Rebun Island


Rebun Island is an island in the Sea of Japan off the northwestern tip of Hokkaidō, Japan. The island sits off the coast of Hokkaidō. Rebun stretches from north to south and from east to west. The island covers approximately. Rebun Island is located northwest of Rishiri Island, and the two islands are separated by the Rebun Channel.
Rebun Island is known for its alpine flowers and the 8-Hour Hiking Course which runs from one end of the island to the other, north to south. The hiking course can be broken into two sections, known as the 4-Hour Hiking Courses. Rebun Island is home to a chashi, or hilltop fortification of the Ainu people. The highest point on the island is Mount Rebun. The island is part of the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park.
Fossilized remains of long-finned pilot whales that are now extinct in the north Pacific have been excavated on Rebun Island, and remains of funerals for orcas, possibly referring them as Repun Kamuy have been found as well. Rebun Island is also the site where the last reliable record of the extinct Japanese sea lion came from in 1974.

Etymology

The name of the island comes from the Ainu language, in which "Repun" means " in the open sea".

Climate

Areas of interest

  • Mount Rebun
  • Peach Rock, or Momoiwa
  • Jizo Rock
  • Cat Rock, or Nekoiwa
  • Cape Sukoton
  • Cape Kaneda
  • Cape Gorota
  • Cape Sukai
  • Todo Island
  • Lake Kushu
  • Yamunai Valley
  • Rebun Forest Road
  • Rebun Falls

    Communities

All communities on Rebun Island are part of the town of Rebun in Rebun District. From roughly from north to south, they are:
  • Sukoton
  • Awabikoton
  • Hamanaka
  • Funadomari
  • Horodomari
  • Uedomari
  • Nairo
  • Kitousu
  • Kafukai
  • Kafuka
  • Shiretoko

    Transportation

  • Ferry link to Rishiri Island and Wakkanai
  • Air link to Wakkanai Airport

    Ancient people

A Jōmon woman excavated from Funadomari remains on the Rebun Island in Hokkaido belongs to Y-DNA Haplogroup D1b2a. This discovery proved the hypothesis that Haplogroup D1b is one of the Jomon lineages.

In popular culture

In the manga and anime series Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, the island is the last step in the Promotion test which takes place across Hokkaido Island.