It is the southernmost and the most isolated inhabited island of the Izu archipelago.
The island itself is a giant volcanic crater, and within that crater theres another, smaller volcano.
Aogashima is still considered an active Class-C volcano though it last erupted in the 1780s.
When last erupted it killed nearly half of the islands population and forced the remaining inhabitants to flee.
It took just fifty years for the people to return.
Today, some 200 brave villagers live on the island.
Its believed that the island was formed by the overlapping remnants of at least four submarine calderas.
Aogashima consists of the rims of the inner and outer craters.
It commands a panoramic view of the entire volcano in the Pacific Ocean.
The other option is to take a helicopter provided by Tokyo Island Shuttle Service.
Both of them depart from Hachijojima, with the nearest island some 60km away.
The helicopter runs once a day and carries only a maximum of 9 passengers.
Many times it gets cancelled due to heavy fog, depending on the season.
This is why Aogashima is still a rarely-visited island.
There isnt much to do on Aogashima though, except enjoy the serenity of a tropical paradise.
In the center of the island lies a geothermal sauna.
There is a public facility utilizing the geothermal power and gas and people use it to cook.
This cooker using geothermal steam is available for free.
Steamed fresh vegetables, potatoes or eggs are one of the specialties of Aogashima.
The facility also features a sauna, a public bath, and hot showers.
Aogashima is the smallest village in Japan.
As of 2009, the island’s population was 205 and its decreasing.
The island has a primary school with about 25 students.
Photo credit
See more pictures on thisFlickr set
Sources:Digi escape,Tokyo islands,Wikipedia
