Kujūku Islands

Kujukushima (Japanese九 十九 岛) is an island group that is the main Japanese island of Kyushu preceded by the West.

The name of the archipelago literally means " Ninety-nine islands," but their number officially given as 208. The islands, which are almost all mountainous, forested and uninhabited belong partly to the city of Sasebo, partly to Hirado city. The islands are a part of the Saikai National Park.

The two largest islands, Kuroshima and Takashima, can be reached by car ferry three times daily from Ainoura, a port north of Sasebo.

Kuroshima

The island Kuroshima (黒 岛), whose name literally means " black island " means is, with an area of 5.3 km ² the largest island of the archipelago.

Of the 650 inhabitants ( census 2005), 80 % are Roman Catholic and not a few of them are descendants of Christians who in 1637 after the Shimabara Rebellion sought refuge here to escape the persecution of Christians under Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Kuroshima is mountainous and forested places close today. Most of the population still live on agriculture and fishing, some commute every day to work on the mainland. In the interior of the island rice terraces have been created in some places, which is rather unusual for Japan. Even farmhouses in the traditional architectural style still remain.

The main attraction Kuroshimas is the church built in 1902 Kuroshima Tenshudō. It rises almost exactly in the middle of the island is one of the few built of brick churches in Japan. In 1998, she was declared officially to "Important Cultural Property ". Near the church are the school and the administration of the island as well as shopping.

Takashima

Takashima (高 岛), the second largest island of the archipelago Kujukushima, covers an area of ​​2.6 km ² and counted at the census of 2005 239 inhabitants. The island's name literally means " High Island". The highest elevation is 138 m.