Himeshima, Ōita
Himeshima
姫島村 | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Himeshima Island | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Himeshima in Ōita Prefecture | |
  Himeshima Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 33°43′28″N 131°38′43″E / 33.72444°N 131.64528°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Ōita Prefecture |
| District | Higashikunisaki |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.98 km2 (2.69 sq mi) |
| Population (March 1, 2017) | |
| • Total | 1,930 |
| • Density | 280/km2 (720/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| Website | www |
Himeshima (姫島村, Himeshima-mura) is a village located in Higashikunisaki District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.
The name Himeshima literally means "Princess Island." The village is on a small island in the Seto Inland Sea and is sometimes referred to as Hime Island in English. It is just off the Kunisaki Peninsula on the island of Kyūshū.[1]
Transportation[edit]
With the mainland[edit]
Himeshima is accessible by ferry from Imi Port (伊美港) in Kunisaki and has 12 regularly scheduled round-trip departures per day. It is about a 20 minute ride one way.[2]
On the island[edit]
There is a village bus which travels around the island six times per day.
Bicycles and ultra-compact electric cars are available to rent on the island.[3]
Population[edit]
As of 2022, the village has an estimated population of 1,642. The total area is 6.98 km2. There are 833 households and 98 businesses employing 389 people. [4]
Economy[edit]
The main occupations are fishing and shrimp farming. The kuruma prawn (車海老, kurumaebi) and hijiki are local specialities on the island.[5][6]
Tourism is another major industry with nearly 40,000 people visiting the island every year.[6]
Himeshima has launched a website to promote itself as "IT Island" in order to attract IT companies and personnel to the island.[6]
Festivals and events[edit]
Every summer around Obon, there is type of bon odori (盆踊り）called "fox dance" (キツネ踊り, kitsune odori) featuring dancers, particularly young children, dressed as foxes.[1][5]
In October of every year, there is a "Kuruma Prawn Festival" (車えび祭) for visitors to enjoy the local specialty. Visitors can also enjoy the popular kitsune odori at this event as well.[5]
The "Seven Wonders of Himeshima"[edit]
On Himeshima, there are seven popular sightseeing locations, all with legends surrounding them, which are referred to as the "Seven Wonders of Himeshima" (姫島七不思議, himeshima nana fushigi).[7][8] They are as follows:
- Sennin-do: a small Buddhist hall surrounded by an obsidian rock formation of volcanic origin. Local legends say that 1,000 people hid here on New Year's Eve to avoid paying taxes to a local lord (Sennin literally means "1,000 people").[7][8]
Sennin-do - Hyoshimizu: iron rich and naturally carbonated onsen with water relatively cool in temperature. A local legend says that a princess who wanted to rinse her mouth after applying ohaguro caused the water to start flowing.[7][8]
- Ukisu: a torii on a small piece of land in the ocean which is said to enshrine a kami of fishing. It is believed that the torii never becomes submerged by the sea.[7][8]
- The Inverted Willow: a willow tree that is believed to have sprouted after a princess placed her toothpick into the ground upside-down.[7][8]
- The Ohaguro Stone: a stone which is believed to bear marks from when the princess applied her ohaguro.[7][8]
- Ukita: a rice field in which a snake is said to have been buried. According to the legend, the rice fields began to shake due to the snake's anger.[7][8]
- Amida Oysters: in a cave under the island's lighthouse, there are oysters which are said to never come into contact with seawater. It is believed that eating them will cause stomachaches.[7][8]
Education[edit]
There is currently only one school on the island (Himeshima Junior High School was closed due to depopulation, leaving only Himeshima Elementary School operational on the island).
Politics[edit]
In the 2017 Japanese general election, 77.51% of Himeshima's proportional ballots were cast for either one of the two parties in the conservative ruling coalition (the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito) or one of the two minor LDP-allied conservative parties (Party for Japanese Kokor) and New Party Daichi), making it the most conservative municipality in the country in this election under that definition (excluding Kuroshima Island's 82.76% conservative voting result, as this island is technically a part of Matsuura, Nagasaki and not its own municipality).[9]
Famous people[edit]
- Eiichi Nishimura - Politician and minister
References[edit]
- ^ a b Martin Fackler (April 21, 2009). "A Workers' Paradise Found Off Japan's Coast". New York Times.
- ^ [https://www.himeshima.jp/access/ "Himeshima Access" Retrieved 6 June 2024
- ^ "Himeshima Rental Car" Retrieved 6 June 2024
- ^ "姫島村について ：統計情報" Retrieved 6 June 2024
- ^ a b c https://www.himeshima.jp/kankou/festival/
- ^ a b c "姫島を知る” Retrieved 6 June 2024
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Charming Himeshima | Oita’s Bucolic “Island of Princesses” Retrieved June 6 2024
- ^ a b c d e f g h "姫島七不思議" Himeshima Official Site. Retrieved 6 June 2024.]
- ^ "平成29年10月22日執行 衆議院議員総選挙 市区町村別得票数". Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
External links[edit]
Media related to Himeshima, Ōita at Wikimedia Commons- Himeshima official website (in Japanese)
- Himeshima, Ōita - General information about Himeshima (in English)
- Himeshima Cuisine - Information about Himeshima cuisine (in Japanese)
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