Karatsu Bay

A bay that runs east into the Higashi Matsuura Peninsula in northwestern Saga Prefecture. The northern part continues into the Genkai Sea. The eastern mouth of the bay is within the area of ​​Itoshima City in Fukuoka Prefecture. Most of the bay coast belongs to Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture. Within the bay are the basalt platform islands Takashima and Oshima, and the granite island Torishima. Crinum lilies grow naturally on Takashima, and seaweed is cultivated here. Oshima has been artificially connected to the mainland and embraces Karatsu Port. The inner part of the bay was once called Matsuura Lagoon, and the Matsuura River flows into the center of the bay. Karatsu Castle is located on Mt. Mantou at the mouth of the Matsuura River. With Mt. Mantou at the center, Higashinohama Beach and Nishinohama Beach open out like the wings of a crane, giving rise to the name Maizuru Castle. In the inner eastern part of the bay, the Tamashima River, mentioned in the Manyoshu, flows into the bay, creating the magnificent sandbar-like dunes of Higashinohama. At Higashinohama, a swimming beach, the Niji no Matsubara Pine Grove, a nationally designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty, stretches for about 4.5 kilometers. The inner part of the bay has been a key point for voyages to Korea since ancient times, as evidenced by the legend of Princess Matsuura Sayohime of Mt. Kagami (Mt. Hirefuri). Behind Nishinohama lies the center of Karatsu City, and to the northwest lies the Karatsu Thermal Power Station and Karatsu Port. There are fishing ports at Tobo and Hamasaki. The entire bay area is Genkai Quasi-National Park, and the views from Mt. Kagami and other spots are spectacular.

[Shigeru Kawasaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

佐賀県北西部東松浦半島(ひがしまつうらはんとう)の東に入り込む湾。北部は玄界灘(げんかいなだ)に続く。湾口東部は福岡県糸島市(いとしまし)域。湾岸の大部分は佐賀県の唐津市に属する。湾内には玄武岩をのせる台状の高島や大島、花崗(かこう)岩の鳥島が浮かぶ。高島にはハマユウが自生し、ノリ養殖などをみる。大島は人工的に陸繋(りくけい)化し、唐津港を抱く。湾奥部はかつて松浦潟(まつらがた)と称し、湾奥中央に松浦(まつうら)川が注ぐ。松浦川河口の満島(まんとう)山には唐津城がある。満島山を中心に東ノ浜、西ノ浜がツルの翼のように開け、舞鶴(まいづる)城の名を生んだ。湾奥東部には『万葉集』に詠まれた玉島川が注ぎ東ノ浜のみごとな砂州状砂丘をつくる。海水浴場の東ノ浜には、国の特別名勝の虹ノ松原(にじのまつばら)が約4.5キロメートル続く。湾奥部は古来朝鮮方面への渡航の要津(ようしん)。鏡山(かがみやま)（領巾振山(ひれふりやま)）の松浦佐用姫伝説(まつらさよひめでんせつ)はそれを物語る。西ノ浜背後に唐津市の中心街、その北西に火力発電の唐津発電所や唐津港がある。唐房(とうぼう)や浜崎(はまさき)には漁港がある。湾岸一帯は玄海(げんかい)国定公園で、鏡山などからの眺望は絶景。

［川崎　茂］

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