Kamigoto

The former name of a town (Kamigoto-cho) in Minamimatsuura County, western Nagasaki Prefecture. It now occupies almost the center of Shinkamigoto-cho. The former Kamigoto-cho was formed in 1956 (Showa 31) when the towns of Aokata and Hamanoura merged, and in 2004 (Heisei 16) merged with the four towns of Wakamatsu, Shinuonome, Arikawa, and Narao to become Shinkamigoto-cho. The former town area consisted of the central and western coast of Nakadori-jima Island in the Goto Islands and its affiliated islands, and was passed through by National Route 384. The central area was Aokata, and there were shipping routes to Hakata and Fukue, and it was also a refuge port for trawlers heading west. In ancient times, it was a port of call for Japanese envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty and was called Aiko (Aiko) Taura. In the Middle Ages, Fujiwara Ietaka established the Aokata clan, making it a historic town. There are many Catholic settlements, such as Aosagaura, Oso, Atotsugu, Hiyamizu, and Orishim, and churches can be found throughout the area. In particular, Aosagaura Church (Cathedral), which stands on a hill overlooking Nama Bay, is known for its precious architecture, consecrated in 1910 (Meiji 43), and has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the national government. All the houses on Orishim have been relocated, and it is now uninhabited. There are five offshore oil storage facilities near Orishim and Kashiwajima in Aokata Bay, with a total capacity of 4.4 million kiloliters (originally planned to be seven facilities with a capacity of 6 million kiloliters). In the northern part of Nama, there is Jinyahata, said to be the site of the residence of the land steward before the Aokata clan, and today the port is used by trawlers to transport boats from the west. Yellowtail is farmed in the Ino Seto Strait in the Hamanoura district.

[Yasuyoshi Ishii]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長崎県西部、南松浦(みなみまつうら)郡にあった旧町名（上五島町(ちょう)）。現在は新上五島町のほぼ中央部を占める。旧上五島町は1956年（昭和31）青方(あおかた)町と浜ノ浦(はまのうら)村が合併して成立、2004年（平成16）若松(わかまつ)、新魚目(しんうおのめ)、有川(ありかわ)、奈良尾(ならお)の4町と合併、新上五島町となる。旧町域は、五島列島の中通島(なかどおりじま)中西岸と属島からなり、国道384号が通じる。中心地区は青方で、博多(はかた)と福江(ふくえ)への航路があり、以西(いせい)底引船の避難港でもある。古代は遣唐使船の寄航地で、合蚕(あいこ)（相河(あいこ)）田浦とよばれた。中世には藤原家高が青方氏を興した由緒ある町。青砂(あおさ)ヶ浦、大曽(おおそ)、跡次(あとつぎ)、冷水(ひやみず)、折(おり)島などカトリック集落が多く、各地に教会がある。とくに、奈摩(なま)湾を見下ろす丘にたつ青砂ヶ浦教会（天主堂）は、1910年（明治43年）献堂の貴重な建築で知られ、国の重要文化財に指定されている。なお、折島は全戸移住して現在は無人島。青方湾の折島、柏(かしわ)島付近に5基440万キロリットル（当初7基600万キロリットルの計画）にのぼる石油の洋上備蓄基地がある。北部の奈摩には、青方氏以前の地頭職(じとうしき)の屋敷跡と称せられる陣屋畑があり、現在港には以西底引船を寄せる。浜ノ浦地区の飯(い)ノ瀬戸ではハマチ養殖が行われている。

［石井泰義］

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