Kitakojima

Overview

Kitakojima is an uninhabited islet lying north of Kubajima in the Senkaku Islands, administratively part of Ishigaki City, Okinawa. As one of the satellite islets on the northern side of Kubajima, it stands near the northernmost land of the Senkaku group. No one lives here; it is a rocky islet ringed by the open East China Sea. Japan exercises effective control, and landing or travel here is not undertaken by the public.

Highlights

• ●A rocky islet directly north of Kubajima, near the Senkakus' northern edge
• ●One of three satellite islets forming the group's northernmost land
• ●An uninhabited natural island under Japan's effective control
• ●'Kitakojima,' one of the four islands named around Kubajima

History

Kitakojima has been charted as one of several satellite islets strung along the north of Kubajima. When the Japanese government named the small islands around Kubajima, this one, sitting directly north, was called Kitakojima ('north small island'), one of four so named. It has been uninhabited throughout its history, with no settlement or development, retaining its natural form.

Map

25.9289, 123.6816 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1On Ishigaki, learn the layout and history of the Senkaku Islands
2. 2Trace Kubajima and its three northern satellite islets on a chart
3. 3Picture the direction of the East China Sea's northern edge from Yaeyama
4. 4Confirm the current situation via official sources and note the islet's overview

Did you know?

💡 Together with two other satellite islets north of Kubajima (Iruka-jima and Xiahuya), Kitakojima forms the northernmost land of the Senkaku group. It sits at about 25 degrees 55 minutes north and is also known by other names, such as Shanghuya on the Chinese side.

Nearby spots