Geography and Natural Features
Kitagishima is the largest island in the Kasaoka Islands and became part of a Japan Heritage designation in 2019. Although it is the largest in the archipelago, it is relatively small compared with Japan’s other inhabited islands. The main settlements have developed around three ports: Kanafurō and Toyoura on the northern coast, and Ōura on the eastern coast.
The island is composed of granite dating from the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era. This stone, known as Kitagi Stone, has long been valued as a building material. To extract high-quality granite, quarries were excavated deep into the ground. After quarrying ended, some of these enormous pits filled with water, creating striking landscapes known as quarry lakes, or chōba-ko.
The History of Kitagishima Island
The island has three surviving ancient burial mounds, suggesting that people lived here as early as the Kofun period (approximately the 3rd to 7th centuries). A genealogy of the Manabe clan written in 1453 refers to the island as “Shiba-no-shima,” while documents from the late Sengoku period (15th–16th centuries) use the name “Kitagi.” Members of the Manabe clan are believed to have lived on the island.
In 1619, during the Edo period, Kitagishima came under the control of the Mizuno clan of the Fukuyama Domain in Bingo Province. From 1698 onward, it became territory under direct shogunate control. According to the Tenpō Gōchō, a land and production survey compiled in 1834, the island’s recorded rice yield was approximately 224 koku. At the time, fishing was the mainstay of the local economy.
Kitagi Stone and the Island’s Quarrying Heritage
Stone Used in Famous Japanese Landmarks
Kitagishima has long been known for producing excellent granite. During the Edo period, stone from the island was used in the stone walls of Osaka Castle. In 1863, Kitagi Stone was also supplied for the Nishinomiya Odaiba coastal artillery battery, built as part of the defenses protecting Kyoto.
During the Meiji period (1868–1912), the stone gained further recognition through its use in major buildings, including the Yokohama Specie Bank, completed in 1879, and the Bank of Japan’s head office, completed in 1896. In 1932, Kitagishima supplied stone for the great torii gate and large stone lanterns at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
Changes in the Quarrying Industry
The stone industry expanded considerably during Japan’s postwar economic boom. By 1957, there were 127 active quarries on the island. However, the industry later declined as inexpensive imported stone from China became more widely available. By 2017, quarrying operations had dwindled to just two companies.
The Kitagi Stone Memorial Room at Kitagi Junior High School displays granite samples, historic quarrying tools, and explanatory panels that introduce the island’s stoneworking tradition. The tools were registered as Tangible Folk Cultural Properties in 2014. In fiscal 2015, the landscape of the island’s quarries and abandoned quarry sites, together with the stone-cutting culture visible from local roads, was recognized as a “Kasaoka Brand.”
In April 2017, an observation platform was installed at a quarry to help visitors appreciate the island’s distinctive industrial heritage and promote quarry landscapes as a tourism attraction.
Life and Tourism Today
Granite quarrying remains an important industry on Kitagishima, and Kitagi Stone continues to be valued for its quality. It has been used in prominent structures such as Osaka Castle, Fukuyama Castle, and the great torii gate at Yasukuni Shrine. Fishing is another important part of the island’s economy.
Okayama Prefectural Route 295, known as the Kitagishima Line, runs along parts of the northern and eastern coasts. However, it does not form a complete circuit around the island.
Places to Visit and Local Traditions
Stone Quarry Gorge Observation Platform
This observation platform offers views over the island’s dramatic quarries and quarry lakes. Visits are available for a fee every day except during the year-end and New Year holidays, during the designated viewing period from noon to 1:00 p.m.
Nagashi-bina Festival
On the third day of the third month of the traditional lunar calendar, a local ceremony takes place along the coast at Ōura. Paper dolls are placed in small boats and released into the sea, symbolically carrying away misfortune. This traditional event is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Kasaoka City.
Kitagi Stone Memorial Room
Located inside Kitagi Junior High School, this exhibition room introduces the island’s quarrying history through historic tools, stone samples, and informational displays.
The Dramatic Scenery of the Quarry Lakes
To obtain high-quality white granite, quarry workers excavated deep into the island’s bedrock. Some quarries extended several dozen meters below sea level. Once extraction ceased, water accumulated in the deep pits, forming lake-like landscapes surrounded by steep, nearly vertical rock faces. These unusual views reveal the scale of the island’s stone industry and offer a distinctive contrast between the pale granite and the water below.
Island Facts
Area: 7.50 km²
Population: 625 (as of October 1, 2022)
Access to Kitagishima Island
Kitagishima can be reached by passenger boat or ferry from Kasaoka Port. The best departure port depends on your destination on the island.
From Kasaoka Sumiyoshi Port to Ōura Port: Sanyo Kisen operates passenger boats, with a journey of approximately 55 minutes. High-speed boats take around 35 minutes.
From Kasaoka Fushigoe Port to Toyoura and Kanafurō ports: Ferries take approximately 50–60 minutes. Services are operated by Setouchi Cruising’s Kanafurō-maru and Daifuku-maru Ltd.
Kasaoka Port has two separate departure points. Sumiyoshi Port serves passenger boats only, while Fushigoe Port can accommodate vehicles on ferries. From JR Kasaoka Station, Sumiyoshi Port is about a five-minute walk, and Fushigoe Port is approximately a ten-minute walk.