My Wife's Native Place
Gotou (Five Islands)/Nakadori Island
It takes 2 to 3 hours to reach Nakadori Island of Five Islands from either Nagasaki or Sasebo sea ports, and it can be arrived within one hour by air transport from either Fukuoka or Nagasaki international airports. This chain of islands consists of Fukue, Hisaka, Naru and Nakadori islands, and does not include Ojika and Taira islands due to the different county partition. At present time, five towns in Nakadori Island are negotiating to merge into one town, appointed as specially revitalized merging area by Japanese Government.
This island has been prosperous by abundant fishery products because of locating in the bait-rich Tsushima tide current and complex topographically rugged coastlines. One time, the big amount donations from the rich fishermen groups had been making contributions of local infrastructure settlements. This island, however, has been getting less inhabitants, especially less young generation, due to the less fishery products, being common in nationwide and/or worldwide. It has to be looking forward that economic revitalization plans could be successful by either sightseeing business promotion by beautiful landscapes appointed as a national park or freetrade zones tried as border islands to China and Korea. More than one thousand years ago, Japanese delegation team dropped in these islands on the way to China, and it hsould be noted that such advantages are still effective at present time.
The air entrance point "Kami-Gotou Airport" is belonged to Arikawa town, one of five towns, and has 800 meter run-way for small airplanes. This was constructed by levelizing the top of Kashiragashima Island. Due to not readjusted parts of hills and surrounded cliffs, this airport cannot be often in service under the bad weather conditions, needing improvement in the future.
The left photo shows a view of Kashiragashima Bridge from the airport, and the right is the distant view from "Ryoma" Dropped-in Place, who was famous for playing a big role of Meiji Revolutional Movement.
The best sea resort spot in Nakadori Island is "Hamaguri". This island has rugged coastline and it is difficult to find out sand seashores, however, "Hamaguri" has white sand seashore of clam shell powders.
This is one of beautiful seashores with white sand and green pine trees, being scarce in nationwide.
"Enokizu" District used to be Castle town in Edo feudalistic era, and had been prosperous as a commercial center of fishery and other products, offering nice infrastructures like accommodations.
This district did not have an ample space for big mass commercialism. The new development has been started in "Nishinomata" Cove and is now successful for offering a new commercial center of whole the Nakadori Island.
The northern part from Nitakubi District is called as "Kita-Uonome", and there are lots of beautiful landscapes.
This view from "Aosa" District is one of best views to "Yagatame" monolith, and offers the nicest sunset view down to this monolith.
This red-colored cliff is called as "Akadake Cliff", showing an acient volcano mountain side. This would be the already dead volcano, and Gotou is the safest area against earthquake disasters in Japan.
Here is Tsuwazaki District located in the north end of the island. Ojika Island, known as All Lawn Island, belonging to the different county, can be seen in very near distance.
The sea channel between Nakadori and Wakamatsu islands is known as Wakamatsu Seto (Severe Tide Current Spot), and the land road is connected via Wakamatsu Oohashi (Big Bridge). There are lots of tiny islands, offering bueno vista and here is a magnificent spot of viewing the severe current caused by daily tide, in West Sea National Park.
There is Narao District in the south end of Nakadori Island, which is famous for an original port for ocean going fishery ships. This photo seeing Narao beyond mountains shows the south end of Wakamatsu Seto.
Many Christians evacuated here from the main land to escape the governmental severe persecution, four hundred years ago. They lived in remote places from fishermen villages, like Heike fugitives evacuated from Genji persecution in 12th centuries. In Meiji era, they decided to confess their religion of Christianism by the governmental allowance for free religious decisions, and constructed many churches in their villages.
Many churches are in beautiful inlets of the sea. This is "Kiri-Furusato" Church, which is located in the cove of Wakamatsu Seto and might be in the hiden spot only for the christians.
This "Kashiragashima" Church is constructed by stones, being peculiar from many churches of either bricks or wooden materials.
The statue of Maria, being derived from French Lourdes Miracle, is there next to the water spring in the side space of the church.
This is "Ooso" Church, located in a little remote and silent spot from Aokata District. In this cove, the big petroleum storage facilities were settled and results in considerable view changes, somehow too modern atmosphere.
Gotou (Five Islands) are currently getting Old Persons Inhabitant Island due to the less fishery products situation.
Fortunately or unhappily, the beautiful natural resources like the pure sea water and the not cultivated lands are remained as is, being out of industrialized regions, due to remote island conditions. The pearl production without dirt water damages can be still possible here. The plus points could be picked up, even if the minus points are still there.
The sightseeing business promotion would be acting targets for the time being, using rugged beautiful coastline and seashore, and many modest churches in unhappy histories.
The next target might be a free trade zone development by utilizing border island advantages for the big business like Hong-Kong and other cities worldwide. This would be expected as one of genuine local promotion plans.