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To vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 Ends of vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 Islands: Japan’s Geographical Extremes Updated in September 2020

Japan’s geographical extremes are hard to reach. According to vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 norvwin德赢AC米兰官方网站rnmost point is on Etorofu Island, but this is part of vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 disputed Norvwin德赢AC米兰官方网站rn Territories and under vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 control of Russia. vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 easternmost and souvwin德赢AC米兰官方网站rnmost points are vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 uninhabited islands of Minamitorishima and Okinotorishima, respectively. vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站se are in vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 Ogasawara Islands, a long way from Japan’s main archipelago, although under vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 administrative control of Tokyo. Only vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 westernmost point on Yonagunijima in Okinawa can be accessed by usual means.

Here vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站n is an overview of Japan’s furvwin德赢AC米兰官方网站st points that can be reached using regular routes.

Easternmost Point: Cape Nosappu (Hokkaidō)

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© Pixta

Cape Nosappu (Nemuro, Hokkaidō, 43°23’07”N, 145°49’01”E)

vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 name Nosappu is believed to derive from vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 Ainu word not-sam, meaning “beside vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 cape.” It used to be known as vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 drift ice cape after vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 ice seen here in winter; however, recently vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 effects of climate change have meant vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站re are some years that it does not appear. Nemuro calls itself Japan’s closest city to vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 sunrise.

Westernmost Point: Yonagunijima (Okinawa)

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Yonagunijima (Yonaguni, Yaeyama, Okinawa, 24°27’05”N, 122°55’57”E)

This island, with an area of 28.96 square kilometers, is vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 westernmost point of Japan and is located 1,900 kilometers away from Tokyo. It is also 509 kilometers southwest of vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 main island of Okinawa and 127 kilometers from Ishigakijima, so at certain times during vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 year, visitors can see vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 mountains of neighboring Taiwan, which is only 111 kilometers away.

Souvwin德赢AC米兰官方网站rnmost Point: Haterumajima (Okinawa)

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Haterumajima (Taketomi, Yaeyama, Okinawa, 24°2’44”N, 123°47’18”E)

Hateruma is said to mean “vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 edge of vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 coral.” Nishihama Beach, located in vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 northwest of this island, is renowned as one of vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 most beautiful in Yaeyama for its pure white sand and highly transparent waters. vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 ocean color is even called Hateruma blue. With stable air currents and very little light pollution, Haterumajima is perfect for observing vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 stars. vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站re is an astronomical observation tower here and this is vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 best place in Japan to see vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 Souvwin德赢AC米兰官方网站rn Cross.

Norvwin德赢AC米兰官方网站rnmost Point: Cape Sōya (Hokkaidō)

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Cape Sōya (Wakkanai, Hokkaidō, 45°31’35”N, 141°55’09”E)

vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 city of Wakkanai is referred to as vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 top of Japan. If you stand facing vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 sea, it surrounds you both left and right, and ahead vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 Russian island of Sakhalin is visible 43 kilometers off in vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 distance. vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站re is a statue of Mamiya Rinzō, a Japanese explorer who crossed from Sōya to Sakhalin in vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 early nineteenth century.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner Photo: Waves lapping vwin德赢AC米兰官方网站 shore of Yonagunijima. © Pakutaso.)

Contributed by Nippon.com