The Japanese island disappears fear of seismic mysterious activity

Esamba Hanakita Island was registered by Japan's coast guard in 1987, who could not say exactly how big it was.

Until recently, the island was less than 140cm above sea level and was visible from the northern peak of the northern island of Hokkaido.

But authorities now fear that the Japanese island has disappeared, reducing the country's territorial waters.

The island's “division could affect a small part of Japan's territorial waters “, a coast guard official told AFP.

Residents in the village of Sarufutu reported last month that they could no longer see the island, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK World.

A fishing group sent a team of ships to check the island, but they said they couldn't find it.

Japan engages hard in protecting its outer islands, especially the remote Okinotor Islands in the Pacific, which provide a considerable share of the country's exclusive economic zone.

It also has disagreements with neighbours, including China and South Korea, over the sovereignty of several islands in the region.

Hit by earthquakes and storms, Japan has not only lost but has sometimes gained territory because of natural disasters.

In 2015 a 1,000 - foot [300 m] strip of land emerged from the sea and ascended to the shores of Hokkaido.

Initially, the phenomenon raised fears of mysterious seismic activity, but geologists said that this was perhaps the result of a deep slide that pushed the underwater surface.

In 2013 a volcanic island emerged some 1,000 miles [1,000 km] south of Tokyo, joining an existing island and continuing to grow.