Ogasawara Islands (Chichijima)

A World Natural Heritage archipelago some 24 hours by boat from Tokyo, dubbed the ‘Galápagos of the Orient’, where you can go whale watching and swim with dolphins.

The Ogasawara Islands lie in the Pacific about 1,000 km south of Tokyo and belong administratively to Ogasawara Village, Tokyo. The group consists of more than 30 islands, including Chichijima and Hahajima. Never connected to a continent, the islands evolved a wealth of endemic land snails, plants and birds, earning them the nickname ‘Galápagos of the Orient’, and they were inscribed as a World Natural Heritage Site in 2011. Visitors base themselves on Chichijima: the Omura area beside Futami Port has most of the accommodation and restaurants, and nearby are beaches such as Miyanohama and Kominato Beach, as well as viewpoints including Mount Asahi, Nakayama Pass and the Weather Station Observatory. Boat trips run to Minamijima, the Anijima Seto strait and Hahajima. There is no airport; the only way in is the Ogasawara Maru ferry from Takeshiba Pier in Tokyo, which takes about 24 hours one way and makes a round trip roughly every 6 days. The shortest possible trip is 2 nights on board plus 3 nights on the island, so book ferry tickets and accommodation well in advance. The climate is warm year-round: January–April is humpback whale season, May–October is ideal for snorkeling, swimming and swimming with dolphins, and during the rainy season you can search at night for the glowing ‘green pepe’ mushrooms. Areas such as Minamijima can only be visited with a certified guide, and you should clean the soles of your shoes before landing or hiking to avoid introducing non-native species.

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