Contents

Kabushima

Kabushima

Native name: 蕪島 Nickname: Seagull Island
Kabushima
Geography
Location	Hachinohe, Aomori
Coordinates	40°32′20″N 141°33′27″E / 40.53889°N 141.55750°E / 40.53889; 141.55750
Length	300 m (1000 ft)
Width	140 m (460 ft)
Coastline	800 m (2600 ft)
Highest elevation	19 m (62 ft)
Administration
Japan

Kabushima (蕪島) is a small island located in Hachinohe, Aomori, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. Part of the Tanesashi Coast, it was incorporated into the Sanriku Fukkō National Park from May 2013.

Geography[edit]

The island has a length of 300 meters (980 ft) and a width of 140 m (460 ft). The highest point of the island measures 18 m (59 ft) in elevation. The total area of the island is approximately 0.017 km² (0.0066 sq mi). Although called it is an island, it is connected to the mainland by a causeway constructed in 1942 so that people may walk to it from the shore.

Important Bird Area[edit]

The island is noted as a nesting ground for Black-tailed gulls and has been protected as a National Natural Monument of Japan since 1922.^[1] It has also been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.^[2] The sound of the umi-neko at Hachinohe was selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan.^[3]

Kabushima Shrine[edit]

Kabushima Shrine (蕪島 神社, Kabushima Jinja) is a small Shinto shrine located on Kabushima island. The shrine is a branch of the Itsukushima Shrine and is dedicated to Benzaiten. According to shrine legend, it was established in 1269 by local fishermen. The shrine burned completely down on 5 November 2015,^[4] but it was rebuilt and expanded at the cost of 5 billion yen. The shrine reopened on 26 March 2020 after a small reopening ceremony. The ceremony was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5] The main festival of the shrine is held on the third Sunday of April.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Media related to Kabushima at Wikimedia Commons

• Hachinohe City tourist information(in Japanese)
• Official website (in Japanese)
• Kabushima on Nippon-Kichi