Sotobanari Island, Uninhabited island in Yaeyama Islands, Japan
Sotobanari Island is an uninhabited island in the Yaeyama Island group located off the coast of Iriomote. It sits isolated in the East China Sea and depends on supply routes from nearby island settlements due to its remote position.
The island was long administered by Japanese authorities as part of Taketomi township in Okinawa Prefecture. This governance structure continues to define its legal status and protected designation.
The name comes from Japanese words meaning outer distant island, which reflects how the Ryukyu islanders thought about their geography. This naming reflects the perspective of people who lived among these scattered islands.
The island has no access to fresh water and lacks any infrastructure for extended visits. Anyone staying there requires regular supply deliveries by boat from neighboring settlements.
From 1989 to 2018, hermit Masafumi Nagasaki lived alone on the island, receiving supplies through weekly boat trips that took about an hour. His decades-long isolated residence makes it a remarkable example of extreme solitude in modern Japan.
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