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Native name: 吐噶喇列島 (トカラ列島),Tokara rettō | |
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 Akusekijima, 2007 | |
 Map of Kagoshima Prefecture | |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 29°58′00″N129°55′01″E / 29.9667°N 129.917°E /29.9667; 129.917 |
| Adjacent to | Pacific Ocean |
| Total islands | 12 |
| Area | 101.35 km2 (39.13 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Prefectures | Kagoshima |
| District | Kagoshima District |
| Village | Toshima |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 664 (2025) |
| Pop. density | 6.39/km2 (16.55/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese |
TheTokara Islands (吐噶喇列島,Tokara-rettō) are an archipelago in theNansei Islands, and are part of theSatsunan Islands, which are, in turn, part of theRyukyu Archipelago.
The 150-kilometre (93 mi)-long chain consists of twelve small islands located betweenYakushima andAmami-Oshima. The islands have a total area of 101.35 square kilometres (39.13 sq mi). Administratively, the whole group belongs toToshima Village,Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Only seven of the islands are permanently inhabited. The islands, especially Takarajima, are home to theTokara horse.
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One theory holds that the name "Tokara" was derived fromtohara, or "distant sea area", as viewed fromOkinawa. Another theory states that the name come from theAinu wordtokap, which means "breast". The southernmost inhabited island in the archipelago,Takarajima, has a mountain, Megamiyama (lit. Goddess Mountain) with such a shape. A third theory is that the name is a corruption oftakara as in Takarajima.[1]
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Mention is made in theShoku Nihongi under an entry for the year 699 of an island called "Tokan", which is usually identified with Tokara, together with the islands ofTane,Yaku andAmami, although Tokan is also sometimes identified withTokunoshima, an island approximately 150 kilometres (93 miles) away. Although an entry in the earlierNihon Shoki, for the year 654, mentions a "Tokara Country",Tokara no kuni, it is a reference to theTokhara region ofCentral Asia, rather than the Tokara Islands.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the islands came under the control of theShimazu clan ofSatsuma Domain and theRyukyu Kingdom. Ryukyu ceded its territory in the Tokara Islands to Satsuma in 1611, which was confirmed by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1624.
In 1908, the islands were administratively organized into Jitto Village, literally "Ten Islands", of which seven were inhabited. AfterWorld War II, from 2 February 1946, all of the Satsunan islands south of 30th parallel of latitude, including the Tokara Islands, were placed under United States military administration as part of the Provisional Government of Northern Ryukyu Islands. However, the three northern inhabited islands in the archipelago,Iōjima,Kuroshima andTakeshima, remained under the control of Japan, and were placed under the administration of the village ofMishima. The remaining Tokara Islands reverted to Japan on 10 February 1952 and are now administered as the village ofToshima.
The islands have been recognised as anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because they support populations ofJapanese wood pigeons,Ryukyu green pigeons,Ijima's leaf-warblers,Izu thrushes andRyukyu robins.[2]
Tokara Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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