Iki

Japanese: 壱岐 - いき

An island in the Genkai Sea in the northern part of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is also called Iki Island. The main island has an area of 133.82 square kilometers, and including the islands, it is 136.37 square kilometers (2005). The population is 30,433, and including the islands, it is 30,914 (2009). Iki Island and the islands form Iki City. According to the 2010 census, Iki City had a population of 29,377. It is described as a large (substate) country in the Gishiwajinden (Records of the Wei Dynasty of Japan), and since ancient times it was a route to the Korean Peninsula and a strategic location, forming a state of its own island, and was also called Ishu (Ishu). In the late Middle Ages, it was under the control of the Matsuura clan, and under the feudal domain system, it belonged to the Hirado-han (Hirado-han). It is located 67 km from Hakata Port on the Kyushu mainland and 42 km from Karatsu East Port (Saga Prefecture).

[Yasuyoshi Ishii]

Topography and Settlements

The entire island is a low, flat lava plateau made of basalt, distributed widely in several tiers between 20 and 100 meters above sea level, with volcanoes such as Takenotsuji (the island's highest peak, 213 meters), Tsunokamiyama (134 meters), Ondake, and Mendake erupting above it. The largest river valleys that carve the plateau are the east-flowing Taniegawa and Kawachigawa, while the west coast forms a rias with a short river valley. The coast is notable for the development of sea cliffs and sea caves, and Akasehana in the north and Jagatani on Tatsunoshima Island are particularly magnificent landscapes.

The settlements are divided into zai and ura. Zai are agricultural settlements located on a plateau, scattered in shape, and have district names called fure (Higashifure, Kidafure, etc.). Ura are fishing settlements located in the inner part of the ria coastline, clustered in shape, and limited to eight: Ashibeura, Gonoura, Indojiura, Yunomotoura, Yahataura, Katsumotoura, Setoura, and Kosakiura, and were called the eight Ikiuras. After the Meiji period, four of the eight uras - Ashibe, Gonoura, Indoji, and Katsumoto - developed into central settlements on the island with urban functions, while Yunomotoura became a hot spring settlement, and Yahata, Seto, and Kosaki continue to specialize in fishing.

[Yasuyoshi Ishii]

industry

Agriculture and livestock

Iki's three major agricultural products are rice, tobacco leaves, and Japanese beef. Rice is grown in the river valleys that carve the plateau and on reclaimed land at the back of the bay, with Fukae-tabaru along the Kawachi River being the largest area. Field crops were mainly grown on the plateau, with sweet potatoes, wheat, tobacco leaves, soybeans, garlic, etc., but in the 1950s, groundwater was successfully extracted by drilling, and field irrigation was carried out with the construction of Umenoki Dam and Toda Dam, leading to an increase in the cultivation of mandarin oranges and vegetables. There are a total of 12,459 cattle (2002), and although they can be seen grazing on the coastal plateau, they are mainly kept in barns throughout the island.

[Yasuyoshi Ishii]

Fisheries

The fishing industry is mainly limited to the Hachiura areas of Iki, and Katsumoto is blessed with the good fishing grounds of Shichirigasone, where it mainly practices line-fishing for yellowtail and squid, and has the largest catches of the entire island. The yellowtail fixed nets at Akase in the Ashibe district are one of Japan's leading fishing grounds. Yahataura and Ozakiura were fishing villages for ama and ama divers who were given the privilege of collecting abalone and turban shells during the feudal era, and they still mainly do so today.

[Yasuyoshi Ishii]

sightseeing

Ferry boats are available from Hakata Bay and Karatsu East Port, and are also connected to Tsushima. Iki Airport is connected to Nagasaki Airport. The coastal areas are included in the Iki-Tsushima Quasi-National Park, and there are many ruins related to exchanges with the continent since ancient times, such as Haruno Tsuji Ruins (a nationally designated special historic site, from the Yayoi period), Shomo Shrine, which is associated with Empress Jingu, Oni-no-Iwayakofun (a nationally designated historic site, a horizontal-hole-style ancient tomb), and the Genko Senninzuka (the Mongol Invasion of Japan). The area is also blessed with natural scenery, with magnificent sea cliffs such as Akase-hana and Sakyo-hana, coastal plateaus, and sea caves such as Hebi-ga-tani and Oni-no-ashiato, which present a strange sight. At the back of Yumoto Bay lies Iki Yunomoto Onsen, the only hot spring in Iki, and there are two swimming beaches, Tsutsukihama and Nishikihama.

[Yasuyoshi Ishii]

"Iki and Tsushima Floating in the Genkai Sea" (1968, Nagasaki Prefecture Municipal Autonomy Promotion Association)" ▽ "Iki Local History" by Goto Masatari (1978, Rekishi Toshosha)" ▽ "Nagasaki Prefecture, ed., "Nagasaki Prefecture Cultural 100 Selections 7: Iki and Tsushima" (2001, Nagasaki Shimbun)" ▽ "Archaeology of the Gishi Wajinden: Tsushima and Iki" by Okazaki Takashi and Harunari Shuji (2003, Daiichi Shobo)"

Hiroshige Utagawa, "Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in the Sixty Provinces, Iki, Shisaku"
1856 (Ansei 3), National Diet Library

Hiroshige Utagawa's "Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Iki"

Harunotsuji Ruins
Haranotsuji Isshikoku Royal Capital Restoration Park. Nationally designated special historic site. Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture. © Nagasaki Tourism Federation .

Harunotsuji Ruins

Oninokutsu Tomb
Entrance to the stone chamber. Nationally designated historic site, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture © Nagasaki Tourism Federation

Oninokutsu Tomb

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

長崎県北部、玄界灘(げんかいなだ)に浮かぶ島。壱岐島ともいう。本島の面積133.82平方キロメートル、属島も含めると136.37平方キロメートル（2005）。人口3万0433、属島も含めると3万0914（2009）。壱岐島と属島とで、壱岐市を形成する。壱岐市の2010年国勢調査による人口2万9377。『魏志倭人伝(ぎしわじんでん)』には一大（支）国として記載され、古くから朝鮮半島への通路にあたり、要地であったため一島一国を形成、壱州(いしゅう)ともよばれた。中世末は松浦党(まつらとう)の支配下にあり、幕藩体制下では平戸潘(ひらどはん)に属した。九州本土の博多(はかた)港から67キロメートル、唐津(からつ)東港（佐賀県）から42キロメートルの距離にある。

［石井泰義］

地形・集落

全島玄武岩からなる低平な溶岩台地で、標高20～100メートルの間に数段になって広く分布し、その上に岳ノ辻(たけのつじ)（島の最高峰、213メートル）、津ノ上(つのかみ)山（134メートル）、男岳(おんだけ)、女(めん)岳などの火山が噴出している。台地を刻む河谷は、東流する谷江川、河内(かわち)川がもっとも大きく、西海岸はリアス式をなし、河谷は短小である。海岸には海食崖(がい)、海食洞の発達が著しく、とくに北部の赤瀬(あかせ)鼻や、辰(たつ)ノ島の蛇ヶ谷(じゃがたに)は雄大な景観を呈する。

　集落は在(ざい)と浦とに分化し、在は台地上にある農業集落で、散村形態をとり、触(ふれ)とよばれる字(あざ)名を有している（東触(ひがしふれ)、木田触(きだふれ)など）。浦はリアス式海岸の湾奥部に位置する漁業集落で、集村形態をとり、芦辺浦、郷ノ浦、印通寺(いんどうじ)浦、湯野本浦、八幡(やはた)浦、勝本浦、瀬戸浦、小崎(こさき)浦の八つに限られ、壱岐八浦とよばれた。明治以後、都市的機能をもつ島の中心集落として発達したのは八浦のうちの芦辺、郷ノ浦、印通寺、勝本の四つで、湯野本浦は温泉集落となり、八幡、瀬戸、小崎が漁業の専業を続けている。

［石井泰義］

産業

農牧業

米、葉タバコ、和牛が壱岐の三大農産物で、米作は台地を刻む河谷および湾奥の干拓地に行われ、河内川沿岸の深江田原(ふかえたばる)がもっとも広い。台地上は畑作が主で、サツマイモ、麦、葉タバコのほか、大豆、ニンニクなどを栽培したが、昭和30年代にボーリングによる地下水の採取に成功、さらに梅ノ木ダム、当田(とうだ)ダムの建設によって畑地灌漑(かんがい)が行われ、ミカン、野菜の栽培への転換が増大している。牛は総頭数1万2459頭（2002）を数え、海岸台地上での放牧がみられるが、全島的には牧舎飼いが主である。

［石井泰義］

漁業

漁業の主体は壱岐八浦に限られ、勝本は、七里ヶ曽根(しちりがそね)の好漁場に恵まれ、ブリ、イカの一本釣りを主とし、その水揚げは全島一である。芦辺地区の赤瀬のブリ定置網は日本有数の漁場をなしている。八幡浦、小崎浦は、藩政時代アワビ、サザエなどの採取の特権を与えられた海士(あま)・海女(あま)の漁村で、現在も採取を主としている。

［石井泰義］

観光

博多湾、唐津東港からフェリーボートが就航、対馬(つしま)とも通じる。壱岐空港は長崎空港と結ばれている。海岸部を中心に壱岐対馬国定公園に含まれ、古くから大陸との交流に関する遺跡が多く、原の辻遺跡(はるのつじいせき)（国指定特別史跡、弥生(やよい)期）、神功(じんぐう)皇后ゆかりの聖母(しょうも)宮、鬼ノ窟古墳(おにのいわやこふん)（国指定史跡、横穴式古墳）、元寇千人塚(げんこうせんにんづか)などがある。自然景観にも恵まれ赤瀬(あかせ)鼻、左京(さきょう)鼻などの雄大な海食崖、海岸台地や蛇ヶ谷、鬼ノ足跡などの海食洞は奇景を呈する。湯本湾奥には壱岐唯一の壱岐湯ノ本温泉があり、海水浴場としては筒城(つつき)浜、錦(にしき)浜がある。

［石井泰義］

『『玄海に浮ぶ壱岐対馬』（1968・長崎県市町村自治振興会）』▽『後藤正足著『壱岐郷土史』（1978・歴史図書社）』▽『長崎県編『長崎県文化百選7　壱岐・対馬編』（2001・長崎新聞社）』▽『岡崎敬・春成秀爾著『魏志倭人伝の考古学　対馬・壱岐篇』（2003・第一書房）』