Tobishima, Yamagata

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Tobishima (飛島), is an inhabited island located in the Sea of Japan, administered as part of Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. The island, 2.75 km² in area, had 158 inhabitants as of 2020. The island has no airport, and access is normally by ferry to the city of Sakata on the mainland. The islanders are dependent mainly on commercial fishing and seasonal tourism.

Tobishima
Native name:
Japanese: 飛島
Aerial photograph of Tobishima in 1976
Tobishima is located in Japan
Tobishima
Tobishima
Geography
LocationSea of Japan
Coordinates39°11′40″N 139°32′56″E / 39.19444°N 139.54889°E / 39.19444; 139.54889
Area2.75 km2 (1.06 sq mi)
Length2 km (1.2 mi)
Width1 km (0.6 mi)
Coastline10.2 km (6.34 mi)
Highest elevation68 m (223 ft)
Highest pointTakamoriyama
Administration
Japan
PrefectureYamagata
CitySakata
Demographics
Population158 (2020)
Pop. density57/km2 (148/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsJapanese

Geography

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Tobishima is approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) by 1 kilometre (0.62 mi). It is located 39 kilometres (21 nmi) west of Honshu. The highest point is Takamori-yama ( 高森山 ) at 68 metres (223 ft). The island is mostly flat, with a gentle rise from the east coast to the west coast, the west coast is characterized by steep cliffs. The port facilities are therefore located on the east coast and along with most of the population. Due to the effects of the warm Tsushima current, the island has relatively mild weather year-round average annual temperatures of 12 °C; even snowfall of 10 cm is rare. The island is covered with evergreen deciduous trees, including Eurya japonica.

Important Bird Area

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Tobishima serves as an important site for some 270 species of migratory birds. It, with neighbouring, and much smaller, Oshakujima, have been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International for their colonies of black-tailed gulls.[1]

Climate

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Climate data for Tobishima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.4
(56.1)
16.1
(61.0)
18.0
(64.4)
24.9
(76.8)
28.1
(82.6)
32.0
(89.6)
34.0
(93.2)
35.1
(95.2)
33.1
(91.6)
27.3
(81.1)
21.6
(70.9)
18.5
(65.3)
35.1
(95.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 4.7
(40.5)
5.3
(41.5)
8.6
(47.5)
13.6
(56.5)
18.5
(65.3)
22.7
(72.9)
26.1
(79.0)
28.4
(83.1)
24.8
(76.6)
19.2
(66.6)
13.3
(55.9)
7.6
(45.7)
16.1
(60.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.1
(35.8)
2.3
(36.1)
4.9
(40.8)
9.4
(48.9)
14.1
(57.4)
18.4
(65.1)
22.4
(72.3)
24.4
(75.9)
21.0
(69.8)
15.6
(60.1)
10.0
(50.0)
4.8
(40.6)
12.5
(54.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.1
(31.8)
−0.2
(31.6)
1.9
(35.4)
6.1
(43.0)
10.8
(51.4)
15.3
(59.5)
19.8
(67.6)
21.5
(70.7)
18.1
(64.6)
12.7
(54.9)
7.2
(45.0)
2.3
(36.1)
9.6
(49.3)
Record low °C (°F) −8.3
(17.1)
−7.5
(18.5)
−3.9
(25.0)
−0.6
(30.9)
3.7
(38.7)
8.1
(46.6)
12.4
(54.3)
14.7
(58.5)
9.7
(49.5)
4.7
(40.5)
−1.9
(28.6)
−6.7
(19.9)
−8.3
(17.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 111.0
(4.37)
79.6
(3.13)
84.2
(3.31)
84.1
(3.31)
86.4
(3.40)
91.4
(3.60)
157.1
(6.19)
161.1
(6.34)
144.1
(5.67)
148.3
(5.84)
152.6
(6.01)
148.8
(5.86)
1,428.7
(56.25)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 20.0 15.8 14.7 11.3 10.0 8.5 11.5 9.6 12.2 14.6 18.6 22.0 168.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 62.2 92.0 167.1 225.3 240.2 224.2 199.8 234.7 194.2 171.1 112.4 62.5 1,988.4
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[2][3][4]

History

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Tobishima has been populated for several thousand years, with archaeological finds from the early Jōmon period dated to 6000–7000 years ago. In the late Heian period, the island was controlled by the Abe clan, followed by the Kiyohara clan. In the Edo period, it was part of the holdings of the Sakai clan at Shonai Domain and an occasional port for the kitamaebune coastal trading vessels.

As of April 1950, the village of Tobishima and thus the island was annexed by the city of Sakata, Yamagata.

References

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  1. ^ "Teuri Island". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  3. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  4. ^ https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1618277904043102208
  • National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGIA). Prostar Sailing Directions 2005 Japan Enroute. Prostar Publications (2005). ISBN 1577856511
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