“From the navy to the navy, the key point of protection in the Sea of Japan.” Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture, applied a catchphrase to the uninhabited island of Jajima (meaning Snake Island) in Maizuru Bay and applied to the Japan Tourism Agency's project to create a tourism resource, and it was selected. The government will investigate the site of Snake Island, where there are records from the Middle Ages and the former Japanese Navy's gasoline depot, to see if it is possible to restore the castle and open excursion boats.
“A project to create a legacy for the region and Japan that will attract travelers into the future.” The project solicits proposals for recreating and utilizing local heritage and the buildings and culture of its most glorious era, investigates the feasibility of selected projects, and provides support in the creation of plans. There were 46 applications from all over the country, and 11 were selected, including Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture.
Jajima Island is located in the center of Maizuru Bay, measuring approximately 260 meters from north to south and 100 meters from east to west. In his travelogue to Amanohashidate (1569), written by Joha Satomura, a renga master from the Sengoku period, he mentions that Jajima Island was the site of a castle owned by the Taishima clan, and that he stopped at Satomura on his way to and from Amanohashidate. It is written. At the Hebishima Castle Ruins, there are still remains of the Kuruwa and a vertical moat that blocked the path of the enemy.
The Maizuru City Tourism Promotion Division explains, ``Jajima Island is a key point for marine traffic in Maizuru Bay.
Maizuru City was established in 1901 during the Meiji period by the Maizuru Naval Base of the former Imperial Japanese Navy, and the Higashi-Maizuru area developed as a naval town. Jajima Island was taken over by the Navy in 2022, and four tunnels were built through the island to store gasoline, which was thought to have been used as aviation fuel. After the war, entry was prohibited as it was state-owned land. The tunnel and masonry revetment remain, and it is also a cultural property that is part of the Japanese Heritage, which has been recognized by four former military port cities, including Maizuru City.
Based on these developments, Maizuru City applied for a project from the Japan Tourism Agency with the idea of considering the restoration of the castle and using it as a tour boat course for excursions while getting a close look at Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships. Following the selection, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Kinki Transport Bureau will take the lead in the investigation, and will look into the feasibility within the fiscal year.
A representative of the Maizuru City Tourism Promotion Division said, "It's great that the value of Jajima Island has been recognized. In the future, it will be an opportunity for effective use of the land, including the transfer of land from the national government to Maizuru City."
