Kamome Island
Encyclopedia
is an island in the Sea of Japan
just off the coast of the town of Esashi
, Hokkaidō
, Japan
. The island serves as a breakwater for the Esashi port. It has several historical sites and is protected as a part of the Hiyama Prefectural Natural Park
. Every July, there is a two-day festival that attracts tourists to the island. People visit the island throughout the year for swimming, camping, fishing and other recreational activities.
, the island was then called . This was a common name shared by many Japanese islands because a Hindu
goddess
Saraswati
, called in Japanese Buddhism
or Shinto
. Benten was worshipped as a goddess of water, and guardian of fishermen, and was therefore enshrined on many Japanese islets.
ships trading with Hokkaidō or for fishermen seeking to catch Pacific Herring
.
The herring fishery is also reflected in the legend of the Heishi rock. This 500-year-old legend says that once when herring vanished, an old woman (a fortune teller) was given a bottle with magic liquid. She threw the bottle into the sea and the herring returned. The bottle stuck to the seabed and turned into a rock, which became a representation of the god of the Sea of Japan.
In 1615, a group of merchants raised a shrine on the island to honor the god of the Sea of Japan, and in 1868 it was renamed into Itsukushima Shrine. In 1814, a monument to Matsuo Bashō
, the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan, was installed near the shrine.
For a long time, the island had problems with fresh water, which was important for passing ships to replenish their supplies. So, in 1876, a merchant from Esashi named Murakami spent a significant amount of money to build a water well on the island. Around that time, the island was also dragged into conflicts between different Japanese clans, and in 1852, two cannons were brought to the island for protecting it and the Esashi city.
and Mongolian Oak
. The waters around the island are rich in aquafauna, namely Arabesque greenling
and righteye flounder
in spring, Hexagrammos otakii (a Japanese species of greenling) in summer, makerel and Japanese amberjack
in autumn, and Arabesque greenling and octopus in winter.
, climb on top, and renew the 30-metre shimenawa
that embraces the rock. The ritual rope weighs some 500 kilograms (1,102.3 lb). The festival lasts two days it focuses on the changing of the rope, but also includes a rowing competition, a parade of people dressed in traditional costumes, Taiko
and singing performances, and a karaoke
contest.
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
just off the coast of the town of Esashi
Esashi, Hokkaido (Hiyama)
is a town in Hiyama District, Hiyama Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture.One of the oldest towns in Hokkaidō, the name Esashi comes from the Ainu word for konbu, a type of edible kelp well known in Japan...
, Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The island serves as a breakwater for the Esashi port. It has several historical sites and is protected as a part of the Hiyama Prefectural Natural Park
Hiyama Prefectural Natural Park
is a prefectural natural park of Hokkaidō, Japan. The park encompasses over , including all of Okushiri Island and parts of the following towns of Hiyama Subprefecture:*Esashi*Kaminokuni*Otobe*TaiseiThe park also includes Kamome Island in Esashi....
. Every July, there is a two-day festival that attracts tourists to the island. People visit the island throughout the year for swimming, camping, fishing and other recreational activities.
Geography
Kamome Island is part of the coastal terrace, being mostly flat. It rises just 27.6 metres (90.6 ft) above sea level. The island has a width of about 200 metres (656.2 ft), a length of about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) and a coastline of 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi). It is connected with the mainland by a 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) long sandbank and thus is accessible by road. As the island stretches roughly from north to south and the mainland lies to the east, the island naturally serves as a coastal protection from sea waves. An additional wave breaker line was built to extend this protection to the north. However, the western coast of the island is severely eroded by the waves.Naming
Kamome Island's elongated shape resembles a seagull, thus explaining its name, Kamome, which means seagull. During the Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, the island was then called . This was a common name shared by many Japanese islands because a Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Saraswati
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
, called in Japanese Buddhism
Buddhism in Japan
The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...
or Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
. Benten was worshipped as a goddess of water, and guardian of fishermen, and was therefore enshrined on many Japanese islets.
History
The island once served as a natural port for Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
ships trading with Hokkaidō or for fishermen seeking to catch Pacific Herring
Pacific herring
The Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, is a species of the herring family associated with the Pacific Ocean environment of North America and northeast Asia. This species is a silvery fish with unspined fins and a deeply forked caudal fin...
.
The herring fishery is also reflected in the legend of the Heishi rock. This 500-year-old legend says that once when herring vanished, an old woman (a fortune teller) was given a bottle with magic liquid. She threw the bottle into the sea and the herring returned. The bottle stuck to the seabed and turned into a rock, which became a representation of the god of the Sea of Japan.
In 1615, a group of merchants raised a shrine on the island to honor the god of the Sea of Japan, and in 1868 it was renamed into Itsukushima Shrine. In 1814, a monument to Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Basho
, born , then , was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku...
, the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan, was installed near the shrine.
For a long time, the island had problems with fresh water, which was important for passing ships to replenish their supplies. So, in 1876, a merchant from Esashi named Murakami spent a significant amount of money to build a water well on the island. Around that time, the island was also dragged into conflicts between different Japanese clans, and in 1852, two cannons were brought to the island for protecting it and the Esashi city.
Flora and fauna
A constant west wind keeps the island largely grass-covered, but it is also home to Painted MapleAcer pictum subsp. mono
Acer pictum subsp. mono, commonly known as Painted Maple or Mono Maple in English, or Ezo Itaya in Japan, or 五角枫 in China, is a species of maple.-Description:...
and Mongolian Oak
Quercus mongolica
Quercus mongolica, commonly known as Mongolian Oak, is a species of oak native to Japan, southern Kuriles, Sakhalin, Manchuria, Korea, eastern Mongolia, and eastern Siberia. The species can grow to be 30 m tall....
. The waters around the island are rich in aquafauna, namely Arabesque greenling
Arabesque greenling
The Arabesque greenling is a species of mackerel used in Japanese cuisine.The primary population of the fish is found off of the Sea of Okhotsk. According to legend, it was discovered by Nichiji.-Uses:...
and righteye flounder
Pleuronectidae
Righteye flounders are a family, Pleuronectidae, of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left side, with both eyes on the right side. The Paralichthyidae are the opposite, with their eyes on the left side.Their dorsal and anal fins are...
in spring, Hexagrammos otakii (a Japanese species of greenling) in summer, makerel and Japanese amberjack
Japanese amberjack
The Japanese amberjack or yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata, is a fish in the family Carangidae. It is native to the northwest Pacific, from Japan to Hawaii....
in autumn, and Arabesque greenling and octopus in winter.
Human uses
The island is a tourist destination with fishing and hiking all through the year. The beaches are used for swimming in summer.Religious uses
The first weekend of July, the Heishi Rock festival (also called Kamome Island Matsuri), pays tribute to the legend of Heishi Rock. A group of young men receive a blessing at a local shrine. They then proceed to swim to the rock, dressed only in the traditional fundoshiFundoshi
is the traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males, made from a length of cotton. Before World War II, the fundoshi was the main form of underwear for Japanese adult males...
, climb on top, and renew the 30-metre shimenawa
Shimenawa
Shimenawa are lengths of braided rice straw rope used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. They can vary in diameter from a few centimetres to several metres, and are often seen festooned with shide...
that embraces the rock. The ritual rope weighs some 500 kilograms (1,102.3 lb). The festival lasts two days it focuses on the changing of the rope, but also includes a rowing competition, a parade of people dressed in traditional costumes, Taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
and singing performances, and a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
contest.