Shodoshima
Encyclopedia
is an island located in the Inland Sea of Japan
. The name means literally "Island of Small Beans
". There are two towns on the island: Tonoshō
and Shōdoshima
, comprising the district of Shōzu
.
The island is famous for its stages of Twenty-Four Eyes
. The island was the first area of Japan to successfully grow olive
s, and is sometimes known as "Olive Island".
and is located north of the prefectural capital Takamatsu
. It has an area of 153.30 km² and a coastline of 126 km. It is the 19th largest island in Japan, second largest in the Inland Sea.
Shōdoshima is home to the world's narrowest strait, 9.93 meters at its narrowest.
Frequent ferries run to the island from Takamatsu, Himeji
, Teshima
and Okayama. Ferries run infrequently to Osaka
and Kōbe
as well.
(later Bizen
) Province, given to Sanuki Province
, and finally made part of Kagawa prefecture.
and later turned twice into a film (1954 and 1987), as well as a television special. The island is the birthplace of two other distinguished writers: Sakae's husband the poet Shigeji Tsuboi
and the novelist and short-story writer Denji Kuroshima. All three were prominent participants in the proletarian literary movement, an important and politically radical current within modern Japanese literature.
Shōdoshima is also known for its olives, soy sauce, wild monkeys, and beaches. In addition, tourists are attracted to a miniature version of the 88-temple Shikoku Pilgrimage
.
The island is also famous for being the first in Japan to successfully cultivate olives. Olive trees proliferate on the island and olive-related merchandise is quite popular with tourists. Milos
, Greece
is Shōdoshima's sister island.
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...
. The name means literally "Island of Small Beans
Azuki bean
The is an annual vine, Vigna angularis, widely grown throughout East Asia and the Himalayas for its small bean. The cultivars most familiar in north-east Asia have a uniform red color, but white, black, gray and variously mottled varieties are also known. Scientists presume Vigna angularis var...
". There are two towns on the island: Tonoshō
Tonosho, Kagawa
is a town in Shōzu District, Kagawa, Japan. It is located on the island of Shōdoshima in the Inland Sea. Small islands on the Inland Sea, including Teshima, belong to its administrative area. As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 15,676 and a density of 211 persons per km²...
and Shōdoshima
Shodoshima, Kagawa
is a town located in Shōzu District, Kagawa, Japan on Shodoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea. The town was formed on March 21, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Ikeda and Uchinomi, both from Shōzu District....
, comprising the district of Shōzu
Shozu District, Kagawa
is a district located in Kagawa, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 34,714 and a density of 204.20 persons per km². The total area is 170.00 km², most of which is on the island of Shōdoshima.-Mergers:...
.
The island is famous for its stages of Twenty-Four Eyes
Twenty-Four Eyes
, based on the novel by Sakae Tsuboi, is a 1954 Japanese film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita.-Synopsis:The movie follows the career of a schoolteacher named Ōishi in Shōdoshima during the rise and fall of Japanese ultra-nationalism in the beginning of the Shōwa period...
. The island was the first area of Japan to successfully grow olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s, and is sometimes known as "Olive Island".
Geography
Shōdoshima is part of Kagawa PrefectureKagawa 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:...
and is located north of the prefectural capital 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...
. It has an area of 153.30 km² and a coastline of 126 km. It is the 19th largest island in Japan, second largest in the Inland Sea.
Shōdoshima is home to the world's narrowest strait, 9.93 meters at its narrowest.
Frequent ferries run to the island from Takamatsu, Himeji
Himeji, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 535,945, with 206,409 households. The total area is 534.43 km².- History :...
, Teshima
Teshima
is an island located in the Inland Sea of Japan, between Naoshima and Shōdoshima islands, and is part of Kagawa Prefecture. It has an area of 14.5 km2 and a population of about 1,000 people. The island was made famous for a major industrial waste scandal....
and Okayama. Ferries run infrequently to Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Kōbe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
as well.
History
Shōdoshima was once known as Azukishima and was part of KibiKibi Province
was a ancient province or region of Japan, in the same area as Okayama Prefecture and eastern Hiroshima Prefecture. It was sometimes called .It was divided into Bizen , Bitchū , and Bingo Provinces in the late 7th century, and Mimasaka Province was separated from Bizen Province in the 8th century...
(later Bizen
Bizen Province
was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of Honshū, in what is today the southeastern part of Okayama Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bitchu and Bingo Provinces. Bizen borders Mimasaka, Harima, and Bitchū Provinces....
) Province, given to Sanuki Province
Sanuki Province
was an old province of Japan on the island of Shikoku, with the same boundaries as modern Kagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .It faced the Inland Sea and bordered on Awa and Iyo Provinces. Across Naruto strait it bordered Awaji Province too. Administratively it was included as a part of...
, and finally made part of Kagawa prefecture.
Tourism and culture
Shōdoshima is a popular destination for domestic tourism in Japan. In addition to natural features such as the Dobuchi Strait and the , Shōdoshima is famous as the setting for the antiwar novel , written by the native author Sakae TsuboiSakae Tsuboi
was a Japanese novelist and poet.-Early life:Sakae Tsuboi was born in the village of Sakate in Kagawa Prefecture, the fifth daughter of soy sauce barrel maker, Tokichi Iwai...
and later turned twice into a film (1954 and 1987), as well as a television special. The island is the birthplace of two other distinguished writers: Sakae's husband the poet Shigeji Tsuboi
Shigeji Tsuboi
was an influential Japanese poet of the modern era of Japanese literature.-History:Tsuboi was born on the island of Shōdoshima and studied briefly at Waseda University in Tokyo, but he never graduated...
and the novelist and short-story writer Denji Kuroshima. All three were prominent participants in the proletarian literary movement, an important and politically radical current within modern Japanese literature.
Shōdoshima is also known for its olives, soy sauce, wild monkeys, and beaches. In addition, tourists are attracted to a miniature version of the 88-temple Shikoku Pilgrimage
Shikoku Pilgrimage
The or is a multi-site pilgrimage of 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kūkai on the island of Shikoku, Japan. A popular and distinctive feature of the island's cultural landscape, and with a long history, large numbers of pilgrims still undertake the journey for a variety of ascetic,...
.
The island is also famous for being the first in Japan to successfully cultivate olives. Olive trees proliferate on the island and olive-related merchandise is quite popular with tourists. Milos
Milos
Milos , is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
is Shōdoshima's sister island.