Iwo Jima Island

Iwo Jima, officially Iwo-tō, is a volcanic island in the Ogasawara island chain administered by Tokyo, Japan, located in the northwestern Pacific. The island is most widely known for the World War II battle fought there in 1945 and the iconic flag-raising on Mount Suribachi.

The island is dominated by volcanic cones, the best known being Mount Suribachi which rises to 169 m above sea level. It remains largely uninhabited and is used for limited military, administrative and memorial purposes rather than permanent civilian settlement.

Major combat operations took place there in February and March 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima, after which the island was occupied and later administered by Japan. Much of the island’s landscape remains shaped by volcanic features and wartime remnants.

Iwo Jima lies roughly 1,200 km south of Tokyo as part of the larger Ogasawara (Bonin) island group, surrounded by open ocean and isolated from large population centers.

• Mount Suribachi: Mount Suribachi is the island’s prominent volcanic cone, rising to 169 m and the site of the iconic WWII flag-raising photograph.
• Administration and status: The island is uninhabited except for military and administrative personnel and is administered as part of Tokyo’s Ogasawara subprefecture.

Iwo Jima (Iwo To) is not served by scheduled commercial transport and access is restricted. There are no regular public flights or ferries; visits are allowed only with official permission from Japanese authorities and are normally limited to authorised military, research or specially arranged trips.

• Be aware that access to Iwo Jima (Iōtō) is highly restricted and controlled by Japanese authorities; civilian landings are rare and require official permission or participation in authorized visits.
• If you hope to visit, coordinate well in advance with licensed tour operators or the relevant Japanese government/JASDF offices to obtain the necessary clearances and follow all instructions on-site.