MINAMI-TORI ISLAND

Japanese Minami-tori-shima, also called Marcus Island coral atoll rising to 204 feet (62 m), in the central Pacific Ocean, 700 miles (1,125 km) southeast of Japan. Prior to World War II it was administered as part of the Tokyo fu (urban prefecture). Occupied by U.S. troops late in the war, it was returned to Japan in 1968. It now shares a common administration with the Bonin Islands and the Volcano Islands. Minami-tori Island, with an area of 740 acres (300 hectares) was discovered by the Japanese navigator Shinroku Mizutani (1868) and was annexed by Japan (1898). The atoll was the site of a meteorological station for studying typhoons. Marine products harvested include swordfish, seaweed, and squid.