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The Japan Coast Guard says that a new isle created by a volcanic eruption off Japan's coast on Nov 20 has doubled in size.
The coast guard said that its area was an estimated 200 meters in diameter one day after it appeared, but as of Dec 13, it was about 400 meters east to west due to continuing lava flows, Jiji Press reported.
Lava that was dramatically vented when an undersea volcano began erupting last month cooled and solidified above the surface of the sea, creating the small isle 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo.
© Japan Today
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Darryl Woodrow
better hurry before China make it a no fly zone..
Peeping_Tom
RedactedbyFemiKnotseez
At least check your facts before talking/posting.
The island in question is part of the Ogasawara chain; I'll leave it to you to find out what the Ogasawaras are.
Okinotorishima has got NOTHING to do with this.
Peeping_Tom
"Tokyo, Nov 21 (Prensa Latina) A small island of about 200m wide 300m long was born a thousand miles south of the capital due to strong submarine volcanic activity in the Pacific Ocean, the Japan Coast Guard reported today. The new island is located southeast of the uninhabited volcanic island Nishinoshima, which belongs to the small islands of Ogasawara"
http://www.osakanews.net/index.php/sid/218556714/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044
"The island is about 660 feet (200 meters) in diameter, according to the Japanese coast guard. It sits off the coast of Nishinoshima, itself a small, uninhabited island in a group of about 30 islands known as the Bonin Islands, or the Ogasawara chain"
http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2013/11/131121-japan-volcano-new-island-eruption-science/
Again, this has nothing to do with Okinotorishima; really don't know where you're getting your info from!
This is well inside Japanese waters, not even the Chinese would dare claim them.
Only you seem to be making a non-existent comparison with the Okinotorishima atol.
Fox Cloud Lelean
Sweet. Keep growing little island. Hmm, we need a name for it. Any suggestions? While we're at it, better plant a Japanese flag on it before the big red cockroach tries to claim it. We all know they would if they could. I'm just waiting for the Ming Dynasty map that allegedly shows the islet as Chinese territory to come out and say Hi.
nath
Excellent. Maybe it will join up with the mainland eventually.
kickboard
No. This island is literally right next to an island which belongs to the Ogasawara islands. By no means is it the Southernmost or Easternmost either, as it is closer to Honshu than Iwo Jima or Chichijima.
Fadamor
It still could sink under the waves once the lava is expended and the dome collapses. I'd hold off contacting a realtor any time soon.
Louis Tan
I believe this island belongs to China.
Elbuda Mexicano
Well, maybe we can get a nice new Hawaii type island near Tokyo??
RedactedbyFemiKnotseez
Yes, considering the Ogasawaras I should have said "so much" of the claim is based on Okinotorishima, but certainly not all.
I said so many of Japan's claims were ridiculous. I did not say they were not without complications.
The relevance of Okinotorishima was explained. Japan needs a legit point to plot a legit EEZ, and this new island appears to be the most southernmost point of Japan's holdings to do it.
RedactedbyFemiKnotseez
Hard to believe that anyone would drag China into this.
Japan's original claim to this area, 1000 km south of Tokyo, is based on Okinotorishima, even further south of Tokyo, and in no way deserving of the title of "island" upon which Japan has underhandedly claimed massive amounts of ocean as its EEZ.
This new island is a boon for Japan because it can actually be called an island under international law and as it seems Japan found it first, they can actually make a legitimate claim on it, if only it will last.
But the point I want to impress upon you is that so many of Japan's territorial claims do more than rival China's. They trump them in point of ridiculousness.