Sanganjima Island

This small (30 hectares) uninhabited island just off the coast of the Hakozaki Peninsula, north of Kamaishi, is a special protected area of Sanriku Fukko (Reconstruction) National Park. The entire island is covered with a dense forest of Japanese bay trees. It is a designated Natural Monument of cultural assets, and, from November 1981, a National Wildlife Protection Area. Since then, the island has served as a sanctuary and breeding ground for water seabirds such as Swinhoe’s storm petrel, Leach’s storm petrel, the band-rumped storm petrel, and the streaked shearwater. Access to the island is strictly controlled, with only a few visitors allowed each year for research purposes.