Tobishima Island 飛島

Japan isolated

Tobishima is an island in the Sea of Japan, located off Sakata, in Yamagata Prefecture. A small island in the northern Sea of Japan, it has been inhabited since the Jomon period (from 14,000 to 300 BC) and offers visitors the chance to see a Japan that is still picturesque and preserved from the tremors of modernity.

The small island in the north of Japan

Tobishima is a pocket-sized island, approximately 3 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, rising 68 meters above sea level.

This piece of land has been inhabited since the Jomon period (14,000, -300 BC) and, after passing under the empire of the Abe and Kiyohara clans, was attached to the Shônai domain. The island was also a homeport for ships on the Kitamaebune trade route.

Since 1950, Tobishima, where a few hundred inhabitants now live, has been attached to the municipality of Sakata, from which it is nevertheless 39 kilometers away.

Tobishima Island seen from above

Wikipedia

A rich nature

Bird-watching tourists flock to the island when nearly 270 species migrate across the island and roost there, such as the black-tailed gull.

Tobishima also has preserved flora, it takes 75 min by ferry to reach the east coast where the fishing villages are located. The territory of the island is thus almost entirely wooded, with forests of Eurya Japonica which can be thick.

The black-tailed gull

Wikipedia

A limited tourist offer

Tobishima's charm lies in its smallness. At the time of mass tourism, it has for it to be able to accommodate only a few tourists.

Indeed, the island has only 13 ryokan and guesthouses in all, closed throughout the winter, from November to April. There are few restaurants, and no banks or ATMs. So plan your trip well!

The positive side is that a bike ride – free rental on the Katsura port side – offers a real feeling of a change of scenery!

Onsen on the shores of Tobishima Island

Wiki commons


Address, timetable & access

  • Address

  • Timetable

    75 min by ferry from Sakata Port (adult ticket price: 4,200 yen; child ticket price: 2,100 yen)

Latest Articles

Akita

Akita City

Akita dominates the west coast of Tohoku, facing the Sea of Japan.

Hanamaki

Discover the beauty of Hanamaki, a town full of history and a gem of Iwate prefecture. Nestled in the mountains, today the town is popular for its onsen, volcanic natural hot springs. 

Sakura tunnel

Kakunodate

Each spring in this city in the north of Tohoku, the cherry blossoms bloom at the bottom of the black palisades hiding secret houses.