Io-Jima (Iwo-Jima) <5minutes 13seconds>
1st contact : 10:01'04"(JST)
2nd : 11:25'27"
Maximum : 11:28'04"
3rd : 11:30'40"
4th : 12:52'45"
This small island is famous for its tragic history. It was a battle-ground in World War ll and thousands of remains are still under the ground here.
Now the whole island is thought to be a sacred, restricted and special place and it is hard even for Japanese to land on it.
There are tours to search and recover the remains corpses of the dead held
by Iwo-Jima Association.
You also have to notice that it is the important military stronghold as
the most southeast point of Japanese territory as you can see an airbase
in the picture. So only the people of Japan Self Defense Force are living
(staying) there and ordinary Japanese are not allowed to enter. You need
particular permission!
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Kita-Io-Jima (Kita-Iwo-Jima) <6min30sec>
1st : 10:00'40"
2nd : 11:21'00"
Max : 11:24'15"
3rd : 11:27'30"
4th : 12:51'40"
This island lies nearer to the center of the eclipse and since it does
not have the same kind of restriction as Iwo-Jima, Kita-Io seems more preferable
than Io-Jima.
BUT they say it rises up in the ocean, surrounded by bluffs and there seems
small space at the shore, although it may be still enough for some people
to view eclipse hopefully.(I do not know.) You should take account of the
tide too.
There used to be people living there before the war but now it is uninhabited.
Besides it has a mountain which tends to make clouds over the island.
Also you need permission of Tokyo Metropolitan Government to land here
because it is part of the national park.
Links to Kita-Io-Jima sites (All in Japanese but photos show what it is
like)
HIRO, on the TV program report of NHK (photo on the top is Kita-Io)
Issei's Homepage
Akio Ishii Archaeology of Kita-IoJima |
