The Izu-Islands (伊豆諸島) are a chain of islands in Japan which range from the southeast of the Izu-Peninsula of Honshu into south direction of the Pacific Ocean.
They are located 100 to 650 km south from the Japanese metropolis Tokyo but belong administratively to the prefecture of Tokyo.
The islands have volcanic elements and are located on the same ridge like the Ogasawara-Islands in the far South.
The Izu-Islands are part of the "Fuji-Hakone-Izu-National Park" and are famous for their beautiful nature and water sports sucha as swimming, diving, snorekling, fishing and surfing.
The following islands belong to the Izu-Archipelago:
- Izu-Oshima (伊豆大島)
- Toshima (利島)
- Udoneshima (鵜渡根島)
- Niijima (新島)
- Shikinejima (式根島)
- Kozushima (神津島)
- Miyakejima (三宅島)
- Mikurajima (御蔵島)
- Hachijoujima (八丈島)
- Aogashima (青ヶ島)
- Sumisujima (須美寿島)
- Izu-Torishima (伊豆鳥島)
- Sofugan (孀婦岩)
Izu-Oshima or simply Oshima is the biggest and northernmost island. Because it is the closest island to Tokyo, many tourists visit there for its active volcano "Mihara", which is 758 m high.
In the Edo-Period, escpecially Miyake and Hachijou had been used as places of exile for criminals.
The approx. 3000 residents of Miyake had been evacuated in year 2000 because of a predicable eruption of the also very active volcano "Oyama" (815 m). Most of them returned to Miyake in 2005.
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