Kurahashi-jima

Native name: 倉橋島 Kurahashi-jima
Kurahashi-jima Location in Japan
Geography
Location	Seto Inland Sea
Coordinates	34°8′0″N 132°31′30″E / 34.13333°N 132.52500°E / 34.13333; 132.52500
Area	69.46 km2 (26.82 sq mi)
Length	13.4 km (8.33 mi)
Width	13.4 km (8.33 mi)
Highest elevation	491 m (1611 ft)
Highest point	mount 古観音山 (Kokannon-yama)
Administration
Japan
Prefecture	Hiroshima Prefecture
city	Kure
Demographics
Population	19565 (2011)
Pop. density	282/km2 (730/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Japanese

Kurahashi-jima (倉橋島), also called Nagato-jima (長門島) in ancient texts, is an island in Hiroshima Bay located in southwestern Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Geography

The island is roughly T-shaped, with the northern, most mountainous lobe sandwiched between mainland Kure and Etajima island.

Transportation

The island is connected to mainland of Honshu by a pair of bridges over 80 meters wide strait. The island is served by the national route 487. Also, travel by bus is possible since 2005.^[1]

Attractions

• Katsurahama - one of the Top 100 beautiful forests of Japan [ja]
• Kurahashi shipbuilding museum^[2]

History

• 7-8th century - a major center of shipbuilding and port for Yamato period Japan^[3]
• 13th century - an outpost against Wokou pirates for Kamakura period Japan^[4]
• 1709 - island come under government of Hiroshima Domain as an important stop-over on the trade route to Kaminoseki
• 1860 - coastal artillery fort is built
• 1 April 1889 - establishment of Kurahashi-jima village
• 1890 - with the assignment of island to the Kure Naval District, the access to the island is restricted
• 1 June 1952 - Kurahashi-jima village status is upgraded to "town".
• 4 December 1961 - first bridge connection to the mainland
• 1973 - bridge connection to Etajima
• 2005 - merge of Kurahashi town to Kure