Mishima, Kagoshima

The islands of Miura Village are the northernmost of the Ryukyu archipelago, and although now grouped together with the Ōsumi Islands, are physically an extension of the Tokara island arc. All of the islands are the exposed peaks of stratovolcanos rising from the ocean floor, and most are volcanically active.

The islands have been inhabited since at least the Jōmon period. During historic times, mentioned is made of the islands in the Heike monogatari and the Azuma Kagami, and local legend states that the islands were a refuge for the defeated Heike clan following the Genpei War. During the Edo period, the islands came under the control of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Domain.

After the Meiji Restoration, these islands were allotted to Kawanabe District of Satsuma Province, and then transferred to Ōshima District of Ōsumi Province in 1897. In 1908, the islands were grouped together with the Tokara Islands into Jitto Village (十島村, Jitto-mura), of which seven were inhabited.

After World War II, from 2 February 1946 all of the Japanese islands south of 30th 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, known as the Kamimishima (上三島): Iōjima, Kuroshima and Takeshima, remained under the control of Japan, and were placed under the administration of the village of Mishima. The remaining Tokara Islands reverted to Japan on 10 February 1952 and are now administered as the village of Toshima. In 1973, the two villages were transferred to Kagoshima District.

Media related to Mishima, Kagoshima at Wikimedia Commons

• Mishima official website (in Japanese)
• Mishima Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Geographic data related to Mishima, Kagoshima at OpenStreetMap