Akusekijima
Encyclopedia
is a volcanic island located in the Tokara Islands
in part of the Nansei Islands, Japan
. Most of the island is surrounded by steep cliffs. Access to the island is limited to the "Ferry Toshima", which only runs twice a week and takes 11 hours from Kagoshima.
This small island has only 77 residents all of whom rely on rainfall as their primary source of water. Residents who own cars must purchase drums of gasoline and have them shipped in from Kagoshima. As with the other Tokara Islands
, many residents use the Co-Op grocery delivery service to order food and household items. Deliveries are made once a week, weather permitting, on the Saturday ferry.
On August 22, 1944, Tsushima Maru
, a Japanese unmarked passenger/cargo ship, was sunk by torpedo
es launched by the submarine
USS Bowfin off this island, killing 1,484 civilians including 767 schoolchildren.
It was one of the best observation spots (one of the closest inhabited areas to the location of maximum eclipse duration) for the Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009, which was the longest total solar eclipse of the twenty-first century. Village officials and island residents were concerned about playing host to hundreds of people coming to view the solar eclipse. Akusekijima only has 5 small minshuku guesthouses, which can only accommodate up to 66 people, and water resources are limited.
Akusekijima is also famous for the masked god , the island deity. Islanders donning Boze masks come out during the annual lunar O-Bon festival (For 2009, this translates to September 4). Protectors of the island and its natural assets, the Boze frighten small children to ensure their safety for the coming year.
Tokara Islands
The Tokara Islands is a group of islands in part of the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Nansei Islands. The whole island group belongs to Toshima Village, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan....
in part of the Nansei Islands, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Most of the island is surrounded by steep cliffs. Access to the island is limited to the "Ferry Toshima", which only runs twice a week and takes 11 hours from Kagoshima.
This small island has only 77 residents all of whom rely on rainfall as their primary source of water. Residents who own cars must purchase drums of gasoline and have them shipped in from Kagoshima. As with the other Tokara Islands
Tokara Islands
The Tokara Islands is a group of islands in part of the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Nansei Islands. The whole island group belongs to Toshima Village, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan....
, many residents use the Co-Op grocery delivery service to order food and household items. Deliveries are made once a week, weather permitting, on the Saturday ferry.
On August 22, 1944, Tsushima Maru
Tsushima Maru
Tsushima Maru was a Japanese unmarked passenger/cargo ship that was sunk while carrying hundreds of schoolchildren by the submarine USS Bowfin during World War II. The ship was on her way from Okinawa to Kagoshima. On August 22, 1944, at between 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m...
, a Japanese unmarked passenger/cargo ship, was sunk by torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es launched by the submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
USS Bowfin off this island, killing 1,484 civilians including 767 schoolchildren.
It was one of the best observation spots (one of the closest inhabited areas to the location of maximum eclipse duration) for the Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009, which was the longest total solar eclipse of the twenty-first century. Village officials and island residents were concerned about playing host to hundreds of people coming to view the solar eclipse. Akusekijima only has 5 small minshuku guesthouses, which can only accommodate up to 66 people, and water resources are limited.
Akusekijima is also famous for the masked god , the island deity. Islanders donning Boze masks come out during the annual lunar O-Bon festival (For 2009, this translates to September 4). Protectors of the island and its natural assets, the Boze frighten small children to ensure their safety for the coming year.