Tsushima Island

Overview

Tsushima is an island situated north of Kyushu in the Genkai Sea, between the Tsushima Strait and the Korea Strait. Administratively part of Nagasaki Prefecture, the entire island falls under the single municipality of Tsushima City.

Highlights

• ●Located between the Tsushima Strait and the Korea Strait, roughly halfway between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula
• ●Divided into North Island (Kamino-shima) and South Island (Shimono-shima) by canals cut in 1671 and 1900
• ●Central island of the Tsushima archipelago, which includes more than 100 smaller islands
• ●Covers an area of 696.44 square kilometers, ranking among the largest islands in Japan

History

Tsushima was originally a single, continuous island. It was first divided in 1671 when the Ofunakoshi Strait canal was cut through the island, and again in 1900 with the opening of the Manzeki Strait canal. These waterways were dug through isthmuses at the center of the island, creating the present-day North Island (Kamino-shima) and South Island (Shimono-shima). Together with more than 100 smaller surrounding islands, Tsushima forms the Tsushima archipelago. Administratively, the entire island group is governed as the single municipality of Tsushima City within Nagasaki Prefecture.

Map

34.4167, 129.3333 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Explore the coastal scenery of the North Island (Kamino-shima)
2. 2Visit the area around the Manzeki Strait canal, cut in 1900, which divides the island
3. 3Take in the natural surroundings and harbor views of the South Island (Shimono-shima)
4. 4Enjoy views of the smaller islands that make up the wider Tsushima archipelago

Did you know?

💡 Two canal-cutting projects, in 1671 and 1900, transformed Tsushima from a single island into its present form of North and South Islands.

Nearby spots