Genkai Sea

The sea area in northwest Kyushu is called Genkai for short. It is connected to the East China Sea via the Tsushima Strait East Channel and Iki Channel in the west, and to the Hibikinada Sea via the line between Kaneno-misaki and Jinoshima in the east. It stretches from Fukuoka Prefecture to Saga Prefecture, and from the east there are islands such as Chikuzen-Oshima, Aino-shima, Genkai-shima, Orono-shima, Eboshi-shima, Kashiwa-shima, Ogawa-shima, and Kabe-shima, as well as numerous reefs, and the bays of Fukuoka (Hakata) and Karatsu are open to the sea. The water is about 100 meters deep, but most of it is a shallow continental shelf less than 50 to 60 meters deep. It is a good fishing ground with the Tsushima Current flowing from southwest to northeast, but in winter the sea becomes rough due to seasonal winds, and many small boats are lost. Since ancient times, it has been used as a key route for maritime traffic with the continent and the Korean Peninsula, and was also an invasion route during the Mongol invasions, but now it is also a place for smuggling and stowaways from Korea. It is a good fishing ground for sea bream, squid, horse mackerel, mackerel, yellowtail, pufferfish, grunt, sardines, sea urchins, and wakame seaweed, and many fishing ports have developed along the coast, but in recent years the fishing grounds have been declining, and efforts are being made to develop marine resources by installing fish reefs, etc. The coastal area is rich in scenic spots such as Keya no Oto and Nanatsugama, Shikanoshima, Ikinomatsubara, Uminonakamichi, and Niji no Matsubara, as well as historical sites such as the ruins of Ito Castle, the remains of the Mongol Invasions Defense Fort, Munakata Taisha Shrine, Kashii Shrine, and Hakozaki Hachiman Shrine, and has been designated as part of the Genkai Quasi-National Park.

[Masaaki Ishiguro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

九州北西部の海域で玄海と略称される。西は対馬(つしま)海峡東水道、壱岐(いき)水道で東シナ海に続き、東は鐘(かね)ノ岬、地(じ)ノ島の線で響灘(ひびきなだ)に至る。福岡県から佐賀県にわたり、東から筑前(ちくぜん)大島、相(あい)ノ島、玄界島、小呂(おろ)島、烏帽子(えぼし)島、神集(かしわ)島、小川(おがわ)島、加部(かべ)島などの島々や多数の岩礁があり、福岡（博多(はかた)）、唐津(からつ)の両湾が開けている。水深は100メートル内外であるが、大部分は50～60メートル未満の浅い大陸棚が中心で、対馬海流が南西から北東に流れる好漁場であるが、冬季は季節風により海が荒れるため、小型船の遭難が多い。古来、大陸、朝鮮半島との海上交通の要路として利用され、元寇(げんこう)の侵入路にもなったが、現在は韓国からの密航、密輸の場でもある。タイをはじめイカ、アジ、サバ、ブリ、フグ、イサキ、イワシ、ウニ、ワカメなどの好漁場で、沿岸に多数の漁港が発達しているが、近年は漁場の荒廃が進行中で、魚礁設置などで水産資源の開発が努められている。沿岸一帯は芥屋ノ大門(けやのおおと)や七ツ釜(がま)をはじめ、志賀島(しかのしま)、生之松原(いきのまつばら)、海ノ中道(うみのなかみち)、虹(にじ)ノ松原などの景勝地や、怡土(いと)城跡、元寇防塁跡、宗像(むなかた)大社、香椎宮(かしいぐう)、筥崎八幡宮(はこざきはちまんぐう)などの史跡に富み、玄海国定公園に指定されている。

［石黒正紀］

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