Ogasawara Islands

The Ogasawara Islands lie roughly a thousand kilometres south of Tokyo and belong to it administratively, which is one of the odder facts of Japanese geography. They have never been connected to a continent, so plants, snails and birds evolved in isolation, and UNESCO listed them in 2011 for exactly that. There is no airport. A single passenger ship runs from Takeshiba pier and takes about twenty-four hours, and its schedule sets the shape of every visit: you arrive, and you leave when it leaves, usually five or six days later. Chichijima and Hahajima hold the settlements, and the rest are closed or need a guide.

What you actually see

• The crossing - twenty-four hours of open ocean each way on the only public link.
• Whale and dolphin trips - humpbacks in winter, sperm whales and dolphins in summer.
• Endemic snails and birds - the quiet reason for the World Heritage listing.
• Minamijima - a limestone islet with a sunken bay, entered on guided visits under a quota.

When to go

Ships sail roughly weekly and the timetable is published well ahead, so the length of the trip is decided for you. Humpback season runs about February to April, sperm whales and swimming weather from June to October. Typhoons can delay sailings in late summer. Cabins, especially the cheaper berths, sell out early for holiday departures.

Honest expectations

There is no way to shorten or extend a visit, no flights, and no leaving early if the weather turns or you dislike the place. The crossing is long and rough enough to matter if you get seasick. Everything on the islands costs more because it arrived by that same ship, accommodation is limited, and several areas can only be entered with a licensed guide.

Nearby

Hahajima, two hours further south by local ferry, is the only other inhabited island.