Tanegashima

Overview

Tanegashima is one of the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, with an area of about 444 square kilometers. It is the easternmost of the prefecture's inhabited outlying islands and is home to roughly 36,000 people. Its highest point, Mawarinomine at 282 meters, gives the island a notably flat profile when viewed from the sea.

Highlights

• ●A markedly flat island silhouette, whose highest point reaches only 282 meters at Mawarinomine
• ●Its standing as the place where firearms were introduced to Japan in the sixteenth century
• ●The Tanegashima Space Center, a rocket launch facility located in the south of the island
• ●Island life spread across the city of Nishinoomote and the towns of Nakatane and Minamitane

History

In 1543, firearms are said to have first reached Japan through a Portuguese merchant aboard a ship that arrived at a cape on the island's southern tip. These matchlock guns later came to be produced across the country, leaving a lasting mark on history. In modern times the island has received settlers from many regions, giving it a population of varied origins.

Map

30.5739, 130.9811 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Arrive by ferry or air and begin from the central town of Nishinoomote
2. 2Visit nearby exhibition facilities that convey the history of the arrival of firearms
3. 3Head to the south of the island and tour the area around the Tanegashima Space Center
4. 4Follow the flat coastline for its scenery and close the day with a sense of island life

Did you know?

💡 With an area of just over 444 square kilometers, it ranks as the tenth largest island in Japan and, within the prefecture, is third after Amami Ōshima and Yakushima.

Nearby spots