is the northernmost island in Geiyo Islands chain accommodating

Nishiseto Expressway The , often called the is an expressway in Japan that connects Onomichi, Hiroshima and Imabari, Ehime, going through nine of the Geiyo Islands, including Ōshima, Ōmishima, and Innoshima. The road and multiple bridges crossing across the Set ...

connecting

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

and

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

islands. Its coasts are washed by

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka ...

. The island's highest peak is high.

Geography

The Mukaishima is pear-shaped and separated from the

mainland by 200-meters wide strait.

History

*1889 - municipalities of and covering entire island are established. *1968 - bridges connecting island to

Onomichi is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea. The city was founded on April 1, 1898. As of April 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 141,811 and a population density of 497.8 persons per km2. The total a ...

and are complete. *1983 -

Innoshima is an island and former city in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The island is located within the Geiyo Islands of the Seto Inland Sea. The city was founded on May 1, 1953. , the city had an estimated population of 27,465 and a population density o ...

bridge is complete *1991 - island has become a filming ground for

Chizuko's Younger Sister is a 1991 Japanese film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. It was filmed in Mukaishima Island, Hiroshima. Synopsis The film centers on Mika Kitao (北尾実加 ''Kitao Mika''; Hikari Ishida), the clumsy and slow younger sister of Chizuko Kitao (北 ...

film directed by

Nobuhiko Obayashi was a Japanese director, screenwriter and editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream media, and his resulting film ...

in 1991. *2005 - towns of the island are incorporated into

city. *2013 - cycling and hiking course of Mukaishima is complete

Transportation

The Mukaishima is connected to the mainland of

and

islands by bridges of

(Shimanami Kaidō). Also, bridge connection do exist to , and ferry is available to Fukuyama with the stop-over at . The island is served by the national Route 317. The buses to Mukaishima can be taken from

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

, Fukuyama or

cities.

Economy and industry

The Mukaishima Island is the important shipbuilding center, with several shipyards on the north of the island producing coastal vessels.Onomichi's maritime industries
/ref> Also, Mukaishima Dockyard is the leading ship repair center in Japan, serving about 300 ships annually.

Notable residents

* - manager *

Kaiji Kawaguchi is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for works such as '' The Silent Service'', '' Zipang'', ''A Spirit of the Sun'' and ''Kūbo Ibuki''. Generally, his stories involve Japan and examine the moral choices that people make in extreme situation ...

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

author *

Mariko Yoshida is a Japanese professional wrestler better known by the ring name . She is best known for her work with the ARSION professional wrestling promotion, where she was also head trainer. Professional wrestling career Yoshida debuted for All Japan ...

- wrestler

References

*This article incorporates material from Japanese Wikipedia pages 向島町 and 向東町, accessed 4 September 2017 Islands of Hiroshima Prefecture Islands of the Seto Inland Sea Geiyo Islands {{Hiroshima-geo-stub