Himeshima, Ōita
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Himeshima
姫島村 | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Himeshima Island | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Himeshima in Ōita Prefecture | |
  Himeshima Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 33°43′28″N 131°38′43″E / 33.72444°N 131.64528°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Ōita Prefecture |
| District | Higashikunisaki |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.98 km2 (2.69 sq mi) |
| Population (March 1, 2017) | |
| • Total | 1,930 |
| • Density | 280/km2 (720/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| Website | www |
Himeshima (姫島村, Himeshima-mura) is a village located in Higashikunisaki District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.
The name Himeshima literally means "Princess Island." The village is on a small island in the Seto Inland Sea and is sometimes referred to as Hime Island in English. It is just off the Kunisaki Peninsula on the island of Kyūshū.[1]
Transportation[edit]
With the mainland[edit]
Himeshima is accessible by ferry from Imi Port (伊美港) in Kunisaki and has 12 regularly scheduled round-trip departures per day. It is about a 20 minute ride one way.[2]
On the island[edit]
There is a village bus which travels around the island six times per day.
Bicycles and ultra-compact electric cars are available to rent on the island.[3]
Population[edit]
As of March 2017, the village has an estimated population of 1,930 and the density of 280 persons per km2. The total area is 6.98 km2.
Economy[edit]
The main occupations are fishing and shrimp farming. The kuruma prawn (車海老, kurumaebi) and hijiki are local specialities on the island.[4][5]
Tourism is another major industry with nearly 40,000 people visiting the island every year.[5]
Himeshima has launched a website to promote itself as "IT Island" in order to attract IT companies and personnel to the island.[5]
Festivals and events[edit]
Every summer around Obon, there is type of bon odori (盆踊り）called "fox dance" (キツネ踊り, kitsune odori) featuring dancers, particularly young children, dressed as foxes.[1][4]
In October of every year, there is a "Kuruma Prawn Festival" (車えび祭) for visitors to enjoy the local specialty. Visitors can also enjoy the popular kitsune odori at this event as well.[4]
Education[edit]
There is currently only one school on the island (Himeshima Junior High School was closed due to depopulation, leaving only Himeshima Elementary School operational on the island).
Politics[edit]
In the 2017 Japanese general election, 77.51% of Himeshima's proportional ballots were cast for either one of the two parties in the conservative ruling coalition (the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito) or one of the two minor LDP-allied conservative parties (Party for Japanese Kokor) and New Party Daichi), making it the most conservative municipality in the country in this election under that definition (excluding Kuroshima Island's 82.76% conservative voting result, as this island is technically a part of Matsuura, Nagasaki and not its own municipality).[6]
Famous people[edit]
- Eiichi Nishimura - Politician and minister
References[edit]
- ^ a b Martin Fackler (April 21, 2009). "A Workers' Paradise Found Off Japan's Coast". New York Times.
- ^ [https://www.himeshima.jp/access/ "Himeshima Access" Retrieved 6 June 2024
- ^ "Himeshima Rental Car" Retrieved 6 June 2024
- ^ a b c https://www.himeshima.jp/kankou/festival/
- ^ a b c "姫島を知る” Retrieved 6 June 2024
- ^ "平成29年10月22日執行 衆議院議員総選挙 市区町村別得票数". Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
External links[edit]
Media related to Himeshima, Ōita at Wikimedia Commons- Himeshima official website (in Japanese)
- Himeshima, Ōita - General information about Himeshima (in English)
- Himeshima Cuisine - Information about Himeshima cuisine (in Japanese)
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