The Ogasawara Islands stretch south starting at a point some 1,000 km from Tokyo, far enough that their remoteness has been a source of their identity, and continued abundance of nature, and an identity conflict.
The islands, also known as the Bonin chain, including Iwojima, the scene of a bloody battle between Japanese and U.S. forces in spring 1945, were reportedly discovered by Ogasawara Sadanori, a great-grandson of Ogasawara Nagatoki, lord of Shinshu Fukashi Castle in present-day Nagano Prefecture.
The first settlers to the islands were about 20 Europeans, Americans and Hawaiians, who arrived in 1830. In the latter half of the 19th century, the islands were recognized as Japanese territory, and settlers from Japan started arriving.