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Panel: U.S. will not rename Iwo Jima on maps

A small Pacific island that was the site of the Marine Corps’ bloodiest and most iconic battle will remain “Iwo Jima” on U.S. maps, according to a congressionally authorized committee that reviews names on maps.

The ruling follows the Japanese government’s June 18 decision to refer to Iwo Jima as Io To, which was its pre-World War II name. The change was made at the request of the island’s former residents.

The confusion over the island’s name began more than 60 years ago, after Japanese officers started referring to the island as Iwo Jima when they arrived to protect it from U.S. forces during World War II. When the war ended, the new name remained.

Both names mean “sulfur island;” however, “To” indicates the island is smaller than “Jima” would imply. Iwo and Io both mean “sulfur,” but Io is more accurate based on the original Japanese writing system.

The Committee on Foreign Names, under the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, decided to retain the name Iwo Jima on U.S. maps since it’s so well-known, said Randy Flynn, executive secretary for the committee.

“The decision is in accordance with long-standing principles and policies to recognize the names by the national authorities unless there is a well-known English name,” he said.

However, the committee recommended the U.S. government use the name Io To when dealing with Japanese local authorities. But it will not recommend any change to official government maps.

The committee is made up of officials from the State and Defense departments, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Library of Congress and the Department of Congress.

The last time the committee changed a name on U.S. maps was earlier this year, when it altered the spelling of Ukraine’s capital from “Kiev” to “Kyiv” after the Ukrainian government requested it, Flynn said.

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Japan changes Iwo Jima name