Kabashima

What it is

• The eighth largest island in the Goto archipelago of Nagasaki Prefecture.
• A mountainous landscape where eighty-five percent of the land is covered by peaks.
• A small fishing community with a population of approximately one hundred twenty-five people.
• A site surveyed by the famous cartographer Ino Tadataka in 1813.

What to see

• Kabashima Shrine which serves as a central spiritual site for the island.
• Active tuna farming and quarry operations located in the Motogama district.
• The local elementary and middle school buildings which are currently closed.
• Traditional fishing ports at Ifuki and Motogama where local industry operates.

When to go

• The annual festival at Kabashima Shrine takes place every October.

Getting there

• Passenger boats connect Fukue Port to the island ports of Ifuki and Motogama.

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.