Native name: 淡路島Awaji-shima | |
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 Satellite view of Awaji Island | |
  Awaji Location in Japan Show map of Japan Awaji Awaji (Hyōgo Prefecture) Show map of Hyōgo Prefecture | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Seto Inland Sea |
| Coordinates | 34°23′N134°50′E / 34.383°N 134.833°E /34.383; 134.833 |
| Area | 592.17 km2 (228.64 sq mi) |
| Length | 53 km (32.9 mi) |
| Width | 28 km (17.4 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 606 m (1988 ft) |
| Administration | |
Japan | |
| Prefecture | Hyōgo Prefecture |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 129,000 (2019) |
| Pop. density | 265/km2 (686/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese |
Awaji Island (淡路島,Awaji-shima) is anisland inHyōgo Prefecture,Japan, in the eastern part of theSeto Inland Sea between the islands ofHonshū andShikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 square kilometres (228.64 square miles).[1] It is the largest island of the Seto Inland Sea.
Some scholars, such asMotoori Norinaga,[2] have claimed that the name means "the road toAwa (阿波)", the historic province bordering the Shikoku side of theNaruto Strait (now part ofTokushima Prefecture), although this etymology is disputed. Others, includingTsugita Uruu [ja], have interpreted the historical meaning ofawa as 粟 "millet", due to a story where thekamiSukunabikona climbs a millet stalk on the island, as told in theKojiki andNihon Shoki; in these books, the island is referred to asAwaji no Honosawake no Shima (淡道之穂之狭別嶋) – referencing theJapanese creation myth, where it was the first island created in Japan – andAwaji-shima (淡路洲), respectively.[2][3][4]
The island is separated from Honshū by theAkashi Strait and from Shikoku by theNaruto Strait. Since April 5, 1998, it has been connected toKobe on Honshū by theAkashi Kaikyo Bridge, the second longest suspension bridge in the world.[5] Since its completion, theKobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway across the island has been the main eastern land link between Honshū and Shikoku. TheNaruto whirlpools form in the strait betweenNaruto, Tokushima and Awaji.[6]
TheNojima Fault, responsible for the 1995Great Hanshin earthquake, cuts across the island. A section of the fault was protected and turned into the Nojima Fault Preservation Museum in theHokudancho Earthquake Memorial Park (北淡町震災記念公園) 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.[7] The Onaruto Bridge Memorial Museum (大鳴門橋記念館,Ōnarutokyō Kinenkan) and the Uzushio Science Museum (うずしお科学館,Uzushio Kagakukan) are located nearFukura.[8]
According to thecreation myth inShinto, Awaji was the first of theōyashima islands born from thekamiIzanagi andIzanami.[9] Awaji constituted a province between the 7th and the 19th century,Awaji Province, and was a part ofNankaidō. Today the island consists of three municipalities:Awaji,Sumoto, andMinamiawaji.
Awaji Ningyō Jōruri, a form of traditionalpuppet theater over 500 years old, is performed daily in the Awaji Ningyō Jōruri Hall (人形浄瑠璃館) or "Awaji Puppet Museum" in Minamiawaji, located in the southern part of the island. It is designated anIntangible Cultural Heritage of Japan. The Awaji puppets perform popular traditional dramas but have their origins in religious rituals.[10]
Starting in the 1830s, the local potter Minpei started producing what would come to be known asAwaji ware, a type of Japanese pottery also known as Minpei ware.
ArchitectTadao Ando has designed several structures on the island, including Hompuku-ji water temple (本福寺)[11][12] and theAwaji Yumebutai complex, both located in Awaji City.[13][14]
In 1995, Awaji Island was the epicenter of theGreat 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 ofJMA intensity 7. The earthquake was due to theNojima Fault, located near the epicenter, which was designated a national natural monument in 1998.[citation needed] In 2022, it was designated aIUGS geological heritage site.[15]
There are three municipalities in Awaji island: Awaji, Sumoto, and Minamiawaji. They are part ofHyōgo Prefecture.
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