Hikoshima

Hikoshima

Native name: 彦島 Hikoshima
Hikoshima Location in Japan
Geography
Location	East China Sea
Coordinates	33°56′14″N 130°54′52″E
Area	10.58 km^2 (4.08 sq mi)
Length	5.7 km (3.54 mi)
Width	2 km (1.2 mi)
Highest elevation	111.8 m (366.8 ft)
Highest point	mount 大山 (Ooyama)
Administration
Japan
Prefecture	Yamaguchi Prefecture
city	Shimonoseki
Demographics
Population	30182 (2011)
Pop. density	2,853/km^2 (7389/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Japanese

Hikoshima (彦島) (also called Hikishima (引島) in Nihon Shoki) is an island on the south-west tip of Honshu, Japan.

Geography

The island is irregularly shaped and hilly. The strait, as narrow as 40 metres (44 yd), separates the island from the main island of Honshu. The parts of sprawling city of Shimonoseki occupy most of the island, making it the most populous minor island in Yamaguchi Prefecture, albeit only sixth in size by area.

Transportation

The island is connected to the Japanese mainland of Honshu by three bridges, one above a ship lock. The Kanmon Railway Tunnel connects the island to Kyushu, but the San'yō Main Line has no stop-overs on island, the nearest station being Shimonoseki Station in the downtown area.[1] Also, there is a bridge connection to the small 竹の子島 (Takenoko-jima) on the northwestern tip of the Hikoshima.

History

The island was inhabited since prehistory, as evidenced by petroglyphs found in 1918.[2] Following the Battle of Dan-no-ura, the refugees from the Taira clan has migrated to island and set the basis for the local agriculture. The island was an important site of Shimonoseki Campaign in 1863-1864 when it was much feared the island would become the Japanese variant of Hong Kong.[3] The island industrialization began in 1924 with the building of ammonium sulphate plant with German license in 1924.[4] Currently island is heavily populated and industrialized, including shipyard[5] and titanium&zinc smelter.[6]

Attractions

• Fossil-rich cliffs[7]

Notable residents

• Michiyo Kogure - film actress
• Shinji Yamashita - actor
• Atsushi Tamura - comedian
• Shinobu Otowa - enka singer
• Hideo Fujimoto - baseball pitcher
• Masashi Nishiyama - judoka

See also

• List of islands of Japan by area
• List of islands by population density
• Shimonoseki

References

1. Let's travel around Japan - Shimonoseki city
2. David S. Whitle, "Handbook of Rock Art Research", p. 766
3. Keiya Mizuno, Naoki Naganuma, "Life Works Itself Out: (And Then You Nap)", p.48
4. Akira Kudo, "Japanese-German Business Relations: Co-operation and Rivalry in the Interwar Period", p. 240
5. Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works Enoura Plant/ Yamatomachi Plant
6. U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, 2013, V. 3, Area Reports, International, Asia and the Pacific, p. 13.9
7. Yamaguchi travel guide - Hikojima

External links

• Hikoshima official site