Mageshima is located west of Tanegashima. The island is of volcanic origin, and has an area of approximately with a circumference of. The highest elevations on the island is Takenokoshi, with a height of above sea level in the center of the island. The terrain is mostly low and flat. The island does not have rivers and its geology is not suitable for agriculture.
Mageshima has been occupied, at least seasonally, since the Kamakura period, as fishermen from neighboring Tanegashima would use it as a base of operations. The inhabitants were evacuated during World War II for security reasons. In 1951, an effort was made to colonize the island with government assistance, and the island population reached a peak of 528 people in 113 households in 1958. The economy of the island was based on the production of sugar cane and vinegar, as well as commercial fishing. However, difficulties with agriculture due to pests, and due to foreign competition caused many islanders to abandon the island from the late 1960s.
Uninhabited
In 1974, the Heiwa Sogo Bank started a resort venture and floated plans for construction of the nationaloil reserve on the island, but neither plan came to fruition. In March 1980, the last resident left the island. In 1995, a subsidiary of Tateishi Construction acquired the island, and announced plans to construct a landing field for the Japanese space shuttle, HOPE-X, on the island. Other plans to establish a spent nuclear fuel storage facility were also announced. However, subsequently no construction has been taken and the HOPE-X project itself was cancelled in 2003.
Land acquisition & military base
In 2009, Mageshima came under consideration as a possible relocation site for the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa, or at least as a site for the United States Navy to relocate its aircraft carrier aircraft touch-and-go training. However, Tateishi Construction subsequently came under investigation for tax fraud and for collusion with politicians over the project. Initial logging to clear an area for the proposed runways was performed without proper permission, and in September 2011 local fishermen filed lawsuits alleging damage to fishing grounds due to increased runoff created by the illegal logging. In 2011, Japan agreed to provide the US Military with a new training site instead of Iwo To which is much further south of Japan's main islands. In November 2019, the Government of Japan made an agreement with the Tokyo-based development company Taston Airport to purchase Mageshima for 16 billion yen. It will become a base of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and a training site to conduct landing practices for U.S. aircraft carrier-based aircraft. Japanese Chief Cabinet SecretaryYoshihide Suga said "purchase of Mageshima Island is extremely important and serves for strengthening deterrence by the Japan-US alliance as well as Japan's defense capability".
