Hachijō Subprefecture

Hachijō Subprefecture (八丈支庁, Hachijō-shichō) is a subprefecture of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The organization of government belongs to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau Of General Affairs.

Hachijō Subprefecture 八丈支庁
Hachijō-shichō
Location of Hachijō Subprefecture in the Tokyo Metropolis
Prefecture	Tokyo Metropolis
Capital	Hachijō
Area
• Total	78.6 km2 (30.3 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2023)
• Total	8,790
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Website	Official website

Geography

The subprefecture has an area of 78.6 square km. It is located within the Izu Islands and is 200km away from Mainland Japan.

Municipalities

Romanji	Kanji	Area (Km²)	Population	Type	Island(s)	Map
Hachijō	八丈町	72.24	7,056	Town	Hachijō-jima and Hachijō-kojima
Aogashima	青ヶ島村	5.96	169	Village	Aogashima

Other Islands

Additionally, Hachijō includes the four southernmost Izu Islands, which are uninhabited. These islands currently do not belong to any municipality; both Hachijō and Aogashima claim administrative rights. From north to south, the islands are:

• Bayonnaise Rocks (Beyonēzu Retsugan)
• Smith Island (Sumisu-tō)
• Tori-shima
• Lot's Wife (Sōfu-iwa)

Among the islands of the subprefecture, only Hachijōjima and Aogashima are inhabited.

Demographics

In 2023, Hachijō Subprefecture had a population of 8,790. The village of Aogashima is the least populated municipality in all of Japan, with only 169 residents^[1]

Language

The Hachijō language, also called Shima Kotoba, is spoken exclusively on the two main islands. It is an endangered language, with 0 native speakers being children or young adults.^[2]