- published: 17 Aug 2013
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Okinotorishima (沖ノ鳥島?) is an atoll, which in English has multiple designations (Okinotori coral reefs, Okinotori Islands). Its original name was Parece VelaSpanish for "looks like a sail" (alluding to the original appearance of the reef). This name has been retained in English as well, especially to designate the geological formations of the islets.
It is located on the Palau-Kyushu Ridge in the Philippine Sea at 20°25′N 136°05′E / 20.417°N 136.083°E / 20.417; 136.083Coordinates: 20°25′N 136°05′E / 20.417°N 136.083°E / 20.417; 136.083, 534 km (332 mi) SE of Oki Daitō and 567 km (352 mi) WSW of Minami Iwo Jima of the Ogasawara Islands or 1,740 km (1,080 mi) south of Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese meaning of the name is "remote bird islands" and they are sometimes referred to as "the southernmost islands of Japan".
It was possibly first sighted by the Spanish sailor Bernardo de la Torre in 1543, certainly by Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565, and its first recorded name was Parece Vela ("looks like a sail" in Spanish).