Kujukuri Beach

A long sandy beach facing the Pacific Ocean in central-eastern Chiba Prefecture. It is an arc-shaped sandy beach that stretches about 60 kilometers from Gyobuzaki in Iioka, Asahi City in the north to Taitozaki in Misakicho district, Isumi City in the south. Legend has it that it was named after Minamoto no Yoritomo, who pointed an arrow at it, measuring 6 cho (1 ri), and found that the distance was 99 ri. It was formed when the tide carried sand to the raised coast, resulting in several rows of sand dunes 4 to 6 meters high. The sandy beach is wide, and black pine trees have been planted and sand-control fences have been built to prevent sand from flying. In the early modern period, sardine beach seine fishing was introduced from Kishu, and dried sardines were produced, and barn settlements developed on the beach. After the Meiji period, the method of hauling nets, in which two boats reel in sardine nets offshore, was adopted, but it required a great deal of manpower to pull the fishing boats in and out of the beach. A dug fishing port (Katakai Port) was built on the Sakuta River in Kujukuri Town in 1960, and the custom of "oppeshi," in which the villagers raised their heads to push out boats, disappeared. In summer, swimming beaches were opened in various locations, and seaside recreation facilities and guesthouses were developed, but in August when the Pacific Ocean waves become rough, many people start using the beach pools. The entire coastline has been designated as the Prefectural Kujukuri Nature Park, and the Kujukuri Toll Road runs through the southern half.

[Yamamura Junji]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

千葉県中東部、太平洋に面する長大な砂浜海岸。北は旭(あさひ)市飯岡(いいおか)の刑部岬(ぎょうぶざき)から南はいすみ市岬町(みさきちょう)地区の太東崎(たいとうさき)に至る長さ約60キロメートルの弧状の砂浜である。源頼朝(よりとも)が6町を1里として矢をさし、99里あったところから命名されたという伝説がある。隆起海岸に潮流が砂を運んで形成されたもので、高さ4～6メートルの数列の砂丘がみられる。砂浜は広くて飛砂を防ぐためにクロマツが植えられ、防砂垣が築かれている。近世、紀州からイワシ地引網が伝えられて干鰯(ほしか)が生産され、浜に納屋集落が発達した。明治以後は、2隻の船が沖合いでイワシ網を巻く揚繰(あぐり)網が取り入れられたが、砂浜に漁船を出し入れするのに多大の人力を要した。九十九里町作田(さくた)川に掘込み式漁港（片貝港(かたかいこう)）が建設され（1960）、集落をあげて船を押し出す「おっぺし」の風俗はみられなくなった。夏には各地に海水浴場が開設され、海浜レクリエーション施設や民宿が整備されてきたものの、太平洋の波が荒くなる8月に入ると海浜プールを利用する客が多くなる。海浜一帯は県立九十九里自然公園に指定され、南半部には九十九里有料道路が走る。

［山村順次］

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