(anglicised as Hegura or Hekura) is a small island located in the
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 ...
at the far north of
Ishikawa Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. It lies approximately 47 km from the northern tip of
Noto Peninsula,
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 predomina ...
, 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'', an early 13th-century folktale collection.
Notable facts
There is a lighthouse in the center of the island and a small ''
minshuku''. During the summer months female
ama divers dive for
abalone
Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen language, Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine life, marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now cont ...
,
Turbo sazae
''Turbo sazae'', also known by its Japanese name sazae (サザエ), is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.MolluscaBase (2018). ''Turbo sazae'' Fukuda, 2017. Accessed through: World R ...
and
Gelidiaceae
The Gelidiaceae is a small family (biology), 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 ''Gelidia ...
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 surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activities in or on the water. ...
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 such as binoculars or a telescop ...
.
Climate
References
Further reading
*
External links
Island school websitein Japanese
Ferry Company "Hegura Kōro"in Japanese
Islands of Ishikawa Prefecture
Islands of the Sea of Japan
Wajima, Ishikawa
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