, also known as
Marcus Island, is an isolated
Japanese coral atoll in the northwestern
Pacific Ocean, located some southeast of
Tokyo and east of the closest Japanese island,
South Iwo Jima of the
Ogasawara Islands, and nearly on a straight line between mainland Tokyo and the
United States'
Wake Island, further to the east-southeast. The closest island to Minami-Tori-shima is
East Island in the
Mariana Islands, which is to the west-southwest. The meaning of its
Japanese name is "Southern Bird Island". It is the easternmost
territory belonging to
Japan, and the only Japanese territory on the
Pacific Plate, past the
Japan Trench. Although very small (just over 1 km
2) and without a
civilian population, it is of strategic importance, as it enables Japan to claim a
Exclusive Economic Zone in the surrounding waters. It is also the easternmost territory of
Tokyo, being administratively part of
Ogasawara village.