Itoshima Peninsula

A peninsula jutting out into the Genkai Sea in northwest Fukuoka Prefecture. The eastern part belongs to Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City, and the western part to Itoshima City. At the beginning of the Pleistocene (Pleistocene) epoch, a channel between an island (Shima) made of granite hills and the mainland (Ito) was filled in, forming a compound island. The coast is a scenic spot consisting of sea caves and sea cliffs, including Keyano-Oto, a nationally designated natural monument, and arch-shaped sand dune pine forests such as Nigi-no-Matsubara, which connect them, and is included in the Genkai Quasi-National Park. Agriculture is thriving mainly in the Itoshima Plain (Nakadori Lowland) at the base of the peninsula, and the area is famous for cultivating strawberries, mandarin oranges, persimmons, watermelons, and other crops in addition to rice. There are many famous places in the area, such as the Shito dolmen group, the remains of the Mongol invasion defense walls, Mount Kaya, also known as Little Fuji (Tsukushi Fuji), and the Kofuji Plum Grove.

[Masaaki Ishiguro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福岡県北西部、玄界灘(げんかいなだ)に突出した半島。東部は福岡市西区、西部は糸島市に属す。更新世（洪積世）の初めに、花崗(かこう)岩の丘陵群からなる島（志摩）と、陸地（怡土(いと)）との間の水道が埋積されて形成された複式の陸繋(りくけい)島である。沿岸は国指定天然記念物の芥屋ノ大門(けやのおおと)をはじめとする海食洞と海食崖(がい)、それを結ぶ幣ノ松原(にぎのまつばら)などの弓状の砂丘松原からなる景勝地で、玄海国定公園に含まれる。半島の付け根にあたる糸島平野（中通低地(なかどおりていち)）を中心に農業が盛んで、稲作のほか、イチゴ、ミカン、花卉(かき)、スイカなどの栽培で名高い。志登(しと)支石墓（ドルメン）群、元寇(げんこう)防塁跡や、小富士（筑紫富士(つくしふじ)）の名がある可也山(かやさん)、小富士梅林など名所も多い。

［石黒正紀］

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