Kunashiri Island

An island in eastern Hokkaido, east of the Shiretoko Peninsula. It is long from northeast to southwest, 122 km long and 6 to 30 km wide. Its area is 1,498.56 square kilometers. It is connected to Etorofu Island across the Kunashiri Channel in the northeast, and faces Hokkaido across the Nemuro Strait (Notsuke Channel) in the southwest. The narrowest part of the strait is 18 kilometers between Cape Notsuke and Cape Keramu-i on Kunashiri Island. The Habomai Islands, which extend from the Nemuro Peninsula to the southeast, are located parallel to Kunashiri Island. It is a volcanic island that belongs to the Kuril volcanic belt, and there are volcanoes such as the double volcanoes Chacha-dake (1,822 meters) and Rurui-dake (1,486 meters) in the north, Mount Rausu (888 meters) in the center, and Mount Tomari (542 meters) in the south. The center of the island is an isthmus with Lake Nikishoro and Furukamappu Marsh side by side, and the settlement of Furukamappu is located on the southeast shore, forming an anchorage. Other settlements include Ruyobetsu on the northeast coast and Tomari near the southern end. There are few inlets and outlets along the coastline, and most of it is made up of high sea cliffs, except for the areas around the settlements on the Pacific side.

In 1754 (Horeki 4), a "basho" (trading place) was established. In 1789 (Kansei 1), the Battle of Kunashiri-Menashi took place, and in 1798 (Kansei 10), Kondo Jyuzo conducted an expedition. In 1811 (Bunka 8), the Russian navigator Golovnin landed in Tomari and was captured by samurai of the Nanbu domain. In 1880 (Meiji 13), the Kunashiri County Office was established in Tomari. Before World War II, the coastal waters were rich in kelp, salmon, trout, crab, and other fish caught, and canned goods and salmon and trout hatchery businesses were carried out. Horse ranching, sulfur mining, and timber harvesting were also carried out. The prewar population was 7,370 (1945).

Administratively, there are two villages, Kunashiri-guntomari and Ruyabetsu, under the jurisdiction of the Nemuro Subprefectural Bureau, but after the war it came under the administration of the Soviet Union, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union it came under the administration of the Russian Federation and became part of Sakhalin Oblast, with its centre being Yuzhno-Kuril'sk (Южно‐Курильск/Yuzhno-Kuril'sk (Ostrov Kunashir). The Russian name is Kunashir Island (остров Кунашир/ostrov Kunashir).

[Kazuo Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北海道東部、知床(しれとこ)半島の東にある島。北東―南西に長く、長さ122キロメートル、幅6～30キロメートル。面積1498.56平方キロメートル。北東は国後水道を隔てて択捉(えとろふ)島に連なり、南西は根室(ねむろ)海峡（野付(のつけ)水道）を隔てて北海道に臨む。海峡最狭部は野付崎―国後島ケラムイ崎間の18キロメートル。南東には根室半島から延びる歯舞(はぼまい)群島が国後島に平行して位置する。千島火山帯に属する火山島で、北部に二重式火山の爺爺(ちゃちゃ)岳（1822メートル）、ルルイ岳（1486メートル）、中部に羅臼(らうす)山（888メートル）、南部に泊(とまり)山（542メートル）などの火山がある。島の中部はニキショロ湖と古釜布(ふるかまっぷ)沼が横に並んだ地峡部で、その南東岸に古釜布の集落があり、錨地(びょうち)をなしている。ほかに、北東海岸に臨む留夜別(るよべつ)、南端近くに泊(とまり)などの集落がある。海岸線の出入りは少なく、太平洋側の集落付近を除き大部分は高い海食崖(がい)となっている。

　1754年（宝暦4）に「場所」（交易場所）が設けられた。1789年（寛政1）国後・目梨の戦い(くなしりめなしのたたかい)、1798年（寛政10）近藤重蔵(じゅうぞう)の踏査があり、1811年（文化8）には泊に上陸したロシア人航海家ゴロウニンを南部藩士が捕らえた事件があった。1880年（明治13）には泊に国後郡役所が置かれた。第二次世界大戦前、近海ではコンブ、サケ、マス、カニなどの漁獲が多く、缶詰製造、サケ・マス孵化(ふか)事業が行われたほか、ウマの牧場経営、硫黄(いおう)採鉱、木材伐採などが営まれていた。戦前の人口は7370（1945）。

　行政上は根室振興局管内の国後郡泊村と留夜別村の2村が設けられているが、戦後はソ連、ソ連解体後はロシア連邦の施政下にあってサハリン州の所属となっており、中心地はユージノ・クリリスクЮжно‐Курильск／Yuzhno-Kuril'sk（古釜布）。ロシア名はクナシル島остров　Кунашир／ostrov Kunashir。

［渡辺一夫］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例