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Aogashima

Aogashima Island

The island of Aogashima, Japan is the southernmost and most isolated populated island in the Izu archipelago in the Philippine Sea, 358.4 kilometres (222.7 mi) south of central Tokyo, and 71.4 kilometres (44.4 mi) south of Hachijojima, its nearest populated neighbor.

Aogashima Village

Its only community, Aogashima Village is the least populous municipality in the whole of Japan. It is divided into two small hamlets, Yasundogo in the east and Nishigo in the west. Warmed by the Kuroshio Current, the island has a warmer and wetter climate than central Tokyo.

Part of the community lies within the caldera
of the volcano which formed the island.

The volcano is still active and waiting to erupt again.

During a major volcanic eruption in 1785, a large number of islanders perished, and the remainder were evacuated to Hachijojima. An 1835 census reported 241 inhabitants (133 men, 108 women), mostly engaged in fishing.

The volcano is still active and waiting to
erupt again.

It is uncertain when human settlement first began on Aogashima, but the island was known to be inhabited in the early Edo period(1603-1867) and is mentioned in historical records kept by the Tokugawa shogunate in Hachijojima.

The Island's port

Here's how they get there (note the road on the right)

Fishing and subsistence agriculture are the mainstays of the economy of Aogashima, with a small number of tourists and sports fishermen providing seasonal income.

Due to its lack of natural harbors and strong currents, Aogashima has always been difficult to access. The wharf at the island’s only port, Sanbo, can handle small ships of up to 500 tons, and is unusable during times of high waves and inclement weather. Toho Air also provides chartered helicopter service to the island from Hachijojima.

Because Aogashima has a small population, there is one school that is available to elementary and junior high school students. Students who wish to go to senior high must take the daily helicopter to get to school at Hachijojima, 44 miles away.

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If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, please take a look at the following web sites for more:

Wikipedia
Tofugu.com
Tops Travel web site
Go Japan (history of the volcano)