Chichijima and Hahajima are the two inhabited islands of the Ogasawara chain, and the only ones where a visitor can really spend time. Chichijima, the father island, has the port village of Futami, a handful of beaches, quiet roads and a small museum that tells the settlers' story. Hahajima, the mother island, lies about fifty kilometres further south, a long green ridge with a tiny village and trails that climb through forest.
You get here by boat from Tokyo, a day of open ocean each way, and there is no airport. That alone has protected the place, and when UNESCO listed it in 2011 it noted the unusual speciation of land snails and the many plants found nowhere else. Bonin flying foxes, a fruit bat with a wingspan of more than a metre, hang in the trees, and marine life ranges from dolphins to sharks. Whale watching in winter and spring is a highlight.
History here has odd chapters. A small group of settlers from the Pacific and the West, including an American called Nathaniel Savory, made their home in the 1830s, and the descendants are still around. Commodore Perry visited in 1853 before steaming on to Japan. During the Second World War, Chichijima was a fortified Japanese base, and rusting guns and tunnels survive in the hills. After the war the US controlled the islands until 1968, which explains certain English-sounding names and foods.
Chichijima has a few short roads that you can ride or drive on rented scooters, winding past bays and headlands with lovely sea views, and a lookout on the hill is a favourite spot for sunsets. There is a petrol station for local vehicles, restaurants serving fresh fish and sashimi, and small guesthouses. Hahajima is quieter and has fewer facilities. Check ferry schedules before committing, since they can be limited, and typhoon season can interrupt services.