Ie-shima (伊江島 -island) is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It lies a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa Honto. It measures 20 km around. The island constitutes Ie Village.
The most notable geographic feature is a peak called Gusukuyama (or 'Tacchu') that resembles a volcano but is actually an erosion artifact.
Alternately called "Peanut Island," for its general shape and peanut crop, or "Flower Island," for its abundant flora and more sizeable crop, Ie now draws tourists by bus and ferry, thought its overnight accommodations are not yet extensive.
The island constitutes Ie Village and is connected to the Okinawa Motobu-Wan by ferry (also going to Tomari).
Ie island is the setting of a traditional Okinawan drama where a sad girl by the name of Hando-gwaa who fell in love with a man named Kanahi, Ie-shima's headman.
There is a monument dedicated to his memory in a coral cave on a beach on the southern coast of the island.
For five days after IeShima was declared secure, elements of the 77th mopped up remaining groups of the enemy, sealed caves, destroyed pillboxes, marked or removed the thousands of mines that were still on the island, and buried the dead.
According to the division surgeon, "casualties on IeShima were unusually severe, many of them compound fractures of the extremities and penetrating head wounds caused by small-arms fire." Out of 944 cases, he reported, 412 wounds had been caused by small-arms fire, 511 by shell fragments, and 21 by other causes.
As expected, IeShima proved to be an ideal base for the support of operations on Okinawa and for preparing later attacks on the Japanese homeland.
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