Iriomote Island

Iriomote (西表島 Iriomote-jima) is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself.

Despite its having an area of 289 km² the island's total population is less than 2,000, and infrastructure is limited to a single coastal road connecting the hamlets on the northern and eastern shores. The island does not have an airstrip, and most visitors — over 150,000 in 2003 — arrive from Ishigaki by ferry. Administratively the island belongs to Taketomi District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Geography and climate

Iriomote has a subtropical marine climate. The average yearly temperature is 23.4°C (74.1°F), and the average monthly temperature ranges from 17.6°C (63.7°F) in January to 28.4°C (83.1°F) in July. Iriomote has a typhoon season that, on average, runs from June to September.

90% of the island is covered by dense subtropical jungle and mangrove swamps. 80% of the island is protected state land, and 34.3% of the island forms the Iriomote National Park. The highest point on the island is Mt. Komi (古見岳 Komidake) at 470 meters.

The island is famed for the Iriomote Cat (Prionailurus iriomotensis; Japanese: 西表山猫 Iriomote-yamaneko), an endangered nocturnal wildcat found only on Iriomote and considered by some to be its own species. There are estimated to be only about 100 Iriomote cats left in the wild.

Culture

The Iriomote dialect of the Yaeyama language is spoken by some on the island.

History

Until the end of World War II, Iriomote was largely uninhabited due to its infestation by malaria. It was used primarily as agricultural land to grow rice. Additionally, during the war some residents of Ishigaki were forcibly made to take refuge in Iriomote, some of whom contracted malaria.

After the war, the US Forces in Japan eradicated malaria from the island, and the island has been malaria free since. Apart from tourism, the island economy is sustained by agricultural production, primarily of pineapple, and fishing.

Gallery

Urauchi-gawa: The Urauchi River - the longest river in Okinawa.
Mariyudō-no-taki: The Mariyudö waterfall on the Urauchi River.
Kampire-no-taki: A section of the Kampire waterfall on the Urauchi River.
Pinaisara-no-taki: The Pinaisara waterfall on the north of the island.
Mangrove: Mangrove on the Nakama River
Sakishimasuou tree: Said to be the biggest and oldest mangrove tree in Japan.
Hoshizuna-no-hama: People looking for star sand on Star Sand Beach.
Star sand: Star sand on Hoshizuna-no-hama.