Mageshima

Hayama (葉山), Ou Komori (王籠), Takabo (高坊), Kakise (垣瀬), Shiinoki (椎ノ木).

Geographical Survey Institute map (extract). Excludes land-connected beaches, small rocks on the reef, and unnamed rocks.

• Bose (房瀬) - Cape Ueno.
• Kose (小瀬), Katahirase (片平瀬), Ohirase (大平瀬), Kakise (垣瀬) - West side.
• Kitakojima (北小島), Onase (女瀬) - Cape Shimono.
• Takase (高瀬), Tsumasaki (ツマ崎) - Southeast side.
• Yokose (横瀬) - East side.

There are Sika deer on the island. The surrounding area has good fishing grounds.

The island’s climate is classified as subtropical, with a rainy season from May through September.

Mageshima has been occupied, at least seasonally, since the Kamakura period (1185–1333 CE), as fishermen from neighboring Tanegashima would use it as a base of operations. The inhabitants were evacuated during World War II for security reasons. In 1951, an effort was made to colonize the island with government assistance, and the island population reached a peak of 528 people in 113 households in 1958. The economy of the island was based on the production of sugar cane and vinegar, as well as commercial fishing. However, difficulties with agriculture due to pests, and due to foreign competition caused many islanders to abandon the island from the late 1960s.

In 1974, the Heiwa Sogo Bank started a resort venture and floated plans for construction of the national oil reserve on the island, but neither plan came to fruition. In March 1980, the last resident left the island.

In 1995, a subsidiary of Tateishi Construction acquired the island, and announced plans to construct a landing field for the Japanese space shuttle, HOPE-X, on the island. Other plans to establish a spent nuclear fuel storage facility were also announced. However, subsequently no construction has been taken and the HOPE-X project itself was cancelled in 2003.

In 2009, Mageshima came under consideration as a possible relocation site for the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa, or at least as a site for the United States Navy to relocate its aircraft carrier aircraft touch-and-go training. However, Tateishi Construction subsequently came under investigation for tax fraud and for collusion with politicians over the project. Initial logging to clear an area for the proposed runways was performed without proper permission, and in September 2011 local fishermen filed lawsuits alleging damage to fishing grounds due to increased runoff created by the illegal logging.

In 2011, Japan agreed to provide the US Military with a new training site instead of Iwo To (formerly called Iwo Jima) which is much further south 1,360 km (850 mi) of Japan's main islands. In November 2019, the Government of Japan made an agreement with the Tokyo-based development company Taston Airport to purchase Mageshima for 16 billion yen ($146 million). It will become a base of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and a training site to conduct landing practices for U.S. aircraft carrier-based aircraft.[1] Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said "purchase of Mageshima Island is extremely important and serves for strengthening deterrence by the Japan-US alliance as well as Japan's defense capability".[2]

In 2020, The U.S. Navy is finally set to gain an additional airstrip to practice their carrier-landing operations as the Japanese government looks set for a new military base. The base is expected to serve as an additional deterrent to the growing Chinese threat in Asia-Pacific. The island, which has long been awaited to become a prospective base for new operations, was cleared to be purchased from Taston Airport company for 16 billion yen by the Japanese Government in a deal that was announced in December 2019. This was done with an aim to transfer the U.S. training facilities from the island of Iwoto, also popularly known as Iwo Jima. Likely to house the new F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters and V-22 Ospreys purchased from the U.S., the island is all set to become a new base for the Japanese Self Defense forces. The base would be manned by 150 to 200 service members and will host the U.S. Navy Field Carrier Landing Practices (FLCPs) once or twice a year. According to Japanese news reports, the base will have two runways, a port, and a hangar. [3]