Aogashima, the spitting image of Tracy Island from Thunderbirds series

Tracy Island, the South Pacific paradise rendered in vibrant Supermarionation, was the setting for the home base of the Thunderbirds, a secretive organization created to help those in grave danger.

Aogashima is a tropical, volcanic island, in the Phillipine Sea that bears a remarkable resemblance to the home of International Rescue in Gerry Anderson’s hit Sixties series, Thunderbirds.

Part of the Izu Island chain, and politically part of Tokyo although it is 200 miles from the Japanese capital, volcanic island Aogashima is a geological curiosity.

With only about 200 residents, all living in one small town, the island is one if the country’s most remote and unspoilt.

There are only two ways to get on or off the outcrop: by helicopter or by boat. Those choosing to sail must arrive or depart from one, small, unreliable harbour which is often rendered useless by bad weather.

As such, it’s a far cry from the Tracy Island of Thunderbirds fame, with its fleet of technologically advanced rescue vehicles poised to save the world 24 hours a day.

Indeed, Aogashima is noted for its peace and quiet, as a place to escape the relentless bustle of urban life and commune again with nature.