Japan gains new island after volcanic eruption 745 miles from Tokyo

An undersea volcanic eruption 745 miles south of Tokyo has created a new island to add to the Japanese archipelago, according to scientists.

The newest Japanese island will become the southernmost landmass in Japan’s Ogasawara group, approximately 31 miles south of Minami Ioto, an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean.

Observed from the air by the Japanese Coast Guard on Monday (16 August), the crescent-shaped island has a diameter of around 0.62 miles but scientists have warned that it may not be around for long as erosion could see it disappear into the ocean again.