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Located about 200 kilometers from Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean, Mikurashima is an oblong island about 16 kilometers in circumference. The island is surrounded by vertical cliffs eroded by waves. This peculiar terrain and the rain-drenched, mild climate have made the island a treasure house of precious species of animals and plants. Probably best known for dolphin watching, Mikurashima is a place where people live in harmony with nature.

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>Kurosaki Observatory
The area around Mikurashima is a habitat for bottlenose dolphins. The nutrient-rich water flowing from the island's forests into the ocean helps fish propagate. Since dolphins can find many fish to?eat, the waters around the island is an ideal place for them to rear their young. Thus, it is not unusual to see dolphins with cubs around the island. The best season for dolphin watching is the period from late April to late October.

>Monument to the Viking
In 1863, the Viking, a commercial ship on its way home from Hong Kong to the United States, ran up on the rocks on Onegahama beach. Although the number of people living on the island then was smaller than that of the passengers and crew members of the ship, villagers did their best to rescue about 500 people from the wrecked ship. The offspring of some crew members later built two monuments, one in Mikurashima and the other in New Bedford, to express their appreciation. The monument on Mikurashima was built on the side of the approach to Inane Shrine. The inscription is in both Japanese and English.
>Giant Trees in Mikurashima
There are 491 giant trees on the island. They account for 5% of all giant trees in Japan. Among them is a giant chinquapin (called "oh-jii" in Japanese) with a circumference of 13.8 meters. It is the thickest tree in Japan. Other large trees covering the island include chinquapins, mulberries and boxwoods. The island also has a colony of omizunagidori (streaked shearwaters).

The Mikurashima Tourist Association offers information on accommodations. You can contact the association from the link on this site. (Since there are no bilingual staff members at the association, please contact in Japanese)
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