Yashima

Japanese: 屋島 - やしま

<br /> A plateau located in Yashima Higashi-cho, Yashima Naka-cho, Yashima Nishi-cho, and Takamatsu-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture. Yashima is a huge lava plateau jutting out into the Seto Inland Sea, a peninsula about 5 km north to south, about 3 km east to west, and 293 m above sea level. It is now connected to the mainland, but until the early Edo period, it was an island surrounded by the sea. It is made of bronzite andesite, which is rare worldwide, and is known as a typical example of a mesa-type lava plateau that has formed a table-like plateau through erosion . It is said that it was named Yashima because its top is flat and resembles a roof. The surrounding area has been a key transportation point on the Bisan Seto Strait since ancient times, and Yashima has been used as a strategic military point. After the defeat in the Battle of Hakusukinoe, Yashima Castle was built in 667 (the 6th year of Emperor Tenchi's reign) along with Takayasu Castle in Yamato and Kaneda Castle in Tsushima in preparation for attacks from Korea. Remains of the island include stone ramparts in the valley to the west. At the end of the Heian period, the Dannoura area was the site of the Genpei War. At Nagasakihana, at the northern end of Yashima, there are remains of a battery built by the Takamatsu Domain. The entire island was designated a national historic site and natural monument in 1934 (Showa 9). At the summit, you will find Yashima-ji Temple, the 84th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, as well as historic sites related to the Genpei War, and from the observation deck you can see the magnificent view of Bisan Seto. It takes about 10 minutes by shuttle bus to reach the top of Yashima Mountain from Kotoden-Yashima Station on the Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway Shido Line.

Source: Kodansha National Historic Site Guide Information

Japanese:

香川県高松市屋島東町・屋島中町・屋島西町・高松町にある台地。屋島は、瀬戸内海に突き出した巨大な溶岩台地で、南北約5km、東西約3km、標高293mの半島である。今は陸続きになっているが、江戸時代初期まで周囲を海に囲まれた島であった。世界的にも珍しい古銅輝石(こどうきせき)安山岩からなり、浸食によりテーブル状の台地を形成したメサ型の溶岩台地の典型として知られる。頂上部が平坦で、その形状が屋根に似ているところから屋島と名付けられたという。周辺は古代から備讃瀬戸の交通の要とされたところで、屋島は軍事上の要衝として利用されてきた。白村江(はくすきのえ)の戦いの敗戦後、朝鮮からの攻撃に備えて、667年（天智天皇6）に大和の高安城、対馬の金田城などとともに屋島にも屋島城を築いたとされる。その遺構として、西側の谷に石塁跡などが残存している。平安時代末期には檀ノ浦一帯が源平合戦の場となった。また屋島北端の長崎鼻には、高松藩が築いた砲台跡がある。島内全域が1934年（昭和9）に国の史跡、天然記念物に指定された。山頂には四国霊場84番札所の屋島寺や源平合戦ゆかりの史跡などがあり、展望台からは備讃瀬戸の雄大な景観が見渡せる。高松琴平電鉄志度線琴電屋島駅からシャトルバスで屋島山上まで約10分。

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