Mikura Island

An island in the Izu Islands of Tokyo. It belongs to Mikurajima Village, Miyake Subprefecture, Tokyo. It is a volcanic island made of andesitic lava and eruption, with an area of ​​20.58 square kilometers. In the center is Mt. Oyama (851 meters), the second highest peak in the Izu Islands. It is surrounded by sea cliffs, with a cliff of 480 meters high on the southwest coast, and the entire island is included in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. There is no good port, but port facilities are well developed, and there is a regular ferry from Takeshiba, Tokyo. There are rivers, such as the Hirashimizu River and the Oshimawake River, which are rare in the Izu Islands, and they never dry up all year round, and there are many waterfalls, so the island is blessed with water. It has a hot and humid subtropical climate, and strong seasonal winds. The island is characterized by old mulberry trees and natural forests of Japanese oak and boxwood all over the island. At one time it was uninhabited, but in the early modern period there were residents, and in the early 18th century it separated from Miyakejima to form a village. Since the Edo period, the residents have maintained their livelihoods through a system of rice subsidies, whereby boxwood was shared and sold to purchase daily necessities and distribute them free of charge, but this was completely abolished in 1939 (Showa 14). The residents continued to live off the forests, selling boxwood and special timber, and processing boxwood into combs, but after World War II, demand fell due to the rise of imported timber and chemical products, and now the main industries are fishing for bonito and takabe, cultivating Calanthe fragrans, and tourism. The residents are unable to produce their own food, so they have relocated. Population 294 (2009).

[Kikuchi Masao]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京都伊豆諸島にある島。東京都三宅(みやけ)支庁御蔵島村に属し、安山岩質溶岩と噴出物とからなる火山島で、面積20.58平方キロメートル。中央に伊豆諸島中第二の高峰御山(おやま)（851メートル）がある。周囲は海食崖(がい)が発達し、南西岸は高さ480メートルもの断崖になっており、全島が富士箱根伊豆国立公園域に含まれる。良港はないが港湾施設は整備され、東京竹芝から定期船がある。平清水(ひらしみず)川、大島分(おおしまわけ)川など、伊豆諸島では珍しく河川があって、年中水のかれることがなく、飛瀑(ひばく)も多く水に恵まれている。高温多湿の亜熱帯性気候で、季節風も激しい。全島にクワの老木とシイ、ツゲの天然林があるのが特色。一時、無人島であったが、近世初期には住民がみられ、18世紀初めに三宅島から分離して一村を形成した。江戸時代から、ツゲ材を共有、販売して生活必需品を購入し、無償で配布する扶持米(ふちまい)制度があって住民の生活を維持してきたが、1939年（昭和14）完全に廃止された。ツゲや特殊材を販売したり、ツゲを櫛(くし)に加工したりする山林依存の生活は続いてきたが、第二次世界大戦後は輸入材や化学製品に押されて需要が低下、現在はカツオ、タカベなどの漁業とニオイエビネランの栽培、観光が主産業。食糧の自給はできず移入している。人口294（2009）。

［菊池万雄］

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