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Chikubu Island
Encyclopedia
is an island in Lake Biwa
in Japan. The national government has designated it a special historic site.
The island's geographic coordinates are 35°25′24″ N, 136°8′37″ E. Its area is 0.14 km² and its coastline measures 2 km. The highest point has an elevation of 197 m. It is under the administration of the city of Nagahama
, Shiga Prefecture
.
Several works of the Japanese performing arts relate to Chikubu. They include the Noh
play Chikubushima
and the Heike Biwa work Chikubushima Mōde, two koto
melodies named Chikubushima, a jōruri
(itchūbushi), a nagauta, and a tokiwazu-bushi of the same name.
On the island are various places of interest. In the southern part are the Tsukubusuma Shrine, said to have been established in 420, and Hōgon-ji, a Shingon
temple said to date from 724. Formerly known as Chikubu Benzai-ten, it ranks with the Enoshima Shrine in the Kantō region
and the Itsukushima Shrine
in the Chūgoku Region
as one of Japan's Three Great Benzaiten
Shrines.
During the Sengoku period
, retainers of Azai Nagamasa
confined his father Hisamasa
to Chikubu Island, forcing him into retirement and establishing Nagamasa as his successor.
Lake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...
in Japan. The national government has designated it a special historic site.
The island's geographic coordinates are 35°25′24″ N, 136°8′37″ E. Its area is 0.14 km² and its coastline measures 2 km. The highest point has an elevation of 197 m. It is under the administration of the city of Nagahama
Nagahama, Shiga
is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. The city center was developed and renamed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi when Hideyoshi moved his center of administration from Odani Castle...
, Shiga Prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
.
Several works of the Japanese performing arts relate to Chikubu. They include the Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
play Chikubushima
Chikubushima
Chikubushima is an anonymous Noh play of the first category, celebrating the sacred volcanic island of that name in Lake Biwa.During the reign of Emperor Daigo a courtier went to the island in the center of Lake Biwa, Chikubu Island...
and the Heike Biwa work Chikubushima Mōde, two koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
melodies named Chikubushima, a jōruri
Jōruri (music)
is a form of traditional Japanese narrative music in which a sings to the accompaniment of a shamisen. As a form of storytelling, the emphasis is on the lyrics and narration rather than the music itself....
(itchūbushi), a nagauta, and a tokiwazu-bushi of the same name.
On the island are various places of interest. In the southern part are the Tsukubusuma Shrine, said to have been established in 420, and Hōgon-ji, a Shingon
Shingon Buddhism
is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...
temple said to date from 724. Formerly known as Chikubu Benzai-ten, it ranks with the Enoshima Shrine in the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
and the Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan...
in the Chūgoku Region
Chugoku region
The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...
as one of Japan's Three Great Benzaiten
Benzaiten
Benzaiten is the Japanese name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th through 8th centuries, mainly via the Chinese translations of the Sutra of Golden Light, which has a section devoted to her...
Shrines.
During the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, retainers of Azai Nagamasa
Azai Nagamasa
was a Daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japan. His clan, the Azai, were located in northern Ōmi Province, east of Lake Biwa. He was both the brother-in-law of Oda Nobunaga, starting in 1564, and one of Nobunaga's enemies from 1570-1573. Nagamasa and his clan were utterly destroyed by Oda...
confined his father Hisamasa
Azai Hisamasa
was a son of Azai Sukemasa and the second head of the Azai clan.Hisamasa became the head of the clan in 1542 after his father died, but unlike his father, he was never a strong leader. Losing domains against Rokkaku clan, he instead became a Rokkaku retainer...
to Chikubu Island, forcing him into retirement and establishing Nagamasa as his successor.
Source
This article incorporates material translated from 竹生島 (Chikubu-shima) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on November 21, 2008.External links
- 琵琶湖開発総合管理所|びわ湖の観光名所|竹生島 Japan Water Agency, retrieved on November 21, 2008
- B-BOX「竹生島の様子」 Lake Biwa and Rivers Information Box, retrieved on November 21, 2008
- 神の住む島 竹生島 Nagahama Sight-seeing Association, retrieved on August 23, 2010