Todo (Sea Lion) Island is located to the right north of Cape Sukoton at the north end of Rebun Island. The island with a circumference of 4 km is surrounded sheer cliffs. You can go to the island by a fishing boat from Rebun Island, but there are no piers. As the boats come alongside some rocks or cliffs, you cannot make a landing when the sea is rough. The only man-made structures on the island are a watch house and a rotting remnant of the old watch house.
Todo Island is a plateau-like island, which is the treasure trove of alpine plants. Many species of plants that are peculiar to Rebun Island can be found on this island, too. In summer seals come and rest themselves here, and so do sea lions in winter. It is also the breeding ground of slaty-backed gulls and cormorants. Todo Island is a precious place where nature remains intact.
Mitsuhatajima located offshore of Ainan-cho, Minami-Uwa-gun, Ehime Pref. is a collective name for the three small islands in the Uwakai Sea, which is a part of Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park. The water around the islands is so clear that a variety of table corals exist in colonies at the sea bottom and colorful tropical fish are swimming through waving sea weeds. It looks like a flower garden in the ocean. Seeing the cute islands in the afterglow, you will have a relaxing time until the sun set in the ocean. Mitsuhatajima Islands are the symbolic landscape of the Uwakai Sea.
Yashima is a peninsular lava plateau in the northwestern part of Takamatsu City. It used to be an island but was connected to land by a reclamation work in the Edo period (1603-1868). From its table-shaped land feature, which looks like a roof, it was named Yashima (Roof Island).
Yashima is also a historic site pertaining to the Taira clan. In 1183, the Taira clan, who were driven away from the capital, built a fortress and an improvised palace for 6-year-old Emperor Antoku after a long string of defeats by the Minamoto clan. Then in 1185, Minamoto no Yoshitsune attacked them and they had the fierce Battle of Yashima, which is well-known for the episode of Nasuno Yoichi firing his shot at a fan atop the mast of a Taira ship.
Being called the best scenic spot for viewing the Seto Inland Sea, Yashima is visited by a lot of tourists. Yashimaji Temple, which was rebuilt in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. In the precinct is an attached shrine that enshrines Minoyama Daimyojin, the head of all the raccoon dogs in Shikoku.
Dogashima is a scenic spot in the western Isu Peninsula. Facing Suruga Bay, its beautiful coastline is compared to Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture, one of Japan’s Three Finest Views, and it is called “Matsushima in Izu.” Visitors can fully enjoy its dramatic stone formations created by forces of nature.
The highlight of the sightseeing in Dogashima is Tensodo (Skylight Cave) on Kameshima Island in the close offing of the boat pier. The erosion of waves made a tunnel in the rock. The ceiling of the tunnel is open, and it is just like a skylight. The cave is nationally designated as a Natural Monument.
The three islands (Zojima, Nakanoshima and Takashima) in the offing of the coast are generically called “Sanshiro Island.” At low tide, a 30 meter wide natural stone bridge emerges and connects the islands with the mainland shore so that people can walk to the islands. This stone bar is called a “tombolo” and is prefecturally designated as a Natural Monument.
On the hill near the coast is Orchid Resort Dogashima with an area of 9 hectare. Visitors can enjoy various species of orchids of the season both in the greenhouses and in the open air garden.
Yururi Island is a small uninhabited island off the coast of the Nemuro Peninsula. It is prefecturally designated as a Natural Treasure. “Yururi” means “an island of cormorants” in Ainu. The island still remains as a breeding place for cormorants, etopirika, keimafuri, red-faced cormorants and many other sea birds, some of which are on the verge of extinction. It is a flat table-shaped island surrounded by cliffs with a height of 40 m. Just to the north of it lies a small island of Moyururi. This island is known for bright green pastures, where a herd of about 20 horses are leisurely grazing. The horses on this island were once used to carry sea tangles but now they have run wild. The island is also the breeding place of sea otters and seals. On top of the cliff spread wetland, where 300 species of plant grow. Yururi Island is a paradise for wild life.
Rebun Island is Japan’s northernmost inhabited island. The western half of this longish island is designated as a part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. The name “Rebun” derives from an Ainu word “repun-shir,” which means “an island in the offing.” Different from neighboring Rishiri Island, Rebun Island is a flat island without mountains. The west coast has rugged landscapes with sheer cliffs created by erosion. There area many nice hiking courses provided in the plateau atop the cliffs.
Rebun Island is known as “the Island of Flowers,” where about 3,000 species of plants including those peculiar to Rebun Island such as Rebunso (Oxytropis megalantha), Rebun-atsumoriso (Cypripedium marcanthum var. rebunense) and Rebun-usuyukiso (Leontopodium discolor) can be seen.
The island is also blessed with scenic spots such as Cape Sukai at the tip of the sheer cliff, the top of which is covered with flower field, Cape Skoton at the northern end of the island, Todo Island, where herds of seals and sea lions can be seen, Lake Kushu, which is Japan’s northernmost lake and Momo-iwa Rock, a peach-shaped huge and mysterious rock. Rebun Island is the treasure trove of intact nature.
Rishiri Island is a circular island located to the west of Wakkanai City in north Hokkaido. Most part of the island is designated as a part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. The word “Rishiri” comes from an Ainu word “ri-sir,” meaning “an island with a lofty mountain.” As its name shows, the island has a lofty mountain of Mt. Rishiri (1,721 m), which has a beautiful conical shape like Mt. Fuji. Being called “Rishiri Fuji,” it is the symbol of the island.
Rishiri Island is blessed with fishing grounds and ocean resources. Especially kelp taken from the sea around the island is famous all over the country as Rishiri Kelp. The island is also the treasure trove of alpine plants including many species peculiar to this island. With a lot of exquisite mountains, highlands, lakes and wetlands, Rishiri Island is a fascinating sightseeing spot.
Okushiri Island is Japan’s westernmost island and the second largest island in Hokkaido. The name “Okushiri” comes from an Ainu word “iku-shir,” which means “the island beyond.” The whole island is formed of the terraced granite hills, in which rivers flow down to create a lot of waterfalls. According to Tsushima Current, there is not very large temperature variation all through the year.
The island is blessed with bountiful nature including fine beaches and oddly-shaped rocks. Tourists can enjoy the beautiful sunset from anywhere on the island. As there used to be a sulfur mine on the island, a lot of hot springs gush out on the island. Mt. Kamui, the highest mountain on the island, is 584 m above sea level.
Okushiri Island is known as the treasure trove of sea resources. Many kinds of fish and shellfish including sea urchin, abalone and cuttlefish are caught in the ocean around the island.
Although the island was seriously damaged by the Hokkaido-Nanseioki Earthquake in 1993, it was completely reconstructed.