Iki Island Sightseeing

Among the many beaches in Iki, Nishikihama Beach is known as a mecca for marine sports and boasts outstanding sea clarity. The contrast between the blue of the sea, the white of the beach, and the green of the pine trees is spectacular and well worth a visit. There is also a dive store and café bar, where you can enjoy a cocktail while listening to the sound of the waves. It is recommended for a wide range of people from couples to families. Address: Minami-shari, Ishida-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

Popular sea kayaking can be enjoyed because of the high water clarity of the Iki Sea.
You will encounter unprecedented scenery as if you are floating on the sea.
Fee: 6,600 yen (tax included) / person Duration: 1.5 hours Closed: Bad weather, transportation available

The uninhabited island of Tatsunoshima is a 5-minute boat ride from Katsumoto Port, a town on the northern tip of Iki.
A cruise ship operates from March to October during the season, and anyone can cross to the island.
It is a popular sightseeing spot where you can visit the Sea Palace, Mammoth Rock, and Razae Rock, and enjoy the sheer cliffs that have been eroded by rough waves and formed over many years, such as Snake Valley, which looks like a 50-meter cliff cut vertically, and the clear emerald-green sea.
Address: 575-61 Katsumonoura, Katsumoto-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture Tel: 0920-42-2020

Iki Dolphin Park is located in Katsumoto-cho, at the northern tip of Iki Island, in a beach park built on a natural inlet. You can have a close encounter with five cute bottlenose dolphins, and there are also various playground equipments in the park, so even small children can spend a relaxing time there. During “dolphin meal time,” visitors can listen to a trainer explain about dolphins and watch dolphins undergo training. This is a recommended spot for families. Address: Katsumoto-cho Higashi-shari, Iki City, Nagasaki Tel: 0920-42-0759

Iki Island, which is described as “Ikigoku” in the book “Wei-Shi-Wa-jin-Den”, has a total of 482 sites including 279 ancient burial mounds. The Ikikoku Museum here serves as the base of the “Shimagoto Museum,” where history is preserved throughout Iki Island, exhibiting excavated artifacts and introducing history in an easy-to-understand manner, as well as serving as a bridge for sightseeing to historic sites and places of interest on Iki Island. Designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa, the building features a curved design and a natural grass roof. Located northeast of the Hara-no-Tsuji Ruins, a nationally designated special historic site, it is recommended to visit the site together, with the observation room on the fourth floor providing a panoramic view of Iki Island, and the rooftop lawn observation plaza on the third floor offering a view of the Hara-no-Tsuji Ruins. Address: 515-1 Fukae Tsurugameshi, Ashibe-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Tel: 0920-45-2731

The Hara-no-Tsuji site is a moat encircling settlement of the Yayoi period, and is known as the site identified as the royal capital of the “Isshikoku” mentioned in the “Wei Zhi” biography of the Japanese people. The site is designated as a national special historic site, a “national treasure of ruins” by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and has been developed as the “Hara no Tsuji Ikshikoku Royal Capital Restoration Park. The site area is divided into four major zones: “Central Area Zone” (where buildings and remains are restored based on excavations), “Moat Encircling Zone” (where multiple moat encircling hills are reproduced), “Plant Cultivation Garden Zone” (where plants grown by the Yayoi people are cultivated), and “Outdoor Experience Plaza and Ruins Exposed Exhibition Zone” (where the remains of pottery pits are displayed in their excavated state). The park is divided into four major zones. The “Hara no Tsuji Guidance Center,” located adjacent to the north side of the park, displays information on excavation methods and shows a video of the restoration and maintenance of the site. The park also offers a wide variety of hands-on activities, such as making clay pots, earthenware, glass beads, and fire making, which are popular among visitors. Address: Higashihatsu, Katsumoto-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Tel: 0920-42-0759

Hachiman-ura, in the eastern part of Iki Island, is famous for its divers’ fishing for sea urchins and other seafood. The “Harahoge Jizo” is located along the seashore of Yahatanura. The Six Jizo statues of the sea save us from suffering and troubles in the six realms (the lost world of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, Shura, humans, and the heavenly realm). At low tide, you can visit the temple right next to it, but at high tide, you will be completely submerged in seawater up to your head. The temple is called “Harahoge Jizo” because it has a round hole in its chest to prevent offerings from being washed away by seawater. The origin of Harahoge Jizo is not known, but it is said to be dedicated to the repose of the souls of women divers in distress, to the repose of whales caught in the Iki area, and to prayers for the repelling of plague. Address: 1342-102, Moroyoshi-Honmura-Shibari, Ashibe-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

Iki is home to 150 shrines registered with the Jinja Agency, and there are so many ancient shrines that there is a theory that Iki is the birthplace of Shinto. Here at Kojima Shrine, even twigs are not allowed to be taken home, and the entire island is considered a Shinto sanctuary. The ebb and flow caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon causes the sea to break apart at low tide, creating an approach to the shrine, and at high tide, the island is transformed into an island. It is said to be the Mont Saint-Michel of Japan, and is a fascinating shrine that can only be visited at low tide. Since the approach to the shrine is on the seabed at high tide, it is a delightful sight to see many underwater creatures that escaped when the tide receded. Address: 1969, Moroyoshi-Niyazukuri, Ashibe-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

Tsukiyomi-jinja Shrine, which stands hidden in the dense foliage, enshrines three deities: Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto, Tsukiyumi-no-Mikoto, and Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto. The shrine is said to have been a branch of Tsukiyomi Shrine, a regent shrine of Matsuo-taisha Shrine in Kyoto, in 487, and is believed to have been a catalyst for Shintoism to take root in the center of Japan. From the torii gate facing the prefectural road, steep stone steps lead up through a cypress forest. The path is dense and dark even in the daytime, giving the shrine a mysterious appearance. It is also called the birthplace of Shintoism, and has recently been featured in many media. Address: 464 Kokubu Higashi Shojyo, Ashibe-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture Tel: 0920-45-4145

The basalt rock, a 45-meter-high sea cliff, is located at the tip of Kurosaki Peninsula, which juts out to the west of Yumoto Bay, a hot spring resort in Iki. As you can see from the photo, it looks just like a “monkey” looking away, and the uncanny natural formations are astonishing. It is also known as one of the eight pillars of the myth of the birth of Iki Island. You can take a break while looking at the monkey rocks on benches and tables at the Iki City Antenna Shop “Monkey’s Basket Shop,” and there is also a parking lot and clean restrooms for sightseeing. Address: 890-2 Shindenbori, Gonoura-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

From the Meiji era to the Showa era (1926-1989), Matsunaga Yasuzaemon worked to spread and promote electric power in Japan, laying the foundation for the country’s industrial and economic development. The Matsunaga Yasuzaemon Memorial Museum was built on the site of his birthplace to pass on his achievements to future generations. The museum exhibits personal items of Matsunaga Yasuzaemon and letters from Goto Shinpei and Prime Minister Inuyo Tsuyoshi. The museum also houses the Furusato Museum, which exhibits folklore and other materials. The life of the famous tea master of the Showa period (1926-1989) is a highlight of the museum. In the quiet stone-paved garden, a Fukuoka City tramcar, which Mr. Matsunaga established in 1909, attracts visitors’ attention. Address: 360 Indsuji-ura, Ishida-cho, Iki City Tel: 0920-44-6688

Did you know that Iki is the birthplace of barley shochu? Since ancient times, rice cultivation has flourished in Iki. The culture of making alcohol from the abundant grains and high-quality groundwater developed, and many farmers made doburoku. It is said that distilling techniques were introduced from the continent between the Muromachi and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. During the Edo period (1603-1867), due to heavy taxes under the rule of the Hirado domain, the islanders ate barley instead of rice as their staple food. It is said that the home-made shochu made by distilling the barley left over there and fusing it with rice malt became the prototype for Iki’s barley shochu. The pride of the islanders can be seen in the fact that they continued to use rice malt, which is a unique feature of Japanese sake brewing. In July 1995, the tradition and production method of Iki shochu was recognized as a “geographical indication” by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Iki Shochu is now a world-recognized designated sake of production area, and its traditions and production methods are being maintained by seven breweries on the island.