Hashirajima
Encyclopedia
is an island
in southern Hiroshima Bay
of the Inland Sea, Yamaguchi Prefecture
, Japan
. Located 26 kilometers southeast of Iwakuni
, it is part of the Kutsuna Islands within the Bōyō Islands
group.
The highest point on the island is Mt. Kinzō. Economic activity on the island consists of fishing and cultivation of vegetables and citrus fruit. Hashirajima is connected to the port at Iwakuni Mondays through Saturdays by a high speed ferry.
The island is best known for its association in World War II
with the surrounding Hashirajima Anchoring Area. Located 30–40 km south of the naval base at Kure, Hiroshima
, warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy
that did not need dock repairs would anchor at Hashirajima and it was also used as a staging area before fleet departures. It was also the site of the loss of the IJN battleship , which suffered an internal explosion and sank there.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in southern Hiroshima Bay
Hiroshima Bay
is a bay in the Inland Sea, Japan. Administratively, the bay is divided between Hiroshima and Yamaguchi Prefectures. The bay's shore is a Ria. Its surface area is about 1,000 km², with a mean depth of 25 meters.-Municipalities:*Kure, Hiroshima...
of the Inland Sea, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Located 26 kilometers southeast of Iwakuni
Iwakuni, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan.On March 20, 2006, the old city of Iwakuni absorbed the towns of Kuga, Mikawa, Miwa, Nishiki, Shūtō and Yū, and the village of Hongō, all from Kuga District, to form the new, expanded city of Iwakuni.- History :...
, it is part of the Kutsuna Islands within the Bōyō Islands
Boyo Islands
The are a group of 41 islands that belong to Yamaguchi and Ehime Prefectures in the Inland Sea.They Consist of* Heigun To, 平郡島* Suō Oshima Islands** Suō-Oshima** Nasake Jima, 情島** Okikamuro Island, # 沖家室島** 3 others** 5 in Kumage group...
group.
The highest point on the island is Mt. Kinzō. Economic activity on the island consists of fishing and cultivation of vegetables and citrus fruit. Hashirajima is connected to the port at Iwakuni Mondays through Saturdays by a high speed ferry.
The island is best known for its association in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with the surrounding Hashirajima Anchoring Area. Located 30–40 km south of the naval base at Kure, Hiroshima
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
, warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
that did not need dock repairs would anchor at Hashirajima and it was also used as a staging area before fleet departures. It was also the site of the loss of the IJN battleship , which suffered an internal explosion and sank there.