Madara Island - Madara Island

An island in the Iki Strait (Genkai Sea) at the northwestern tip of Saga Prefecture. It is about 7 km west of Cape Hadomisaki at the northwestern tip of the Higashi Matsuura Peninsula, and is part of Karatsu City. It has an area of ​​4.24 square kilometers and a circumference of about 12.5 kilometers. It is the largest island in Saga Prefecture. It is made up of a hilly plateau of basalt and trachyte, with the highest point being Banshonotsuji (Toomi-dake) at an elevation of about 238 meters, and most of the coast is made up of cliffs. Madarajima Fishing Port and Miyanomoto Fishing Village, commonly known as Honmura, are located in a small cove in the southeast. It takes about 45 minutes by regular ferry from Yobuko Port (via Nagoya Port). There are various theories about the island's name, including that it is a rewriting of Madara Island, and that it is the origin of the island being the first to be called "the island where horses cross" from the mainland.

Since ancient times, it has been a stopover point for continental transportation, and there are many ruins and legends related to Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty and Mongol invasions. During the Edo period, the Karatsu clan ran a pastureland for horses and deer. The main village is a clustered fishing village with a variety of fish such as yellowtail, squid, pufferfish, sardines, abalone, turban shells, and sea urchins, but Shinmura, located on the plateau, is a scattered village mainly for field crops. In 1981 (Showa 56), there were 5 hectares of rice paddies, 48 ​​hectares of farmland, 40 hectares of orchards, and 18 hectares of pastureland, where potatoes, sweet oranges, and other fruits were cultivated and beef cattle were raised. According to the 2005 edition of the "Annual Statistics Report on Remote Islands," in 2004 (Heisei 16), there were 17 hectares of rice paddies, 73 hectares of farmland, 5 hectares of orchards, and 2 hectares of pastureland. In recent years, they have also been focusing on manufacturing processed products that make use of the abundant seafood. While Honmura is Buddhist, Shinmura is a Catholic settlement, known as the site of hidden Christians who migrated from Nagasaki during the Kansei era (1789-1801). The Madojima Catholic Church (Mido Cathedral) in the Shinmura district is a wooden building that was relocated from the former Himosashi Church in Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture. It has a history of overseas immigration. As part of the Genkai Quasi-National Park, many visitors come to the island to enjoy fishing and other activities. It is the habitat of the Japanese wood pigeon, a nationally designated natural monument. Population 504 (2009).

[Shigeru Kawasaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

佐賀県北西端、壱岐(いき)水道（玄界灘(げんかいなだ)）に浮かぶ島。東松浦(ひがしまつうら)半島北西端の波戸岬(はどみさき)西方約7キロメートル、唐津市(からつし)に属する。面積4.24平方キロメートル、周囲約12.5キロメートル。佐賀県内では最大の島。玄武岩・粗面岩類の丘陵性台地からなり、最高地点は標高約238メートルの番所ノ辻(つじ)（遠見(とおみ)岳）で、海岸は大部分断崖(だんがい)をなす。南東部の小さな入り江一帯に、馬渡島漁港や通称本村の宮ノ本漁村が立地する。呼子港(よぶここう)から定期船で約45分（名護屋(なごや)港経由）。島名については、斑(まだら)島の書き改め説や、大陸から最初に「馬渡る島」の由来伝説などをもつ。

　古来、大陸交通の中継地で、遣唐使や元寇(げんこう)ほか、それにまつわる遺跡や伝承が多い。江戸期には唐津藩のウマやシカの藩営放牧地があった。本村はブリ、イカ、フグ、イワシ、アワビ、サザエ、ウニなど各種の水揚げをもつ漁村で塊村形態をなすが、台地上の新村は畑作主体で散村形態をなす。1981年（昭和56）には、田5ヘクタール、畑48ヘクタール、樹園地40ヘクタール、牧草地18ヘクタールで、いも類や甘夏柑(あまなつかん)などを栽培し、肉牛飼育をみた。『離島統計年報』2005年版によると、2004年（平成16）には、田17ヘクタール、畑73ヘクタール、樹園地5ヘクタール、牧草地2ヘクタールとなっている。近年は、豊富な海産物を生かした加工品製造にも力を入れている。仏教徒の本村に対し、新村はカトリック教徒の集落で、寛政(かんせい)年間（1789～1801）に長崎方面から移住してきた隠れキリシタンの地として知られる。新村地区の馬渡島カトリック教会（御堂天主堂）は、長崎県平戸の旧紐差(ひもさし)教会を移築した木造建築。海外移民の歴史をもつ。玄海国定公園の一角で、釣りなどを楽しむ来島者も多い。国指定天然記念物カラスバトの生息域。人口504（2009）。

［川崎　茂］

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