Keise Islands

Keise Islands
Chibishi Islands
Geography
Coordinates26°15′34″N 127°33′53″E / 26.25944°N 127.56472°E / 26.25944; 127.56472
Archipelago
Adjacent toEast China Sea
Total islands3
Administration
PrefectureOkinawa
DistrictShimajiri
VillageTokashiki

The Keise Islands (Japanese: 慶伊瀬島, Hepburn: Keisejima), also known as the Chibishi Islands (Okinawan: チービシ諸島) or Chibishi Atolls (Okinawan: チービシ環礁), are a group of three coral islands within the Okinawa Islands, 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the archipelago's main island. They constitute the eastern end of the Kerama Islands, a subgroup of the Okinawa Islands. As with the rest of the Kerama Islands, the Keise Islands are administered by the village of Tokashiki in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The islands are a popular day-trip site for tourists, particularly divers.

The Keise Islands were an important artillery site for the United States during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa in the final months of World War II. US forces captured and occupied the islands until 1972, when all of Okinawa Prefecture was returned to Japan.

Geography

The Keise Islands, from largest to smallest, are Kamiyama Island (神山島), Nagannu Island (ナガンヌ島), and Kuefu Island (クエフ島). They are the easternmost of the Kerama Islands and lie just 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of Okinawa Island.[1][2][3] Administratively, they are part of the village of Tokashiki in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.[1]

Kamiyama Island is sometimes considered two islands because a tidal island is formed during high tide.[4] It has a fully-automatic lighthouse that was first lit in 1972.[1] The lamp is solar-powered and uses a 390 candela, bright LED light, visible from up to 7.5 nautical miles (13.9 kilometres; 8.6 miles).[5] Remnants of materiel used in the Battle of Okinawa remain on the island.[1]

Nagannu Island (also Nangandu), its name meaning "long" in Okinawan, is an elongated, boomerang-shaped island; Kuefu Island resembles its smaller counterpart.[1]

Keise Islands
Name Area (km2) Elevation (m) Coordinates
Kamiyama Island (神山島) 0.29 11 26°15′42″N 127°34′45″E / 26.26167°N 127.57917°E / 26.26167; 127.57917 (Kamiyama-shima)
Nagannu Island (ナガンヌ島) 0.29 8 26°15′57″N 127°32′51″E / 26.26583°N 127.54750°E / 26.26583; 127.54750 (Nagannu-jima)
Kuefu Island (クエフ島) 0.02 2 26°15′1″N 127°33′39″E / 26.25028°N 127.56083°E / 26.25028; 127.56083 (Kuefu-jima)

History

Historically, the Keise Islands were uninhabited and fishermen set up temporary dwellings only during the fishing season.[6] During the 1945 Battle of Okinawa in the final months of World War II, the United States set up artillery guns on Kamiyama Island to support amphibious landings on Okinawa Island.[1][6] US forces captured the islands on March 31, 1945, and occupied them until Okinawa Prefecture was returned to Japan on May 15, 1972.[7]

Fauna

The Keise Islands are a protected area for the common tern.[3]

Tourism and transport

Nagannu Island and Kuefu Island have resort facilities and are popular day-trip destinations for tourists, particularly divers. In contrast, Kamiyama Island has not been developed and most of the natural greenery remains untouched; it is thus the least popular of the Keise Islands among tourists.[1][8][9][10] Accordingly, there are ferries from Naha to Nagannu Island and Kuefu Island, but Kamiyama Island can only be reached by charter boat.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 慶伊瀬島［神山島・ナガンヌ島・クエフ島］（別名チービシ） [Keise Islands [Kamiyama Island, Nagannu Island, Kuefu Island] (also known as Chibishi)]. Shimadas (in Japanese). September 7, 2004. Archived from the original on January 27, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  2. ^ 環境脆弱性指標図（慶良間列島－6） [Environmental Sensitivity Index Map (Kerama Islands – 6)] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Coast Guard. February 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Davey, Jo (July 10, 2024). Okinawa & Japan's Southwest Islands. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 303. ISBN 978-1-80469-291-2. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  4. ^ Rottman, Gordon L. (December 30, 2001). World War II Pacific Island Guide: A Geo-Military Study. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 436. ISBN 978-0-313-07558-2. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  5. ^ 神山島灯台 [Kamiyama Island Lighthouse]. Map of Lighthouses in Okinawa Prefecture (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Grehan, John (January 5, 2024). Okinawa: The Last Naval Battle of WW2: The Official Admiralty Account of Operation Iceberg. Frontline Books. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-3990-9194-7. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  7. ^ Grehan 2024, p. 57.
  8. ^ チービシ諸島ってどんなところ？神山島・ナガンヌ島・クエフ島それぞれの魅力＆おすすめのツアーをご紹介 [What are the Chibishi Islands like? Introducing the charms of Kamiyama Island, Nagannu Island, and Kuefu Island, and recommended tours]. Kerama Tours (in Japanese). February 20, 2025. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  9. ^ チービシってどんな場所？ [What kind of place is Chibishi?]. Okinawa Happy Island Parasailing (in Japanese). 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  10. ^ "Your first Uninhabited Island in Okinawa". MyPlace Okinawa. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
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