自然に還りゆく美しき島里／海界 佐合島（山口県）

A Beautiful Island Village: Returning to Nature / Walk Around the Island Village, Sagohjima (Yamaguchi Prefecture) Located 1.9km southwest of the Saga district of Hirao Town, Sagohjima is an island within the Seto Inland Sea National Park. With mountains exceeding 100m in height to the north and south, the island is mostly hilly, with flat land making up only about 5%. Historically, it was also written as Sagoshima or Sagawashima, and it is said to have been part of the Kyoto Kamo Shrine's territory during the medieval period. The island's name appears in the land survey records of 1600, and its population reached 694 in 1842 and 975 in 1889. Nowadays, both agriculture and fishing have declined, with only small-scale fishing methods like single-line fishing continuing. Many people have returned to the island after retirement. Natural medicinal herbs grow wild along the beautiful coast, and visitors can enjoy clam digging and fishing on the rocky shores. The island is especially bustling with swimmers in the summer. (See "Shimadasu") To reach Sagashima Island, boats depart from Saga Port on the west coast of the Murotsu Peninsula. The journey takes 8 minutes, and the island is only about 1.9km offshore, close enough to see houses with the naked eye. The settlement is in one location, formed on a crescent-shaped sand dune on the eastern side of the island, overlooking the peninsula. Due to the decline of agriculture and fishing, there are many vacant houses, but because it's relatively easy to get to and has a beach, it attracts many visitors from outside the island. Shurakumachinami Walker http://www.shurakumachinami.natsu.gs/...