The History of Tsurushima
During the Edo period (1603–1868), Tsurushima was an uninhabited island belonging to the Okayama Domain and was managed by a private island caretaker. Its history took a tragic turn following the Urakami Yoban Kuzure, a major crackdown on Christians in Urakami Village, Nagasaki, in 1869.
A total of 117 Christians who had been arrested during the persecution were placed in the custody of the Okayama Domain. In September of the following year, they were sent to Tsurushima, where they were forced to clear land for cultivation and abandon their faith. Religious freedom was not officially recognized in Japan until 1873. During the years of confinement, 18 people died on the island.
Martyrs’ Cemetery and Memorials
A cemetery for the Christians who died on Tsurushima lies on the island’s southeastern slope. The site contains gravestones made from natural stone, a memorial to the martyrs, and crosses. These memorials were erected in 1969, and commemorative services are held every year in remembrance of those who suffered and lost their lives.
The island was also a place of exile for Shinraku Sakamoto, a Buddhist monk associated with the Nichiren Buddhist Fuju Fuse sect. A stone monument commemorating him remains on the island, adding another chapter to Tsurushima’s complex religious history.
From an Inhabited Island to an Uninhabited Retreat
After a period under private ownership, Tsurushima became the property of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Around 1942, it returned to private ownership, and efforts were made to clear land for mandarin orange cultivation. Settlement continued after World War II, and nine people were living on the island as of 1960.
However, damage to the island’s windbreak forests caused by pine wilt disease eventually led to the abandonment of citrus farming. Until 1990, the owner’s family operated a small inn for visitors. The island has since become uninhabited, although the surrounding waters remain known as productive fishing grounds, particularly for rockfish and other local species.
Life on the Island in the Past
When Tsurushima was inhabited, residents relied on well water and wind power to support their daily lives. Although no one lives on the island today, traces of its former community and its long, difficult history remain. Its quiet landscape offers a place to reflect on the lives of those who lived, suffered, and died here.
Access to Tsurushima
There is no regular passenger ferry service to Tsurushima. Visitors must arrange a charter boat to reach the island. As it is privately owned and has limited facilities, visitors should make arrangements in advance and confirm access conditions before planning a trip.