, native_name_link = , image_caption = View of Hegurajima in 1975 , image_size = , image_map = , nickname = , location =

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

, coordinates = , map = Japan , archipelago = , total_islands = , major_islands = , area_km2 = 0.55 , length_km = , width_km = , coastline_km = 5 , highest_mount = , elevation_m = 12.4 , country = Japan , country_admin_divisions_title =

Prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

, country_admin_divisions = Ishikawa , country_admin_divisions_title_1 =

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

, country_admin_divisions_1 = Wajima , population = 20-30 , population_as_of = , density_km2 = , ethnic_groups =

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, additional_info = (anglicised as Hegura or Hekura) is a small island located in the

at the far north of

Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,186 km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It lies approximately 47 km from the northern tip of

Noto Peninsula The Noto Peninsula (能登半島, ''Noto-hantō'') is a peninsula that projects north into the Sea of Japan from the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. The main industries of the peninsula are agricultur ...

., and is administratively part of Amamachi township within the city of Wajima. Hegurajima (literally helm-storehouse island) is approximately 2 km by 1 km in size and can easily be walked around in less than an hour. The island is made of

andesite Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomi ...

, with steep cliffs on its northern side, and a sandy beach on it southern side, which is used as a shelter by fishermen. The island had a population of 164 in the year 2000 census, which dropped to 110 people in the 2010 census; however, the actual number of full-time residents is considerably less. It is thought that Hegurajima corresponds to the island called ''Neko-no-Shima'' (Isle of the Cat) in a tale found in ''

Konjaku Monogatari Konjac (or konjak, ) is a common name of the East and Southeast Asian plant ''Amorphophallus konjac'' (syn. ''A. rivieri''), which has an edible corm (bulbo-tuber). It is also known as konjaku, konnyaku potato, devil's tongue, voodoo lily, sna ...

'', an early 13th-century folktale collection.

Notable facts

There is a lighthouse in the center of the island and a small ''

minshuku A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features ''tatami''-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. du ...

''. During the summer months female

ama divers are Japanese divers famous for collecting pearls, though traditionally their main catch is seafood. The vast majority of are women. Terminology There are several sea occupations that are pronounced "ama" and several words that refer to sea occ ...

dive for

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any of a group of small to very large marine gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Haliotidae. Other common name In biology, a common name of a taxon o ...

Turbo cornutus ''Turbo cornutus'', common name the horned turban, is a species of sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family (biology), family Turbinidae. Description The scientific name ''Turbo cornutus'', literally means "horned turban," and it is cha ...

and

Gelidiaceae The Gelidiaceae is a small family of red algae containing eight genera. Many species of this algae are used to make agar. Uses Agar can be derived from many types of red seaweeds, including those from families such as ''Gelidiaceaae'', ''Gracila ...

for about 4–5 hours per day, following a long tradition that predates the use of

wetsuit A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by surfing, surfers, Underwater diving, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activit ...

s. There is a small fishing port, and a ferry runs to Wajima on the mainland. The island is a haven for migratory birds, and attracts tourists for

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

Climate

References

External links

Island school website
in Japanese
Ferry Company "Hegura Kōro"
in Japanese Islands of Ishikawa Prefecture Islands of the Sea of Japan Wajima, Ishikawa {{Ishikawa-geo-stub

Notable facts

Climate

References

Further reading

External links