Official Name: | Ieshima |
Native Name: | 家島町 |
Settlement Type: | Former municipality |
Pushpin Map: | Japan |
Pushpin Label Position: | right |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan |
Coordinates: | 34.6747°N 134.5194°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Japan |
Subdivision Type1: | Prefecture |
Subdivision Name1: | Hyōgo |
Subdivision Type2: | District |
Subdivision Name2: | Shikama |
Area Land Km2: | 20.27 |
Population As Of: | February 1, 2006 |
Population Total: | 7,915 |
Population Density Km2: | 390 |
Blank Name Sec1: | Climate |
Blank Info Sec1: | Cfa |
was a town located in Shikama District, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It actually is a group of 44 small islands (4 main inhabited ones and 40 smaller uninhabited ones) about 18 kilometers off the coast of Himeji and Akō. Ieshima is one of the big islands but the name Ieshima is also used to refer to the entire chain of Islands.
On March 27, 2006, the towns Ieshima, Yumesaki (also from Shikama District), Yasutomi (Shisō District), and Kōdera (Kanzaki District) were merged into the expanded city of Himeji and are no longer independent municipalities.
Most of the population lives on Ieshima and Bozejima. Ieshima is divided into 2 "hamlets" called Miya and Maura. The two main industries of Ieshima are fishing and quarrying. Tangajima and Nishijima have been quarried for at least 400 years and supplied stones used in the building of Osaka Castle. The eastern part of Nishijima is maintained as a camping and recreation ground by Hyogo Prefecture. Ieshima is host to the annual Open Water Swim Competition which has been rapidly gaining fame as one of the most popular open water swim competitions in Japan. The race takes place between the islands of Tangajima and Ieshima.
Ieshima and Bozejima can be reached by a 35-minute boat ride from Himeji Port.