Location Sea of Japan Area 0.223 km (0.086 sq mi) Width 0.5 km (0.31 mi) | Archipelago no Length 1.3 km (0.81 mi) Coastline 4 km (2.5 mi) | |
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Kanmurijima (冠島) is an island in the Sea of Japan administered under Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture. It is about 2km from Kutsujima, a similar smaller island. A Nakatsu reef (中津ぐり, Nakatsu-guri) is located just midway between islands. A breeding ground for the streaked shearwater, the Kanmurijima island was designated as a Japanese natural monument (天然記念物, tennen-kinenbutsu) in 1924.
Map of Kanmurijima, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
According to records of Tango no kuni fudoki, the Kanmurijima and Kutsujima are the remains of the much larger island which submerged following an earthquake in 701 A.D. The topography of seafloor seems to support the claim, as the steep 60-meters cliff is located underwater off eastern coast of Kanmurijima and Kutsujima, indicating a recent crustal fault. Currently, the island is designated as Kanmurijima-Kutsujima wildlife protection area area and any landing is prohibited. The recreational diving service is available though.