katsura port side – offers a real feeling of a change of scenery!
Onsen on the shores of Tobishima Island
Wiki commons
Address, timetable & access
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Address
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Timetable
75 min by ferry from Sakata Port (adult ticket price: 4,200 yen; child ticket price: 2,100 yen)
