Aoshima

photo by z tanuki · CC BY 3.0

photo by z tanuki · CC BY 3.0

4,300 palms up to 300 years old: the subtropical colony has been a natural monument since 1921.

A footbridge leads to the island, the whole of which is the sacred grounds of Aoshima Shrine: inside, a dense forest of about 4,300 bidō palms (ビロウ), some up to 300 years old, together with another 196 recorded species. All around, the sea has exposed a rocky platform of parallel slabs (the ‘鬼の洗濯板’, the demon's washboard), formed when layers of sandstone and clay, deposited on the seabed about seven million years ago, were lifted at an angle and only the harder sandstone was left exposed after erosion. The shrine, dedicated to Hikohohodemi (protagonist of the Umisachi-Yamasachi myth), is a pilgrimage destination for those seeking a good outcome in relationships.

The island is about 1.5 km in circumference and lies a few hundred metres off the Miyazaki coast, linked to it by a footbridge. Its colony of subtropical plants was designated a tennenkinenbutsu (天然記念物, natural monument) on 3 March 1921 and raised to tokubetsu tennenkinenbutsu (特別天然記念物, special natural monument) on 29 March 1952: it is the northernmost colony of subtropical vegetation in the northern hemisphere among those of this rank. The rock slabs that emerge all around the island at low tide are a national natural monument in their own right. Every 18 January (in 2026), on a day close to Coming of Age Day, hundreds of people run into the sea almost naked for the 裸まいり (Hadaka Mairi) ceremony, which re-enacts the welcome given to Yamasachi-hiko on his return from the palace of the sea god.

ℹ️ Island always accessible on foot from the bridge; the shrine building and the sale of amulets follow their own hours (from 8:00 in summer, from 8:30 in winter, according to the official website, which does not give the closing time). Free entry. ⚠️ The 裸まいり ceremony is held every year near Coming of Age Day in January, but the official source read does not state the rule by which the date is set: in 2026 it fell on 18 January (Sunday).

🚉 Aoshima · 17 min walk

Sources: aoshima-jinja.jp · online.bunka.go.jp · city.miyazaki.miyazaki.jp · aoshima-navi.jp

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