Documentary photographs

  • 本船とラバーボートThe rubber boat (in the foreground of the picture) confirming the current state of the area around Minamikojima Island, and the main boat. The rubber boat went as close as possible to the island and conducted the investigation. The island in the middle is Uotsuri Island. (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)
  • 小型船とラバーボートA small boat (in the back of the picture) and the rubber boat at Uotsuri Island. The rubber boat is going toward the place to conduct the investigation. The small boat conducted fundamental investigations such as measuring water depth in the coastal area slightly outside the rubber boat's area.
    (Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



  • 日の出前後の遠景


  • The investigation team left the Port of Ishigaki at 10 p.m., and approximately 7 hours later at 5 a.m. they arrived in the ocean area around the Senkaku Islands. The shadow of Uotsuri Island was large and black. The small light seen at the lower left of the center of the island is light from a lighthouse.
    (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)



魚釣島北側全景

Rich nature that is dense with Livistona chinensis trees (evergreen palm trees, other names include Kuba). The island seen in the distance on the left side is Kitakojima Island. (Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



魚釣島南側全景

The view is different from that of the North side. Steep vertical cliffs fall straight into the ocean. (Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



  • 入り江(旧船着き場)The rubber boat making its closest approach to the coast on the West side of Uotsuri Island. Ahead of the boat is an inlet (former place for ships to dock) that was made by excavating the reefs when Japanese people operated businesses such as dried bonito manufacturing on the Senkaku Islands. There is a lighthouse at the end of the inlet
  • 遺構・灯台The vicinity of the inlet (former place for ships to dock). This area is flat, and was the center of running businesses such as dried bonito manufacturing and bird feather collecting on Uotsuri Island. The stone wall on the right is a definite trace of such activities.
    (Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



  • 漂着物の散乱Trash, driftwood, and other items that drifted onto and are scattered along a stretch of Uotsuri Island's coast. It is necessary to do something about this as soon as possible. (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)
  • 野生ヤギWild goats on rocks. There are concerns about feeding damage, etc. (plants being turned into grass areas because of wild goats eating the plants, leading to landslides on sloped land). (Photographer: Haruo Ogi



  • 表層土の流失The top portion of the East cape on Uotsuri Island. It is thought that the grass has been cut down by wild goats. Some of the surface soil has been washed away. (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)
  • 表層土の流失The North side of Uotsuri Island. Surface soil is starting to be washed away.
    (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)



  • 傾斜地の崩落The area around the East cape of Uotsuri Island. In the past this area was a breeding ground for albatrosses. The rightward slope on the hump second from the right has landslides due to loss of grass. (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)
  • 傾斜地の崩落The North side of Uotsuri Island. Sloping land is also falling off here.
    (Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



  • 魚釣島の沢水This investigation confirmed 6 water places, including places with water blotches. It seems that this area is a place where wild goats drink water, and the surrounding grass was cut down and turned into a grass area.
    (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)
  • 水の染み出しRocks with water blotches on Uotsuri Island (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)



  • 洞窟A cave on the South side of Uotsuri Island. The entrance is a triangular shape, and its depth is approximately 70m. (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)
  • 洞窟と美しい海The ocean near the cave. The clear ocean illuminated by the strong sunlight was mysterious. (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)



北小島・南小島全景

Kitakojima Island (left side) and Minamikojima Island. A peaked rock juts out on the far right side, and it is said that this was the reason for the name "Senkaku," which means "peak."
(Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



北小島・南小島全景

Kitakojima Island (right side) and Minamikojima Island. The top portion of Kitakojima Island and all of Minamikojima Island are covered in green.
(Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



北小島・南小島の間

The area between Kitakojima Island (on the left) and Minamikojima Island (a width of approximately 200m in narrow places and a depth of approximately 400-500m). The small boat (in the center) and the rubber boat (barely visible in front of the small boat) went back and forth here several times and conducted focused investigations.
(Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)



  • 南小島の遺構と美しい海Facing the North side of Minamikojima Island from between Kitakojima Island and Minamikojima Island. The water depth is relatively shallow, and the area is surrounded by a very clear ocean. The stone wall in the middle is a relic from when Japanese people conducted economic activities here before World War II. (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)
  • 南小島の美しい海This ocean area was in a rare condition of light winds on the day of the investigation, and therefore the waves were small and the ocean was crystal clear. (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)



  • 北小島の岩場Many towering rocks such as these were seen on Kitakojima Island.
    (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)
  • 南小島の難破船A wrecked ship that was stranded on the shore. Several similar wrecked ships were confirmed. The investigation conducted this time was possible because of light winds that are rare in this ocean area. However, the Senkaku Islands are solitary islands in the distant sea, and they are located in a dangerous ocean area that is exposed to strong winds and rough waves.
    (Photographer: Koichi Yamamoto)



  • 魚釣島の岩場で羽を休めるチュウサギIt was confirmed that there are 5 types and approximately 20 egrets on Uotsuri Island and Minamikojima Island. (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)
    *5 types: Cattle egret, little egret, intermediate egret, pacific reef egret, and grey heron
  • 北小島のカツオドリの群れIt was confirmed that there are 2 types and more than 600 brown boobies on Uotsuri Island, Kitakojima Island, and Minamikojima Island.
    (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)
    *2 types: Brown booby and masked booby



  • 南小島のオオアジサシの群れIt was confirmed that there are 3 types and more than 850 terns on Uotsuri Island, Kitakojima Island, and Minamikojima Island.
    (Photographer: Haruo Ogi)
    *Three types: Greater crested tern, bridled tern, and brown noddy
  • 魚釣島周辺のサンゴSimilar corals were also seen near Kitakojima Island.
    (Photographer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government)

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