JapanJapanese archipelagoVolcanic island
Rishiri Island
182 km² rising to 1,721 m out of the Sea of Japan.
Satellite: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX (CC BY 4.0). Outline and points © OpenStreetMap contributors / Natural Earth. North up.
In numbers
182km²
Area
78km
Coastline
1,721m
Highest point
Mount Rishiri
5,593
People
20°C
Warmest sea
August
261km
To the mainland
When to go to Rishiri Island
Best for the beach in August.
The sea is warmest in August (20 °C) and coolest in February (4 °C). The water never reaches 21 °C: bring a wetsuit.
Averages 1991–2020. Sea: NOAA OISST, the water within 35 km of the coast. Air, rain and sun: NASA POWER. Best months weigh warm afternoons (23–30 °C), sea of 24 °C or more and few wet days.
Island in Hokkaido, Japan
Rishiri Island is an volcanic island in Japan. It belongs to Japanese archipelago. It covers 182 km², with 78 km of coastline. Its highest point, Mount Rishiri, rises to 1,721 m. About 5,593 people live on it. The nearest mainland is 261 km away.
Getting there
- Rishiri Airport (RIS)airport on the island, with scheduled flightsCar hire at WKJ airport (Wakkanai)Discover Cars · Affiliate link↗
- FerriesRishiri Island (Oshido Mari) - Rebun Island (Kafuka), Wakkanai - Rishiri Island (Oshido Mari), Rishiri Island (Kutsugata) - Rebun Island (Kafuka)
- 261 km from the mainlanddistance to the nearest continental coast
- Augustbest months to go (from 30 years of averages)
Plan the trip
Ferries, stays and things to do
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
On the island
What you find on Rishiri Island.
- 13viewpointsCape Peshi Coast, Cape Peshi Observation Point, Mt. Rishiri 2nd viewpoint and 10 more
- 4lighthousesCape Kutsugata Lighthouse, Oshidomari Lighthouse and 2 more
- 2ferry terminalsKutsugata Ferry Terminal, Oshidomari Ferry Terminal
- 12named peaksMt. Rishiri South Peak, Mt. Sancho, Mt. Pon and 9 more
- 1volcanoesMount Rishiri
- 1waymarked walking routes
- 4campsitesFamily Camping YU-NI and 3 more
- 10hotels, guesthouses and apartments
- 15restaurants, cafés and bars
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit, inside the island's outline. A low number may only mean nobody has mapped it yet.
The shape of the land.
On average the island stands 279 m above the sea. 54 % of it is below 200 m.
- 18 %0–50 m
- 36 %50–200 m
- 29 %200–500 m
- 14 %500–1,000 m
- 4 %1,000–2,000 m
Share of the island's area in each altitude band, from the Copernicus DEM (30 m, read at 30–240 m on large islands).
Size, for real
Next to islands you may know.
20 km
All outlines drawn to the same scale (Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap).
Towns on the island
- Rishiri Town2,684 people
- Oshidomari2,458 people
Month by month
The weather on the island.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon high (°C) | -1 | -1 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 1 |
| Night low (°C) | -4 | -4 | -1 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 11 | 4 | -2 |
| Sea (°C) | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 97 | 80 | 71 | 58 | 73 | 78 | 102 | 131 | 123 | 118 | 123 | 126 |
| Wet days | 24 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 24 |
| Sun h/day | 1.5 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 2.1 | 1.0 |
| Wind (km/h) | 27 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 29 | 30 |
Averages 1991–2020 for the ~55 km NASA POWER cell over the island; the sea from NOAA OISST.
Recent years
Warmer and cooler years at sea.
Each month's sea temperature compared with its 1991–2020 average, in degrees.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.6 | −0.5 | +0.6 | +0.8 | +0.6 | +0.4 | +1.1 | −0.3 | +0.5 | +2.3 | +1.6 | +1.7 |
| 2021 | −0.1 | −0.4 | −0.1 | +0.6 | +0.6 | −0.2 | +1.7 | +0.6 | +0.5 | +1.1 | +1.5 | +2.6 |
| 2022 | +1.5 | −0.5 | ±0.0 | +0.8 | +0.5 | +0.9 | +1.4 | +1.3 | +0.5 | +1.5 | +1.5 | +2.0 |
| 2023 | +1.8 | +1.3 | +0.7 | +1.3 | +1.1 | +2.0 | +2.2 | +1.7 | +2.6 | +2.5 | +2.9 | +2.6 |
| 2024 | +2.6 | +1.8 | −0.2 | +0.4 | −0.4 | ±0.0 | −0.2 | −0.4 | +0.1 | +0.2 | +0.5 | +1.2 |
| 2025 | +1.2 | +2.3 | +1.6 | +1.8 | +2.0 | +1.2 | +2.7 | +3.3 | +2.1 | +1.8 | −0.8 | +0.6 |
+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual
Photos
Seen by visitors.




About these numbers
| Names, area, population | Wikidata (Q495476) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Outline | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Sea temperature | NOAA OISST v2.1 · 1991–2020 |
| Climate | NASA POWER · 1991–2020 |
| Relief, 3D model | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Beaches, ports, lighthouses, trails | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Towns | GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
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