Hachijojima, 290 km south of Tokyo at the southern end of the Izu Islands, was the greatest exile destination of the Edo era. The Tokugawa shogunate designated the seven Izu islands as exile sites, with Hachijojima reserved for the most serious offenders. From Ukita Hideie’s arrival in 1606 (he lived 50 years there until age 84), about 1,900 political prisoners, criminals, and religious dissenters were sent to the island over 260 years until the Meiji-era pardons. Many married local women and effectively became permanent residents, transmitting mainland culture through opened schools. The unique Hachijo dialect preserves features of ancient Japanese, while traditional kihachijo silk and the great Osato stone walls represent the island’s layered legacy. The graves of Hideie, Gohime, and many anonymous exiles still stand on the island.