Ogasawara Islands (Chichijima)
Open by month
Open in January. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in February — at its best. Humpback whale watching, best from February to April.
Open in March — at its best. Humpback whale watching, best from February to April.
Open in April — at its best. Humpback whale watching, best from February to April.
Open in May. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in June. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in July. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in August. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in September. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in October. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in November. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in December. No seasonal closure recorded.
Checked against the official site on 2026-10-15.
A subtropical island about 1,000 km south of central Tokyo, reached only by a 24-hour ferry. The Ogasawara Islands, known for "Bonin Blue" seas and many endemic species, became a World Natural Heritage site in 2011.
World Natural Heritage (Ogasawara Islands)
Nearby
- Kominato Beach (Chichijima) ≈ 15 min by car
- Minamijima Island (Ogigaike) ≈ 30 min by car
Travel times are rough estimates by car.
- Best time
- February, March, April — Humpback whale watching, best from February to April
- Getting there
- Ogasawara Kaiun ferry "Ogasawara-maru" from Takeshiba Pier (7 min walk from JR Hamamatsucho Sta.), about 24 hours. It is the only regular way to reach the island
Few buses — check times or join a tour - Fee
- Ferry fare required (varies by season)
- Good to know
- The ferry sails every 3–4 days in peak season and about once a week otherwise. Minami-jima allows only 100 visitors a day, with a Tokyo-certified nature guide
- Time needed
- 3 h
Checked against the official Japanese website on 2026-10-15. Report outdated info