Kurahashi-jima

Kurahashi-jima (倉橋島), also called Nagato-jima (長門島) in ancient texts, is an island in Hiroshima Bay located in southwestern Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Geography
The island is roughly T-shaped, with the northern, most mountainous lobe sandwiched between mainland Kure and Etajima island.

Transportation
The island is connected to mainland of Honshu by a pair of bridges over 80 meters wide strait. The island is served by the national route 487. Also, travel by bus is possible since 2005.

Attractions

 * Katsurahama - one of the Top 100 beautiful forests of Japan
 * Kurahashi shipbuilding museum

History

 * 7-8th century - a major center of shipbuilding and port for Yamato period Japan
 * 13th century - an outpost against Wokou pirates for Kamakura period Japan
 * 1709 - island come under government of Hiroshima Domain as an important stop-over on the trade route to Kaminoseki
 * 1860 - coastal artillery fort is built
 * 1 April 1889 - establishment of Kurahashi-jima village
 * 1890 - with the assignment of island to the Kure Naval District, the access to the island is restricted
 * 1 June 1952 - Kurahashi-jima village status is upgraded to "town".
 * 4 December 1961 - first bridge connection to the mainland
 * 1973 - bridge connection to Etajima
 * 2005 - merge of Kurahashi town to Kure

Notes and references

 * This article incorporates material from Japanese Wikipedia page 倉橋島, accessed 14 August 2017