About Nishinoshima

Location

Nishinoshima is located in the Sea of Japan, about 65 km (40 mi) northeast of the Shimane Peninsula. Nishinoshima is part of the Oki Island Chain, a national park composed of about 180 islands. Only four of the islands are inhabited. Dogo, the largest island, lies to the northeast of the Douzen Islands. Nishinoshima and its neighboring islands Ama and Chibu make up the Douzen Islands. Nishinoshima is the largest of the three islands in this group. The town of Nishinoshima incorporates all 15 of the smaller population districts on the island.

History

	Ancient Times The Oki Islands played a role in ancient Japanese history. They are written about in Japan's first history books, Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, where they were counted as one of Japan's main islands (on a level equal to Hokkaido or Shikoku today) at the time when the country was being formed into territories. In ancient times, Oki was an important place on the trade routes to Asia. Although solitary, it was open from early times and was therefore treated not just as an island, but as its own country during the establishment of the ancient national political system.
Grave of Exile in Otsu District
Middle Ages and Modern Times In the Nara and Heian periods (AD 710-1185), Oki became a place for exiles. Up until the modern period, the island consistently dealt with banished exiles and although the exact number of people deported to Oki is not known, it is thought to be considerable. Among the exiles were a number of well-known figures in history, prominent personages and high officials. They had a large influence over the region's culture and the lifestyle, manner and customs of the common people living on Oki. In the Edo period (AD 1600-1868), Oki thrived as a stopover point for trading boats waiting for the right winds to come along. Oki's culture was directly influenced by that of the Kyoto and Osaka region because of the exiles and traders. It can be said that as a place of banishment, the Oki islands were comparatively blessed in their cultural environment. Amid this historic background, many historical places still remain in Oki today. In Nishinoshima there is Emperor Godaigo's temporary palace, Kurogi Gosho (the Emperor was banished here in 1332), and Takuhi Shrine, home of the ocean traffic safety god, just to name two examples.

Climate

Nishinoshima's climate is relatively moderate compared to other areas in Japan. The yearly average temperature is 14.4°C (57.9°F), with August being the hottest month (average temp. 25.7°C, 78.3°F) and January the coldest (average temp. 3.7°C, 38.7°F). The summer tends to be quite humid and the winter very windy. The annual average rainfall is 180 cm (71 in).

Population

About 3,900 people live in Nishinoshima; 33 percent of the population is over the age of 65; 42 percent is between the ages of 30 and 64, and the remaining 25 percent of the population is under the age of 30. The island's population has decreased 24 percent over the last 28 years, with nearly a 6 percent decrease in the last three years. Nishinoshima's depopulation problem reflects the trend in many other rural areas of Japan, as the national birthrate has fallen in recent years and the entire country faces a population crisis. Although the outlook for repopulating Nishinoshima is rather bleak, the town is endeavoring to bolster its population through the "Silver Arcadia" plan, designed to attract retirees from big cities to a more laid-back lifestyle on the island.

The island has three elementary schools and one junior high school, totaling nearly 300 students. High school students either commute to the high school on Ama, or live near high schools in Saigo or on the mainland.

Industry

Fishing

Fishing is one of Nishinoshima's main industries and many different fishing methods are employed by the local co-op. Most of the boats used weigh 5 tons. In good times, the catch is said to bring in 50-60 billion yen a year, however in recent years, the supply of sardines, the main catch, has become exhausted off the coast of the Sanin region and conditions are worsening.

In the midst of these conditions, the Prefectural Fishing Industries Cultivation Center is carrying out research and development to create new technologies and improve fishing conditions. National, prefectural, municipal and cooperative interests are working together to speed up fish cultivation development and are centering their efforts on the release of red sea bream into the Japan Sea. All parties are concerned about the importance of securing the future of the fishing industry and the supply of fish.

In addition, the ability of hatcheries to raise fish has been increasing and the general desire is to make all the bays in the Douzen region thrive with ocean life. Activities such as raising sea bream in hatcheries, releasing fish into the sea, establishing fish habitats in the ocean, releasing young shellfish, and establishing a sound system to call fish to feed are being carried out. The aim is to promote both the fishing industry itself, and other related industries.

Tourism

Oki Island's representative scenic spot, "Kuniga Kaigan," is a towering basalt lava rock precipice shaped by violent waves, sea breezes and erosion. Here tourists can enjoy the satisfaction of viewing nature's fantastic beauty in the cliffs and caves that seemingly continue forever into the distant horizon.

Contrasting the rugged seacoast is the grassland that spreads above the cliffs. Here tourists can see cows and horses lazily chewing grass and on a clear day, the southeastern part of the Shimane Peninsula on the mainland comes into view.

The entire island of Nishinoshima is a play zone. Of course there's intrepid fishing to be enjoyed with your companions, but Nishinoshima is also the best location for marine sports such as windsurfing, scuba and sea kayaking. Camping grounds add to the island's fullness. Surrounded by blue skies as far as the eye can see, and the deep transparent hue of the Japan Sea, Nishinoshima is a place for all to enjoy.

Stock-Breeding

Indeed, the free-ranging cows and horses that grace the cover of almost every Nishinoshima tourist brochure serve a greater purpose than just adding countryside charm to the landscape. Today, stock bred on Nishinoshima is sold to cattle farms on the mainland for profit. However, the roots of this industry were born of necessity, rather than economic gain.

In the days before a convenient transportation system to the Oki Islands existed, islanders were in the unavoidable position of maintaining a self-sufficient economy and food supply. As a rational means of securing a food supply, the ancestral islanders thought of a plan called "Makihata" or rotational farming. It is not clear when this method began; however it is thought to have been developed over four hundred years ago.

No other examples similar to makihata exist throughout the country, and even within Oki, it's a special farm management formula exclusive to the Douzen Islands. Simply explained, the makihata farming method divided the island into four districts, and according to season, barley, soy beans and such were cultivated, and cows and horses were put to pasture in a rotation through the districts. This rotation system had many merits, including the natural fertilization and weeding of the fields by cows and horses, as well as preventing the obstacle of repeated cultivation of crops on the same land.

Makihata thrived on the island until about 1950, when the number of farmers decreased, and now farming is no longer practiced on the island. However, today makihata still exists in that anyone is allowed to pasture cows and horses, regardless of land ownership. Thus, stock breeding still thrives on the wide pastures of Nishinoshima.

For more information about Nishinoshima, please contact Nishinoshima Town Hall.

Copyright © 2003, Nishinoshima Town
Revised -- 03/11/03
URL: http://www.town.nishinoshima.shimane.jp/English/bus.connections.htm