Tokara Islands, Island group in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
Tokara Islands are an island group in Kagoshima Prefecture that stretches roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles) between Yakushima and Amami-Oshima and consists of twelve volcanic isles. Seven of these are inhabited and offer small settlements, while the remaining five stay uninhabited and feature mostly steep coasts and dense forest.
In 699 records from the Shoku Nihongi mention an island called Tokan, later linked to this archipelago. The isles sat for centuries on a maritime route between the Ryukyu territories and the Japanese heartland, fostering trade and cultural exchange.
The name comes from the old word Tokan and links this chain to early trade routes across East Asia. On the inhabited isles you can still see stone walls and wooden houses that show the influence of Okinawa and mainland Japan, while village communities farm shared fields and hold local festivals with dances and drums.
A ferry connects the isles twice a week from Kagoshima port, with the crossing to the first inhabited isle taking over six hours. Visitors planning to reach the more remote ones should bring flexible travel plans, as weather often affects schedules.
On Takarajima island lives the Tokara horse, a rare native breed that adapted over centuries to the subtropical climate and is known for its endurance. These small horses still move freely across the hills and pastures of the isle.
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