Not to be confused with Tokyo/Toshima (豊島区), a ward in central Tokyo.

Toshima Island (利島) is a remote fishing village with one of the smallest populations of all the Izu Islands with only around 330 residents. The island is only 4.2 km² with 80% of it covered in Camellia forests.

Understand

bird's-eye view of Toshima Island

The Toshima island has only one small fishing village near the island's port and receives very few tourists all year round. There are few decent beaches and being covered in forest, travel between them is quite difficult unless walking. Between November and March the red Camellia flowers come into full bloom and may be the most popular time of year to visit. However even without these flowers there is still much to gain from the forests of this island, such as unique wildlife and the Saku Lily, which happens to be the largest lily in the world, is present in the summertime.

Get in

Ferries that head to Niijima Island will make a brief stop at Toshima, usually around 07:00. There is one other (much more expensive) way to travel to Toshima which is a 10-minute flight by a private helicopter from Oshima Island.

Getting out is the same way as getting in; catching the ferry off the island via the port at around 07:00 most mornings.

Get around

As the island is covered in forest, the only real way to get around is by walking, however as the island is small, this doesn't usually prove too difficult.