Hoyo Strait

A strait in the southwestern part of the Seto Inland Sea, between Cape Sada in Ehime Prefecture and Sekizaki on the Saganoseki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture. The strait is about 16 kilometers long. It is also called Hayasui Seto. It is called Bungo Strait because it is the border between Iyonada in the north and Bungo Channel in the south. Takashima and Ushijima are located near Sekizaki, and the water depth between these islands and Cape Sada is 140 meters at its deepest point, but there are two basins on the north and south of the strait, each 300 to 400 meters deep. These basins are thought to have been formed by erosion caused by strong tidal currents in the area. The tidal current speed is a maximum of 6 knots during high tide and 5 knots during low tide. The strait is a major shipping route connecting the Seto Inland Sea and the open sea, and is used by many large ships such as tankers and ferries. The area around the strait is beautifully scenic with its gentle reefs and sea cliffs, and is part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park.

[Kazuo Fukaishi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

瀬戸内海の南西部、愛媛県佐田(さだ)岬と大分県佐賀関半島関崎との間の海峡。海峡間は約16キロメートル。速吸瀬戸(はやすいせと)ともいう。北の伊予灘(いよなだ)と南の豊後(ぶんご)水道の境界にあたるため豊予海峡という。関崎寄りに高島、牛島があり、この両島と佐田岬間の水深は最大地点で140メートルであるが、海峡の南北にはそれぞれ深度300～400メートルの二つの海釜(かいふ)がある。この海釜は付近の激しい潮流による侵食で形成されたものと考えられる。潮流の速さは漲潮(ちょうちょう)時最大6ノット、逆潮時5ノットである。海峡は瀬戸内海と外洋を結ぶ主要航路にあたり、タンカー、フェリーなどの大型船舶の航行が多い。海峡一帯は穏顕岩礁や海食崖(がい)の景観に優れ、瀬戸内海国立公園域になっている。

［深石一夫］

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