大神山公園

Ogamiyama Park (大神山公園) is a metropolitan natural park located on Chichijima Island, the main island of the Ogasawara Archipelago, approximately 1,000 kilometres south of central Tokyo. The Ogasawara Islands, also historically known as the Bonin Islands, were incorporated into Japan in 1862 and returned to Japanese sovereignty from U.S. administration in 1968. In 2011, the archipelago was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its extraordinary biodiversity — the result of the islands having never been connected to any continent — making Ogamiyama Park part of one of Japan's most ecologically significant protected areas.

The park is divided into two distinct zones: the Ogamiyama area, a hilly zone in the northern part of the island, and the Omura Chuo area, a flat stretch of land running alongside Futami Port. Within the Ogamiyama zone sits Ogamiyama Jinja (Shrine), marked by a prominent Shinto torii gate and recognisable for its striking orange and black design. The shrine hosts an annual festival on November 3 and a sumo tournament in July. The park's observation deck offers sweeping views over Futami Bay and the surrounding Pacific Ocean, while public walking trails wind through the hills.

Visitors can swim and paddle along the white-sand beach in the Omura Chuo area, hike the Ogamiyama hillside trails, picnic amid the green hills, or take advantage of public facilities including a children's playground and public sculptures. The park is especially popular in summer, when seasonal festivals draw visitors to the island. It is also a convenient starting point for broader island activities such as dolphin watching, snorkelling, and sea turtle encounters at the nearby Ogasawara Marine Center.

Since Chichijima has no airport, the only way to reach the island is by the Ogasawara Maru ferry, which departs from Takeshiba Pier in Tokyo. The journey takes approximately 24 hours one way. The ferry operates every three to four days during peak season and roughly once per week at other times. One-way second-class tickets start from ¥29,250, with private cabins from ¥57,670 per person. Once on Chichijima, the park is reachable on foot in around 5 minutes from B-Ship (the Commerce and Tourism Hall near the port), or 4 minutes by car from Futami Port.