Kerama Islands
Template:Short description Template:Infobox islands The Template:Nihongo are a subtropical island group Template:Convert southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan.
Geography
Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island.<ref>Template:Usurped. Open Coast Travel.</ref> The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Village within Shimajiri District.<ref>Special Feature #1 : Seas of Okinawa -The Kerama Islands- Template:Webarchive, Okinawa Prefecture</ref> The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The archipelago consists of the following islands (-jima/-shima) – inhabited ones are highlighted in blue – and rocks (other suffixes, unnamed entries) with an area of at least 0.01 km2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Beaches
These are notable beaches of the Kerama Islands:
| Name | Island | Japanese name |
|---|---|---|
| Aharen Beach | Tokashiki Island | 阿波連ビーチ（渡嘉敷島） |
| Tokashiku Beach | Tokashiki Island | 渡嘉志久ビーチ（渡嘉敷島） |
| Ama Beach | Zamami Island | 阿真ビーチ（座間味島） |
| Furuzamami Beach | Zamami Island | 古座間味ビーチ（座間味島） |
| Kitahama Beach | Aka Island | 北浜ビーチ（阿嘉島） |
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Ama beach in Zamami island
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Aharen Beach on Tokashiki Island
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Tokashiku beach on Tokashiki Island
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Tokashiku beach
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Flora
The archipelago has several extensive coral reefs. Two of them were designated as Ramsar sites in November 2005: a 120-hectare area along the west coast of Tokashiki-jima and around Hanari-jima, and a 233-hectare area around Ijakaja-jima, Gahi-jima and Agenashiku-jima, i.e., between Aka Island and Zamami Island. These reefs are home to 248 different coral species, most notably of the Acropora genus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On March 5, 2014, the waters and the islands were placed under protection as Kerama Shotō National Park.
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Coral reef, Aka island
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Coral reef, Aka island
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Clownfish, Aka island
Fauna
The islands of Aka, Fukaji, Geruma and Yakabi provide the sole natural habitat of the endangered Kerama deer (Cervus nippon keramae), thought to be an introduced population of the Japanese sika deer in the early 17th century that has since adapted to their island environment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
The Kerama islands were historically part of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429–1879), when islanders were employed as navigators on the kingdom’s trading vessels to China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During World War II and preliminary to the Battle of Okinawa, soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division landed in the Kerama Islands on March 26, 1945. Further landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. Kerama was used as a staging area for the assault on Okinawa. During the battle the first civilian mass suicides that later marked the Battle of Okinawa took place.Template:Citation needed The first US Navy ship to anchor in the harbor was Template:USS, a small "jeep" carrier.Template:Citation needed
Thereafter, the archipelago, like the rest of the Ryukyu Islands, was under US military administration before being returned to Japan in 1972.
The Kerama islands was the site of a true story about romance between two dogs who lived on neighboring islands that was made into the 1988 Japanese film I Want to See Marilyn (Marilyn ni Aitai).<ref>Template:IMDb title</ref> It is now a popular beach and diving destination for visitors to Okinawa.
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The 77th Infantry Division on Zamami Island during World War II
Transportation
The Kerama Islands are served by the Kerama Airport, located on Fukaji Island.<ref>Map showing islands of Zamami Village Template:Webarchive</ref> Regular ferries are also available from Naha to the three largest islands, Aka, Zamami, and Tokashiki. Ferries between the islands are also available, as are boat tours.