[Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture] Tobishima, which flourished during the Edo period with Kitamaebune ships, is now a geopark created by the earth that is attracting attention.

Tobishima Yamagata Prefecture's only remote island, floating in the Sea of ​​Japan off the coast of Sakata City . The area is approximately 2.75 square km and the circumference is approximately 10 km. The population is 169 (as of December 2020), and fishing is the main industry. During the Edo period, port for Kitamaebune ships , and it is said that as many as 400 ships stopped by each year.

The warm Tsushima Current flows around the island, so it is warm all year round, with an average annual temperature of over 12 degrees Celsius, and less than 10 cm of snow. It is an island where you can enjoy nature exploration as part of the Mt. Chokai/Tobishima Geopark, where the nature that reveals the origin of the island and ruins from the Jomon period are also there

Tobishima, where people have lived since the Jomon period

Tobishima separated from the Eurasian continent about 19 million years ago, and it is said that the sediments of submarine volcanoes rose up due to tectonic movements, and then took on its current shape over millions of years through erosion by waves and wind. Masu. It was inhabited during the Jomon period, as it is close to the mainland, has a relatively warm climate, and has abundant seafood. Pottery from the Jomon period, about 6,000 years ago, has been discovered in ruins on the island.

It was called "Todo Island" because it was home to many sea lions.

Although there are no accurate records remaining from the Heian period to the Muromachi period, human bones thought to date from the Heian period have been found at ruins called ``Tekikana.''

It began to be called ``Tobishima'' in the early Edo period, and until then it had been known by many names, including Miyakojima, Oshima, Fareshima, and Todoshima. "Todoshima" was inhabited by a large number of Japanese doves, and the term "Todoshima" appears in many ancient documents from the Edo period, and it is said that "Tobishima" was changed from Todo.

One theory is that when Mt. Chokai exploded, a part of the mountain that flew out became a "flying island,"

During the Edo period, the local specialty, squid, was paid as annual tax.

After the Sengoku period, the lords of Tobishima changed to the Yuri clan, the Muto clan, the Mogami clan, and the Sakai clan. The Mogami clan, the first feudal lord of the Edo period, began to collect the money from the sale of squid from the islanders as an annual tax in the form of a "squid tax."

Mr. Sakai, who later became the lord of the Shonai domain, continued the "squid tax", but changed it to a form where the tax was made to be paid on the squid itself

Katsuura Port prospered as a port for Kitamae ships to wait for the wind.

It is said that between the Edo period and the Meiji period, 400 to 500 Kitamaebune ships called at Tobishima each year.

Kitamae-bune was a shipping vessel that earned a huge amount of wealth by traveling between Osaka, Tohoku, and Hokkaido, calling at various ports along the Sea of ​​Japan in an era when there were no railroads or trucks. is susceptible to the northwest monsoon winds, making it impossible to enter the port in bad weather. For this reason, Katsuura Port on Tobishima, located off the coast of Sakata and protected from winds from the northwest, was a perfect port for waiting out the wind.

Sakata has been hit by large fires and earthquakes in the past, and there are almost no passenger ship records left that record the Kitamaebune ships that called at the port and their crews.

It was not known what kind of ships were in the port and for how long, but since Tobishima had no major fires or disasters, there were 13 boathouses in the Edo period and nine in the Meiji era, with passenger ship books remaining . I did. It is thought that the ship entered Sakata Port as it was, so it has become a valuable document.

Tobishima attracts attention as “Mt. Chokai/Tobishima Geopark”

Tobishima is said to have been created more than 10 million years ago, and is home to strangely shaped rocks and caves that were created by deposits from underwater volcanoes and washed by waves, and various legends have been passed down. It has been certified as the ``Mt. Chokai-Tobishima Geopark'' as the perfect place to think about the Earth, including its origins, geological formations, and natural formations

Mt. Kashiwagi and coastal promenade

It is located around Katsuura Port at the southern tip of Tobishima, and is surrounded by mountains such as Tateiwa Rock, which served as a windbreak for Katsuura Port, and Mt. Kashiwagi Mountain. There is a promenade along the coast, and you can touch the beach called ``Sainokawara ''

The Tobishima on Mt. and has been designated as a natural monument by Sakata City.

Tobishima daylily is a flower found only on Tobishima and Sado Island, and is a member of the daylily family.

The large colony at Onogame on Sado Island is famous, but it is said that they once bloomed all over Tobishima. Recently, the number has decreased and conservation efforts are being carried out.

Gotoro Beach is characterized by its mille-feuille-shaped cliffs.

Gotoro Beach in the southwestern part of the island, there is a 20m high cliff that is layered like a mille-feuille. The volcanic bombs and volcanic ash ejected from an undersea volcano are piled up alternately, indicating that Tobishima was once on the ocean floor.

Mitsushima Island, where traces of a former volcano remain

"Oshakujima" is a small island made of rugged rock located about 1 km west of Tobishima, and is made of rhyolite, a rock that has solidified magma at or near the surface of the earth. .

The cave on the north side, which was created by wave erosion, a golden rock surface called ` `Dragon Scales,'' and has been worshiped by islanders and sailors as a sacred place where the Dragon God lives.

Arasaki Beach selected as one of Japan's 100 Best Beaches

Arasaki Beach is made of gravel tuff and pumice ejected from submarine volcanoes , and is so beautiful that the sun sets over the Sea of ​​Japan, and it has been selected as one of Japan's 100 Best Beaches. There are also native habitats such as Tobishima Daylily in the surrounding area, making it one of Tobishima's most scenic spots.

one of Japan's 100 Best Beaches, a ``Beach Bell'' has been erected on a hill overlooking the coast.

Hanatozaki Observation Deck, the easternmost point where you can also see Mt. Chokai.

Hanatozaki, the easternmost tip of Tobishima, is a scenic spot where you can see Mt. Chokai to the north and Katsuura Port to the south. There is a covered observation deck where you can enjoy the scenery.

``Tekikana'' where human bones from the Heian period were discovered

Tekiana 22 human bones and artifacts estimated to date from the Heian period were discovered in 1964 There are still many mysteries, such as why people lived there during the Heian period.

Take a regular ferry from Sakata Port to Tobishima

Tobishima has been attracting attention recently as it has been certified as the "Mt. Chokai/Tobishima Geopark."

to get to the island from Sakata Port by ferry from Sakata Port to Tobishi . Enjoy exploring the earth's mysterious formations with spectacular views.

INFORMATON

• Location: 2-5-6 Senba-cho, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture [Liner ferry terminal]
• Phone number: 0234-22-3911 (Line route office)
• Regular boat fare: 2,140 yen for adults (one way), 1,070 yen for children (elementary school students and infants)
• Business hours: Regular ships make 1 to 3 voyages a day
• *Flights may be canceled depending on weather conditions. Please call to confirm
• access
• 75 minutes from Sakata Port to regular ferry Tobishi, Tobishima Katsuura Port
• parking
• Located in front of the regular boat terminal (large size available)
• URL: “Tobishima” operation status

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