Kyūroku-jima

Overview

Kyūroku-jima is a group of islets lying in the Sea of Japan about 30 kilometers west of Honshu. Administered as part of the town of Fukaura in Aomori Prefecture, it marks the prefecture's westernmost point. The uninhabited islets are the peaks of a submarine volcano, and the surrounding waters have long been known as one of the finest fishing grounds in the Sea of Japan.

Highlights

• ●An uninhabited group of islets formed from three rocky reefs
• ●Peaks of a submarine volcano rising from the Sea of Japan
• ●The westernmost point of Aomori Prefecture
• ●A place that recalls a long dispute over prefectural jurisdiction

History

From the Meiji era onward, Aomori and Akita prefectures contested the islets' jurisdiction and fishing rights, and for a long time the islets belonged to no prefecture at all. In 1953 the dispute was settled when the islets were incorporated into Aomori Prefecture while Akita Prefecture was granted communal fishing rights in the area. The settlement was accompanied by legislative measures, including a partial revision of the Local Autonomy Act and a special fisheries law for these waters.

Map

40.5333, 139.4994 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Stand on the Fukaura coast and locate the direction of the prefecture's westernmost islets
2. 2Reflect on their origin as islets formed from three rocky reefs
3. 3Look out over waters counted among the finest fishing grounds in the Sea of Japan
4. 4Recall the historical dispute over which prefecture the islets belonged to

Did you know?

💡 The resolution of the dispute involved legislative measures, including a partial revision of the Local Autonomy Act and a special fisheries law for these waters.

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