is an island located in the Inland Sea of 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...

, north of the city of Takamatsu

Takamatsu, Kagawa

is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...

, and is part of Kagawa Prefecture

Kagawa Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...

. It has an area of 2.66 km2, a coastline of 8.9 km, and a population of about 200.

The island has been linked to the mythical island Onigashima ("island of ogres"), visited by the folk tale character Momotarō

Momotaro

is a popular hero from Japanese folklore. His name literally means Peach Tarō; as Tarō is a common Japanese boy's name, it is often translated as Peach Boy...

. The caves at the top of Washigamine Summit, as the home of the ogres from that story, are a popular tourist spot. There is an observation platform at the peak of Washigamine Summit where one can get a 360 degree view of the Seto Inland Sea.

External links

• Tourist information
• Description on the Setouchi International Art Festival web site