Yuzno Kurilsk Village, Kunashir Island

Kunashir island is the southernmost island of the Kuril Islands, which are controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan. It lies between the straits of Kunashir, Catherine, Izmena, and South Kuril. Kunashir is visible from the nearby Japanese island of Hokkaidō from which it is separated by the Nemuro Strait. Kunashir is formed by four active volcanoes which were separate islands but have since joined together by low-lying areas with lakes and hot springs.

The island’s main settlement is Yuzhno-Kurilsky village. It's located on the mouth of the Sevebryanka river at the Yuzhno-Kurilsky cape. The surrounding area, hosts one of the worlds most unique natural environments - complete with free roaming bears and wild horses. The vegetation mostly consists of spruce, pine, fir, and mixed deciduous forests with lianas and Kuril bamboo underbrush. The mountains are covered with birch and Siberian Dwarf Pine scrub, herbaceous flowers or bare rocks.

Things to See & Do

* Wildlife viewing
* Flora
* Hiking
* Kurilskiy Nature Preserve
* Fur Seals

General information

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Yen (JPY)
Language – Japanese
Population – 8,000 approx
Land Area – 1,490 km2
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT plus hours nine hours
International Country Telephone Code – 81

Port Location – There is a port located next to the Yuzhno-Kurilsk district.

Travel Links – SAT Airlines perates flights to and from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 3 times per week, out of Mendeleyevo Airport, located 20 kilometers outside Yuzhno-Kurilsk.

One or two times every month in summer, there is a ferry service connecting to Korsakov on Sakhalin island.