{{Short description|Island in the Sea of Japan}} {{Infobox islands | name = Rebun | image_name = Rebun in Soya Subprefecture.gif | image_caption = | map = Japan | map_caption = | native_name = 礼文島, ''Rebun-tō'' | native_name_link = Japanese language | nickname = | location = East Asia | coordinates = {{coord|45|22|07|N|141|00|55|E|display=inline,title}} | archipelago = Japanese Archipelago | length_km = 29 | width_km = 8 | coastline_km = 72 | area_km2 = 80 | rank = | highest_mount = Mount Rebun | elevation_m = 490.0 | country = Japan | country_admin_divisions_title = Prefecture | country_admin_divisions = Hokkaido | country_admin_divisions_title_1 = Subprefecture | country_admin_divisions_1 = Sōya Subprefecture | country_admin_divisions_title_2 = District | country_admin_divisions_2 = Rebun District | country_admin_divisions_title_3 = Town | country_admin_divisions_3 = Rebun | population = 3,194 | population_as_of = 2007-12-31 | density_km2 = 39.3 | ethnic_groups = Ainu, Japanese }} thumb|150px|Relief Map
{{Nihongo|'''Rebun Island'''|礼文島|''Rebun-tō''|{{langx|ain|Repun}}}} is an island in the Sea of Japan off the northwestern tip of Hokkaidō, Japan. The island sits {{Convert|50|km|mi}} off the coast of Hokkaidō. Rebun stretches {{Convert|29|km|mi}} from north to south and {{Convert|8|km|mi}} from east to west. The island covers approximately {{convert|80|km2|mi2}}. Rebun Island is located {{Convert|10|km|mi}} northwest of Rishiri Island, and the two islands are separated by the Rebun Channel.<ref name="d">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Dijitaru Daijisen | title = 礼文島 | url = http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | accessdate = 2012-08-27 | year = 2012 | publisher = Shogakukan | location = Tokyo | language = Japanese | trans-title = Rebun Island | oclc = 56431036 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | archivedate = 2007-08-25 }}</ref><ref name="kokugo">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Nihon Kokugo Daijiten | title = 礼文島 | trans-title = Rebun Island | url = http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | accessdate = 2012-08-27 | year = 2012 | publisher = Shogakukan | location = Tokyo | language = Japanese | oclc = 56431036 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | archivedate = 2007-08-25 }}</ref><ref name="n">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) | title = 礼文島 | url = http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | accessdate = 2012-08-22 | year = 2012 | publisher = Shogakukan | location = Tokyo | language = Japanese | trans-title = Rebun Island | oclc = 153301537 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | archivedate = 2007-08-25 }}</ref>
Rebun Island is known for its alpine flowers and the 8-Hour Hiking Course which runs from one end of the island to the other, north to south. The hiking course can be broken into two sections, known as the 4-Hour Hiking Courses. Rebun Island is home to a chashi, or hilltop fortification of the Ainu people. The highest point on the island is Mount Rebun ({{Convert|490|m|ft}}).<ref name="kokugo" /> The island is part of the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park.
Fossilized remains of long-finned pilot whales that are now extinct in the North Pacific have been excavated on Rebun Island,<ref>{{cite journal |author= Amano M. |year=2012 |title=みちのくの海のイルカたち(特集 みちのくの海と水族館の海棲哺乳類) |url=http://isanakai.web.fc2.com/journal/ |journal= Isana 56|pages=60–65 |publisher= Faculty of Fisheries of University of Nagasaki, Isanakai |format=PDF |accessdate= 2017-03-09 }}</ref> and remains of funerals for orcas, possibly referring them as Repun Kamuy (God of Sea/Offshore) have been found as well.<ref>Miyanaga T.. 2014. "（北海道）「シャチ送り」の遺構か 礼文島の遺跡で出土". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved on October 04, 2017</ref> Rebun Island is also the site where the last reliable record of the extinct Japanese sea lion came from in 1974.
==Etymology==
The name of the island comes from the Ainu language, in which "Repun" means "(island) in the open sea" (from ''rep'' "the offing, open sea" + ''-un'' "to be in ~").<ref name="d" /><ref name="kokugo" />
==Climate== {{Rebun weatherbox}} ==Areas of interest==
* Mount Rebun * Peach Rock, or ''Momoiwa'' * Jizo Rock * Cat Rock, or ''Nekoiwa'' * Cape Sukoton * Cape Kaneda * Cape Gorota * Cape Sukai * Todo Island * Lake Kushu * Yamunai Valley * Rebun Forest Road * Rebun Falls
==Communities== All communities on Rebun Island are part of the town of Rebun in Rebun District. From roughly from north to south, they are:<ref name="Bisignani">{{cite book|last=Bisignani|first=J. D.|title=Japan Handbook|editor=Taran March|publisher=Moon Publications, Inc.|location=Chico, CA USA|date=December 1993|edition=Second|pages=[https://archive.org/details/japanhandbook0000bisi/page/836 836–841]|chapter=Dohoku-Northern Hokkaido|isbn=0-918373-70-0|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/japanhandbook0000bisi/page/836}}</ref> * Sukoton * Awabikoton * Hamanaka * Funadomari * Horodomari * Uedomari * Nairo * Kitousu * Kafukai * Kafuka * Shiretoko
==Transportation== * Ferry link to Rishiri Island and Wakkanai * Air link to Wakkanai Airport
== Ancient people == A Jōmon man (numbered 5) excavated from Funadomari remains (about 3,800 – 3,500 YBP) on the Rebun Island in Hokkaido belongs to Y-DNA Haplogroup D1b2a(D-CTS220).<ref name="Kanzawa">神澤ほか(2016)「礼文島船泊縄文人の核ゲノム解析」第70回日本人類学大会 [http://anthrop-meeting.sakura.ne.jp/70/pdf/ittupan_proceeding%20.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615033929/http://anthrop-meeting.sakura.ne.jp/70/pdf/ittupan_proceeding%20.pdf |date=2021-06-15 }}(in Japanese)</ref> This discovery proved the hypothesis that Haplogroup D1b is one of the Jomon lineages.
==In popular culture== In the manga and anime series ''Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma'', the island is the last step in the Promotion test which takes place across Hokkaido Island.
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Rebun island seen from Rishiri island.jpg|Rebun island (background) seen from Mount Rishiri File:Lake Kusyu.JPG|Lake Kusyu on Rebun island File:Rebun Island Cat Rock.JPG|Neko-iwa, 'cat rock' File:Momoiwa.JPG|Momo-iwa, 'peach rock' File:sukai.jpg|Sukai Cape File:Sukoton.JPG|Sukoton Cape and Todo island File:Rebun_Island_20140814.jpg|Rebun Island in 2014 </gallery>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Wikivoyage-inline|Rebun Island}}
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Category:Islands of the Sea of Japan Category:Islands of Hokkaido