Safety · Destination Guide
Ogasawara Islands
Bonin-blue reefs, careful wildlife encounters and two islands reached by sea.
Safety · Destination Guide
Bonin-blue reefs, careful wildlife encounters and two islands reached by sea.
This is a remote marine destination with significant travel and rescue limitations. Never trade conservative dive profiles for a rare boat itinerary. Local clinics provide primary and urgent care but no hyperbaric oxygen therapy; severe cases can require weather-dependent transfer to mainland Japan. Follow verified wildlife approach codes, Tokyo accredited-guide access rules, beach buoy markings, and invasive-species prevention.
Pre-book a licensed/local operator who can explain certification and recent-experience requirements. Chichijima operators may do sheltered check dives before drift; Hahajima resort lists predominantly drift fun-dives and asks some low-experience or long-inactive divers to consult first. Request exact site, depth, current, exit, surface pickup, emergency oxygen and evacuation plans. Carry a dive computer and a surface marker buoy where the operator requires it. Do not enter wrecks, caves, tunnels, arches or any overhead environment on a routine open-water dive. Breath-hold diving requires an attentive trained buddy, no hyperventilation and specific supervision. A dolphin-swim cruise is not scuba instruction or permission to approach whales. Sources: operator procedures, Hahajima dive screening, cetacean approach code.
Chichijima Village Clinic, phone 04998-2-3800, and Hahajima Clinic, phone 04998-3-2115, are the direct local medical facilities. Both explicitly state hyperbaric oxygen therapy is unavailable. The village advises calling 119 for out-of-hours urgent medical assistance; Japan Coast Guard 118 handles marine emergencies. Major illnesses or decompression injuries needing higher-level care may require coordinated evacuation to mainland Japan. Confirm evacuation arrangements with the operator, insurer and treating clinic; do not assume a fast helicopter or an on-island recompression chamber. Chichijima clinic; Hahajima clinic; evacuation policy.
No immediate decompression chamber on either visitor island
Chichijima and Hahajima clinics explicitly lack hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Emergency mainland evacuation may require coordinated aircraft assistance and be weather-delayed. Dive conservatively, obtain suitable evacuation coverage and brief operators on conditions. Chichijima clinic; Hahajima clinic.
Current outside buoy lines
The Ministry of Environment warns of stronger flow outside Miyanohama beach's swim buoys and at outer Hahajima snorkeling sites. A pretty shoreline is not evidence of a safe solo entry.
Typhoons and missed ship connections
Late summer and autumn storms may alter ferry departures, interisland connections, operator itineraries and medical access. Keep accommodation and onward flights flexible.
Restricted overhead environments
Wreck viewing and rock channels are not permission for wreck, cave, cavern or arch penetration. Hahajima Sekimon caves are restricted on land too. Stay outside overhead features without specialist qualifications and explicit approval.
The World Heritage code prohibits wildlife collection, feeding animals, damaging coral, littering and camping; brush shoes and check gear for seeds and insects before island or restricted-route transfers. Minamijima requires an accredited guide and approved walking routes; since June 2023 the former seasonal landing ban and blanket visitor/time caps are no longer in force. Hahajima Sekimon still has stricter limits and closed caves. For dolphins, voluntary rules allow at most four approach vessels and at most five water entries per boat per pod, never a guaranteed right to enter. For whale-watching boats under the association code, slow within 300 m, keep at least 100 m from baleen whales and 50 m from sperm whales, and never cut their path. Turtle nesting is protected: no floodlights, flashes or blocking. Tokyo rules, dolphin code, whale code, turtle etiquette.
Do Not Do This
Avoid entering when no immediate decompression chamber on either visitor island. Confirm local briefings before committing.
| Contact | Role | Phone | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan ambulance and medical emergency | Urgent medical response via local village emergency coordination | 119 | 24 hours; contact when clinic is closed or immediate assistance is required |
| Japan Coast Guard marine emergency | Distress and accidents at sea | 118 | 24 hours |
| Ogasawara Village Clinic, Chichijima | Local medical care and urgent triage; no hyperbaric treatment | 04998-2-3800 | Regular clinic hours; call 119 for out-of-hours emergencies |
| Hahajima Clinic | Local medical care and urgent triage; no hyperbaric treatment | 04998-3-2115 | Regular clinic hours; call 119 for out-of-hours emergencies |
| Ogasawara Village Tourism Association | Local visitor information, NOT emergency dispatch | 04998-2-2587 | Office hours; verify current hours |
| Izu Islands Development, Hahajima Maru | Interisland sailing and weather-change information, NOT emergency dispatch | 03-3455-3090 | Office hours stated by operator; verify live sailing notices |