is the largest island in the Koshikijima Islands. Its coasts are washed by

East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...

. The island's highest peak is Mount Otake housing a long-range radar station of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at .

Geography

Shimokoshiki-jima has very rugged terrain even compared to the other Koshikijima Islands, the majority of the island is composed of overlapping mountains 400–500 meters high. As a result, many scenic cliffs are scattered along the west coast, with the most notable being the .

Settlements and administrative units

* Kashima, Kagoshima *

Shimokoshiki, Kagoshima was a village located in Satsuma District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 2,750 and the density of 47.72 persons per km2. The total area was 57.63 km2. On October 12, 2004, Shimokoshiki ...

** ** ** ** **

History

The site of the island was initially elevated in the Cretaceous period about 80 million years before present. The sites housing dinosaur fossils are located across the island, which together with scenic cliffs propelled the island to the list. In historical records, Shimokoshiki-jima is first mentioned during the Nara period when it was populated by the Satsuma tribe of the Hayato people. The island was incorporated into Japan by the early Heyan period though. The island belonged to the Christian domain during Nanboku trade period and 35 people were executed in the aftermath of the

Shimabara rebellion The , also known as the or , was an uprising that occurred in the Shimabara Domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan from 17 December 1637 to 15 April 1638. Matsukura Katsuie, the ''daimyō'' of the Shimabara Domain, enforced unpopular polic ...

in 1638. During the Great Tenmei famine in the 178x period, a large group of inhabitants of Shimokoshiki-jima migrated to Kanoya, Kagoshima. A second wave of migration in 1887–1897, driven by famine, typhoon-related destruction and epidemics, departed to Tanegashima. Regular communications with the mainland by means of telegraph and scheduled ship service began in 1901. The direct passage of

typhoon Ruth The name Ruth has been used for 16 tropical cyclones worldwide, 15 in the Western Pacific Ocean and 1 in the Australian region tropical cyclone, Australian region of the South Pacific Ocean. The name has also been used for 1 European windstorm. In ...

over the island again brought severe damage, and the population, which peaked in 1950 at 13,578 people, started to rapidly decline, with over half of inhabitants of the island departing within 20 years. Modern Shimokoshiki-jima is primarily a fishing island, with 10.9% of population being fishermen as of 2009.

Transportation

Shimokoshiki-jima is connected to Nakakoshiki-jima and through it to

Kamikoshiki-jima is the second largest island in the Koshikijima Islands. Its coasts are washed by East China Sea. The island's highest peak is Mount Tomekiyama high. Settlements and administrative units * *Kamikoshiki, Kagoshima ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Geogr ...

, by a bridge and two connecting tunnels at Nakakoshiki-jima. This bridge opened on 29 August 2020 after over 9 years of construction. Ferry lines also connect Shimokoshiki-jima to

and to Ichikikushikino city on the

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

mainland, the latter offering two daily round-trips. On the island, transportation is provided by public buses operating four routes. Some routes need a prior reservation due to the small number of passengers.

Notable residents

* Kajiwara Kagesue - samurai of the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself ...

period * (1951–present) - TV actor

External links

Detailed map of Shimo-Koshiki-jima

References

*This article incorporates material from Japanese Wikipedia page 下甑島, accessed 23 August 2017 Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture Islands of the East China Sea {{Kagoshima-geo-stub