Ōshima

What it is

• The largest inhabited offshore island in Fukuoka Prefecture covering seven square kilometers.
• Home to the Munakata Taisha Nakatsumiya Shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• The legendary birthplace of the Japanese Tanabata festival.
• A community of five hundred residents focused on fishing and citrus agriculture.

What to see

• The Okitsumiya Yohaisho which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Mount Mitake which serves as the highest point on the island at 224 meters.
• A white lighthouse located near the scenic Kanzaki Cape.
• The historical remains of the Shimonoseki Fortress Oshima Battery.
• Local groves of Amanatsu orange trees across the island landscape.

Getting there

• A ferry connects Kominato Port to Oshima Port in twenty-five minutes.

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.