Toshijima

Convenient transportation

It is one of the remote islands of Ise bay located in the center of Honshu. To get to the island from the mainland, it takes about 20 minutes by ferry. The size of the area is 6.98 square kilometers, most of it is covered by forests and rich in nature. The population is around 2000. There are three villages on the island: Toshi (答志), Wagu (和具) and Momotori (桃取), each of which has a unique culture.

Fishing industry

The fishing grounds of Ise Bay is a bay where the mineral-rich waters that flow from the mountains of Honshu and the nourishing Kuroshio current are mixed. Over 50% of the population is engaged in fishing and various types of seafood are landed all year round such as sea bream, lobster, mackerel, swordfish, scorpionfish, bonito, sea bass, and flatfish… In summer, the beaches are crowded with Ama (diving fisherwomen), and in winter people cultivate seaweed and oysters.

The alley

It features a narrow alley peculiar to fishing villages. You can feel the culture, or life on an island by seeing the fishing tools that have dried on the streets, the well that is still being used, the sign of the talisman, the beach loved by the inhabitants, etc …

The festivals

There are various festivals on Toshijima. The most popular one is Jinsai being held in February. During the ritual, the men compete for the pieces of the paper with sacred ink, the inhabitants make the shows such as dance, theater, or Karaoke.
In the spring, there is Yudate-sai festival where the priesthood of the Shinto sprays boiled water to people praying for good health. Summer, they bring the handmade bamboo boat to the sea during Bon. (Buddhist festival to commemorate the dead people) At the sports festival, people enjoy watching the races of children and teenagers in the fall.

Neyako system

This is an island custom where 15-year-old boys are placed under a set of Neya-Oya(foster parents) who can act as their guardians or substitute for their parents. The boys stay at their Neya-Oya’s house every night and pass the time with their Neya-Oya and companies called Hobai until they get married or become 26 years old. Even though the Neyako groups break up over time, the strong relationships with their Neya-Oya and Hobai last forever. Many coastal villages in Japan used to have this kind of system. However, Toshijima’s Toshi community is the only remaining village where it survives to this day.

Access

You can get to Toshijima by ferry. It takes 12 – 60 minutes. The timetable is on Access.

【Tokyo】
 6h by car
 3h40m by Shinkansen and Kintetsu Express or JR Rapid
【Kyoto】
 2h10m by car
 2h30m by Kintetsu Express
【Osaka】
 2h30m by car
 2h40m by Kintetsu Express
【Nagoya】
 2h by car
 1h40mby Kintetsu Express o JR Rapid

Check the Access page for details.