Ōnyū Island

Overview

Ōnyū Island floats in Saiki Bay off Saiki City, Ōita Prefecture, and belongs to the Bungo Islands. It is a place where myth meets seaside life, home to the legend of the sacred well said to date from a visit by Emperor Jimmu, Japan's first emperor. Ringed by calm inland waters and easily reached by ferry, it serves as a gateway to Saiki's sea and is beloved by travelers seeking quiet island time.

Highlights

• ●Island of the sacred-well legend tied to Emperor Jimmu
• ●One of the Bungo Islands in Saiki Bay
• ●Quiet inland-sea island time reached by ferry
• ●Seaside life that continues alongside fishing

History

Ōnyū Island preserves the legend of the sacred well, telling that Emperor Jimmu stopped here during his eastward expedition. That an island surrounded by sea should keep a myth about a freshwater well speaks to a long history of people living here in gratitude to water and the sea. As an island in Saiki Bay, life has long centered on fishing.

Map

33.0042, 131.9279 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Cross to Ōnyū Island by ferry from Saiki Port
2. 2Visit the site linked to the sacred-well legend
3. 3Stroll the coastal hamlets and inland-sea views
4. 4Enjoy the island's seafood and return to Saiki by evening ferry

Did you know?

💡 As the legend of the sacred well suggests, the name of Ōnyū Island has long been told alongside myth. One of the Bungo Islands afloat in Saiki Bay, it carries on a strand of the island culture scattered across the seas of Kyushu.

Nearby spots