Awaji Island

Geography

The island is separated from Honshū by the Akashi Strait and from Shikoku by the Naruto Strait. Since April 5, 1998, it has been connected to Kobe on Honshū by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the second longest suspension bridge in the world. Since its completion, the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway across the island has been the main eastern land link between Honshū and Shikoku. The Naruto whirlpools form in the strait between Naruto, Tokushima and Awaji.

The Nojima Fault, responsible for the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, cuts across the island. A section of the fault was protected and turned into the Nojima Fault Preservation Museum in the Hokudancho Earthquake Memorial Park to show how the movement in the ground cuts across roads, hedges and other installations. Outside of this protected area, the fault zone is less visible.{{cite news |last=Chiu |first=Yu-Tzu |date=28 December 2000 |title=What has Japan done since the Kobe earthquake? |work=Taipei Times The Onaruto Bridge Memorial Museum and the Uzushio Science Museum are located near Fukura.

History

According to the creation myth in Shinto, Awaji was the first of the ōyashima islands born from the kami Izanagi and Izanami. Awaji constituted a province between the 7th and the 19th century, Awaji Province, and was a part of Nankaidō. Today the island consists of three municipalities: Awaji, Sumoto, and Minamiawaji.

Awaji Ningyō Jōruri, a form of traditional puppet theater over 500 years old, is performed daily in the Awaji Ningyō Jōruri Hall or "Awaji Puppet Museum" in Minamiawaji, located in the southern part of the island. It is designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Japan. The Awaji puppets perform popular traditional dramas but have their origins in religious rituals.

Starting in the 1830s, the local potter Minpei started producing what would come to be known as Awaji ware, a type of Japanese pottery also known as Minpei ware.

Architect Tadao Ando has designed several structures on the island, including Hompuku-ji water temple and the Awaji Yumebutai complex, both located in Awaji City.

In 1995, Awaji Island was the epicenter of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which killed over 5,500 people. The earthquake caused enormous damage around the northern part of the island, which experienced severe seismic waves of JMA intensity 7. The earthquake was due to the Nojima Fault, located near the epicenter, which was designated a national natural monument in 1998. In 2022, it was designated a IUGS geological heritage site.

Municipalities

There are three municipalities in Awaji island: Awaji, Sumoto, and Minamiawaji. They are part of Hyōgo Prefecture.

File:Awaji in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg|Awaji municipality on Awaji Island File:Sumoto in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg|Sumoto municipality on Awaji Island File:Minamiawaji in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg|Minamiawaji municipality on Awaji Island

Gallery

File:Sumoto Castle 02.JPG|Sumoto Castle File:The whirling current in Naruto.JPG|Naruto whirlpools File:Westin Awaji Island Hotel 02.jpg|Awaji Yumebutai flower beds File:AKNGP08s3200.jpg|Akashi-Kaikyō National Government Park File:Akashi Bridge.JPG|Akashi Kaikyo Bridge File:150418 Awaji beef at Sumoto Hyogo pref Japan02s5.jpg|Awaji beef, a type of wagyu beef File:Hirota Hirota Hirota-ue ac (2).jpg|Awaji onions, a local specialty

References

References

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