Chika Island - Chika Island

The ancient name of the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. It is also written as Chikotoba Island. In the Kojiki, a legendary record of the birth of six islands in addition to the eight great islands of Oyashima, "Chikanoshima" is included among the six islands. It is said that Chika-sato refers to both the Goto Islands and Hirado Island. According to the "Hizen no Kuni Fudoki," long ago when Emperor Keikō was on a tour of his temporary palace on Shijikijima (Shijiki, Hirado City), he looked out into the western sea and called the first island Ochika (Ojika Island), the second island Ojika (Nakadōri Island, or Nakadōri Island and the islands south of it), and since they were far away but appeared close, they came to be called Chikashima (Chika Island).

[Yasuyoshi Ishii]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長崎県五島列島(ごとうれっとう)の古称。知詞島とも書く。『古事記』に、大八洲(おおやしま)のほかに六島を生んだという伝説的記録の六島のなかに「ちかのしま」が含まれている。値嘉郷(さと)は五島列島と平戸(ひらど)島の両者をさすともいわれる。『肥前国風土記(ふどき)』によると、その昔、景行天皇(けいこうてんのう)が志式嶋(しじきじま)（平戸市志々伎(しじき)）の行宮(あんぐう)に巡幸されたとき、西の海をご覧になり、第一の島を小近(おちか)（小値賀(おぢか)島）といい、第二の島を大近(おおぢか)（中通(なかどおり)島、または中通島およびそれ以南の島）とよび、遠くにあるが近くに見えるので近島(ちかしま)（値賀島）とよぶようになったと伝えられる。

［石井泰義］

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