Sanagi Island
佐柳島
The official kanji for Sanagi Island is 佐柳 (read as Sanagi). However, in ancient times, it was also written as 佐那岐, 佐名木, 佐奈木, 真木, and 早凪—all of which were also read as Sanagi but used different kanji characters.
According to one theory, the name "Sanagi Island" is said to have originated when Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate during the Muromachi period of Japan (1368-1394), sought refuge on the island during his pilgrimage to Itsukushima. Legend has it that he encountered strong winds, but when the wind eased, he called it "early calm" or "Sanagi(早い凪ぎ)" in Japanese.
In the past, there was a unique custom on Sanagi Island known as the ”Ryobosei”.In the Ryobosei, the dead are mourned in two separate graves, one for burial and the other for praying (mairi). In the buried grave system, the dead are buried by covering them with black pebbles and placing dolls on them, while in the mairi grave system, a stone pagoda is erected on the side of the village, far from the buried grave.
In particular, the burial grave in Nagasaki village is located along the seafront and was made by heaping up round stones from the beach, which is unusual nationwide and is very valuable for understanding the history of burials in Japan.
In recent years, the island has become nationally famous for its cats, which outnumber the islanders, as well as being the location for a film (”Kikansha Sensei” (2004)).
The ”jumping cats” that leap between the breakwaters have attracted a great amount of attention, and cat lovers visit from all over the country.
【Highlights】Ryobosei, Hachiman Shrine, jumping cats.
According to one theory, the name "Sanagi Island" is said to have originated when Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate during the Muromachi period of Japan (1368-1394), sought refuge on the island during his pilgrimage to Itsukushima. Legend has it that he encountered strong winds, but when the wind eased, he called it "early calm" or "Sanagi(早い凪ぎ)" in Japanese.
In the past, there was a unique custom on Sanagi Island known as the ”Ryobosei”.In the Ryobosei, the dead are mourned in two separate graves, one for burial and the other for praying (mairi). In the buried grave system, the dead are buried by covering them with black pebbles and placing dolls on them, while in the mairi grave system, a stone pagoda is erected on the side of the village, far from the buried grave.
In particular, the burial grave in Nagasaki village is located along the seafront and was made by heaping up round stones from the beach, which is unusual nationwide and is very valuable for understanding the history of burials in Japan.
In recent years, the island has become nationally famous for its cats, which outnumber the islanders, as well as being the location for a film (”Kikansha Sensei” (2004)).
The ”jumping cats” that leap between the breakwaters have attracted a great amount of attention, and cat lovers visit from all over the country.
【Highlights】Ryobosei, Hachiman Shrine, jumping cats.
- Regions
- Central Kagawa Prefecture
- Themes
- Activities
| Address | 香川県仲多度郡多度津町佐柳 |
|---|---|
| Telephone Number | 0877-33-1116 |
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