Miyake-jima (三宅島?) is an island in the Izu group, southeast of Honshū, Japan, administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, with an area of 55.50 km². The island, 180 km south of Tokyo, is located at 34.5N and 139.34E. As of January 1, 2006, the population of the island is 2884. Like other islands in the Izu Island group, Miyake-jima forms part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
Miyake Village (三宅村, Miyake-mura?) serves as the local government of the island. Village is used in the sense of a municipality in this context, which also encloses nearby tiny uninhabited Ōnoharajima WSW of it Miyake-jima Island. The seat of the local government is in the village (in the traditional sense) of Tsubota on the southeast coast of Miyake Island.
The island is a granitic composite cone in origin, and the main volcano, Mount Oyama, has erupted several times in recent history. A lava flow in 1940 killed 11 people, and other eruptions occurred in 1962 and 1983. [1]
On July 14, 2000, Mount Oyama began another series of eruptions, and by September, the island was completely evacuated. After a four-year period of volcanic emissions, residents were allowed to return permanently on February 1, 2005. After the eruption, there has been a constant flow of sulfuric gas coming from Mount Oyama (see link).