Meet Wild Dolphins Near Tokyo In Mikurashima!

Have you ever heard of an island called Mikurashima before? This island is currently gaining attention as it is being developed into an eco-tourism hotspot.

The main feature of Mikurashima is its naturalness. With the ocean surrounding it, untold numbers of wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins call this area home, and as a result, of the magnificent views afforded here, many tourists stop by each year. Today, let's take a virtual tour of Mikurashima via Google Street View and get a 360 degree look at the abundant nature to be found there.

Part of Tokyo Floating in the Pacific - Mikurashima

Mikurashima is a small island floating in the Pacific. While classified as part of the Izu islands group, Mikurashima is counted as part of the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

Located roughly 200 kilometers south of Tokyo, the natural beauty of this island has remained relatively untouched.

Mikurashima can be accessed by either air or sea. However, there are no direct flights to this island. In order to reach the island, you will have to first fly from Haneda Airport to Hachijō Island or fly from Chōfu Airport to Ōshima or Miyakejima then take either the ferry or a helicopter to Mikurashima itself.

If you want to take just the ferry, you should depart from Takeshiba wharf, where you will first stop at Miyakejima before reaching Mikurashima. Takeshiba wharf may be accessed from Daimon station on the Asakusa line, JR Hamamatsuchō station, or Takeshiba station on the Yurikamome line. If you leave at night, you will arrive at Mikurashima in the morning.

Mikurashima - Home of Ecotourism

An abundant expanse of blue ocean spreads out right before your eyes. This is Mikurashima. Unusual for an island, Mikurashima is covered in primeval forest and has beech and other large trees spreading out across it.

Many different types of fish live near this island as well, thanks to the abundant nutrients and fresh water pouring off into the ocean and giving rise to lots of plankton. This in turn draws Mikurashima's greatest attraction: the dolphins come to the outskirts of the island to gorge themselves on the fish.

The vast majority of tourists to Mikurashima come every year from April to November during dolphin-watching season. What a precious experience it must be to swim with the wild dolphins. By all means, please try this once in your lifetime.

See All of Mikurashima from High Ground

If you stand on higher ground, you will find yourself surrounded by almost impossibly beautiful scenery: the brilliant greens of the landscape, vivid blue waters and soft white clouds. On Google Street View here, you can see the north-west of Mikurashima where Mikurashima Harbor is located. This is the only harbor in all of Mikurashima, making it the front door to the island.

As the harbor was built in such a way that it appears to cling to the cliffs, in order to reach the harbor from the village, detours along hill roads had to be designed. For that reason, it may seem a bit difficult if you elect to walk to the harbor.

Mikurashima harbor not only hosts large ships but is also the anchorage site of the island's fishing boats. As the scale of the harbor is on the small side, there are careful restrictions on the size of the boats that may dock at it. Thanks to the careful adherence to the rules of the island fishing industry, Mikurashima harbor has continuously played the role of the safe front door to the island.

Dolphin Watching Hill

Just on top of the hill road overlooking Mikurashima harbor you will find the Dolphin Watching Hill. As you have a near panoramic view, if you stand on this point during the dolphin season, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the dolphins as they swim about below you.

But, if you can't see the dolphins, at the very least you have this picturesque scenery to enjoy. Unfortunately, the street view footage was taken on an overcast day, but on sunny days you can fully appreciate the painting-like colors of the land and seascape. If you click the street view screen and face it forward, you can see the ocean view from the Dolphin Watching Hill, so please take a look around at the sights via this service.

In Conclusion

What do you think of the scenery here at Mikurashima? Thanks to Google Street View and the hard work of the people that live in Mikurashima, anyone can have a taste of the gorgeous scenery that they see throughout the day, every day. Thanks to the efforts of the islanders, you can enjoy this incredible 360 degree view of their home.

From spring to summer, you can enjoy the Mikurashima Dolphin Swim tours. Like the townspeople, if you follow the rules and behave with good manners, you too can enjoy the unspoiled nature and impressive scenery of Mikurashima to your heart's content.

Information

Mikurashima Town Hall
Address: Tokyo, Mikurashima Island, Jinyukanegasawa
Phone Number: 04994-8-2121 (Mikurashima Town Hall)
Homepage: Mikurashima Town (Japanese)