Kojima Peninsula

A peninsula facing the Seto Inland Sea in the central southern part of Okayama Prefecture. It was once a large island, but was connected to the mainland in the early modern period. It is mainly made up of hilly granite mountains, with little flat land. Since the early modern period, trees were cut down to use as fuel for salt fields, leaving many bald mountains, but after World War II, greening has been promoted. Natural forests remain on Mount Yuga in the west, and Kurashiki City Youth Nature Center is located there. The mountain range in the eastern half is called Kounandai, and the main peaks Mount Kinko and Mount Washu are part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park and provide excellent observation decks. The eastern half of the peninsula belongs to Tamano City, the northeastern tip to Okayama City, and the western half to Kurashiki City, and the west coast is part of the Mizushima coastal industrial area. Kojima in Kurashiki City is known as a textile manufacturing area, and Tamano is a shipbuilding town.

[Shogo Yuihama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

岡山県南部中央、瀬戸内海に臨む半島。かつては大きな島であったが、近世初期に陸繋(りくけい)化した。主として花崗(かこう)岩の丘陵性の山地からなり、平地は乏しい。近世以来塩田の燃料として樹木が伐採されたためはげ山が多かったが、第二次世界大戦後緑化が進められた。西部の由加山(ゆがさん)には自然林が残り、倉敷市少年自然の家がある。東半の山塊は光南台とよばれ、主峰金甲山(きんこうざん)や鷲羽山(わしゅうざん)は瀬戸内海国立公園の一部で絶好の展望台となっている。半島の東半部は玉野市、北東端は岡山市、西半部は倉敷市に属し、西岸は水島臨海工業地域の一部。倉敷市児島は機業地、玉野は造船の町として知られる。

［由比浜省吾］

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