Kanmuri-jima Island (冠島)
Kanmuri-jima Island belongs to Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture. It is also called Oshima(大島), or Oshima(雄島).
Kanmuri-jima Island on the Japan Sea is located approx. 10 km off the coast of Maizuru City. The entire island was designated a national natural monument in 1924 due to its being a breeding place for Calonectris leucomelas,
Along with Kutsu-jima Island, the islands have been designated by Kyoto Prefecture as the Kanmurijima and Kutsujima islands game reserve (collective breeding place) (the total area of both islands is 471 hectares, with 44 hectares being set aside as a special protection area). The island is called "last paradise for Calonectris leucomelas." For this reason, visits to the island are largely banned; however, survey visits are allowed several times a year, and local residents also visit the island every year on the pretext of "Oshima mairi (a visit to Oshima island)."
The island itself, which consists of volcanic rocks (mainly Anzangan rock (andesite)), is mostly surrounded by a vertical cliff and is covered by a virgin forest of evergreen broad-leaved trees such as Machilus thunbergii.
The island can be seen from Oura Peninsula and Mt. Goro-gadake in Maizuru City, and also from Nagu coast in Miyazu City and Kyoga-misaki Cape in Kyotango City which are located at Tango Peninsula.
Island data
Total area: 126.456㎡
Circumference: approx. 4km
Elevation: 169.7m