Keise Islands

The Keise Islands , also known as the Chibishi Islands or Chibishi Atolls, are a group of three coral islands within the Okinawa Islands, 8 kilometers from the archipelago's main island. They constitute the eastern end of the Kerama Islands, a subgroup of the Okinawa Islands. As with the rest of the Kerama Islands, the Keise Islands are administered by the village of Tokashiki in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The islands are a popular day-trip site for tourists, particularly divers.

Geography

The Keise Islands, from largest to smallest, are , , and . They are the easternmost of the Kerama Islands and lie just west of Okinawa Island. Administratively, they are part of the village of Tokashiki in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It has a fully-automatic lighthouse that was first lit in 1972. Remnants of materiel used in the Battle of Okinawa remain on the island. Nagannu Island (also Nangandu), its name meaning "long" in Okinawan, is an elongated, boomerang-shaped island; Kuefu Island resembles its smaller counterpart. == History ==

History

('Long Toms') set up on Kamiyama Island during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa to support the landing of the Tenth United States Army on Okinawa Island Historically, the Keise Islands were uninhabited and fishermen set up temporary dwellings only during the fishing season. During the 1945 Battle of Okinawa in the final months of World War II, the United States set up artillery guns on Kamiyama Island to support amphibious landings on Okinawa Island. US forces captured the islands on March 31, 1945, and occupied them until Okinawa Prefecture was returned to Japan on May 15, 1972. == Fauna ==

Fauna

The Keise Islands are a protected area for the common tern. == Tourism and transport ==

Tourism and transport

Nagannu Island and Kuefu Island have resort facilities and are popular day-trip destinations for tourists, particularly divers. In contrast, Kamiyama Island has not been developed and most of the natural greenery remains untouched; it is thus the least popular of the Keise Islands among tourists. Accordingly, there are ferries from Naha to Nagannu Island and Kuefu Island, but Kamiyama Island can only be reached by charter boat. == References ==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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