Exploring Japan’s “Ethereal Sanctuary”: Minamidaitō Island, a cliff‑bound realm concealing freshwater mangroves and a steam locomotive!
Rising from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, Minamidaito Island is located at 25°50'N, 131°14'E, about 340 kilometers east of the main island of Okinawa. Rising from the ocean floor some 4,000 meters deep, its pinnacle coral reefs rise repeatedly and form a rare raised atoll – one of only a handful worldwide – which is shared with its northern counterpart, Kitadaito.
