Access toShodoshima IslandSYOANPRE S S W AEXOMushiokuri（Event to drive away harmful insects）

aThis is a traditional event passed down around since 300 years ago held on thedate of hangesho (the eleventh day after the summer solstice), aiming to driveaway insects from the rice field and to pray for rich harvest, walking along thefootpath between fields holding a pine torch over a rice field.
This event has been halted for a while in Nakayama area but was resumed
getting motivated by the film "Rebirth (Yokame no Semi)" in which"Mushiokuri" took place as an important scene. About 300 participants
including children and their parents walk down the slope with 100 meters ofdifference in height, shouting together "Light up, light up!". The fantastic sceneof a long line of torches flickering along the footpath attracts many people.

Nakayama Noson Kabuki（farmersʼ kabuki）

Nakayama Noson Kabuki is said to have originated 300years ago (in the mid Edo period). According to aremaining record, there were totally 30 large and small
kabuki stages and 600-700 actors in the entire island
during the Meiji and Taisho periods (late 19th century toearly 20th century). However, today, stages exist only in Warigo bento lunchbox
Nakayama area and Hitoyama area.
A drum labeled with "the first year of Kansei (1789)" still exists, which is theoldest material of this Nakayama Noson Kabuki. This is a traditional
entertainment performed by local people including actors and backstage staff,
which is passed down through generations over the past several hundred years
as a dedicatory kabuki for a rich harvest. For local people, on the day of theperformance, it is customary to gather to the balcony seats bringing a "warigo
bento" lunchbox prepared at each home to watch the kabuki play drinking sakewith others.

Shin-Okayama
PortTakamatsu
PortbeKo

AkashiAkashi Kaikyo
BridgeOnaruto Bridge

Takamatsu

Takamatsu Airport

HimejiPort

Kobe Port
Kobe Airport

Original landscape of Japan
Nostalgic Village Nakayama

ShodoshimaIslandUno Port
Seto
Ohashi
BridgeHimejiY

HinasePort

amkay

Welcome to Nakayama

CHUGOKU EXPRESS WAYTakamatsu Exp r e s s w ay

Awajishima Island

NarutoFrom Kansai area(Kobe/Himeji)

Kobe Port to Sakate Port（3 hrs 10 mins by ferry）
Himeji Port to Fukuda Port（1 hr 40 mins by ferry）

From Okayama

Shin-Okayama Port to Tonosho Port（1 hr 10 mins by ferry）
Uno Port to Tonosho Port（1 hr 30 mins by ferry via Teshima Island）
Hinase Port to Obe Port（1 hr 10 mins by ferry）

From Shikoku Island

Takamatsu Port to Tonosho Port, Ikeda Port, Kusakabe Port, or Sakate Port

（1 hr by ferry or 30-40 mins by high-speed boat）

Obe Port
Yakatazaki
OeTonosho Port

HonmachiTogataFukuda PortYuhigaoka

Nagahama

Osaka Castle Stone
Quarry Ruins
Kankakei Gorge

Hitoyama

IgisueShodoshima Island

YoshidaKobeOmiNakayama

Kamo

Ikeda Port
Kashima
Shodoshima Furusatomura
roadside station

SHODOSHIMA Island

Oribu-koen (Olive Park)
Muro
Futaomote Ishiba

YoshinoKatajoYasudaIwagatani

Nanpudai

Kusakabe Port
Furue

Nakayama
Walking Map

Nostalgic village Nakayama is in the hilly and mountainous area located centerof Shodoshima Island. This village is composed of terraced rice fields spreadover the slopes of the mountain with a difference of 100 meters in height,
thickly forested mountains, the important water resource "Tonogawa River", andvillage houses dotted among them. The village retains the unspoiled landscapeof farming villages in Japan, which has been designated as one of "the 100 Most
Beautiful Japanese Historical Landscapes" and "the 100 Best Villages in Japan".
Rice terraced fields "Nakayama Senmaida" is said to have been created in theperiod from the Northern and Southern Courts period to the mid Edo period.
Ancestors created it steadily by providing stone masonry on the rapid slopes. Ithas been preserved in the more and more difficult situation with aging offarmers and being lack of successors. "Nakayama Noson Kabuki (farmersʼkabuki)" as a dedicatory kabuki to gods to pray for a rich harvest is still
continuously performed as a traditional entertainment having a history of 300years.

Noma

Horikoshi

Nijushinohitomi Sakate Port
KamanoEigamura-1, Nishimura-ko, Shodoshima cho, Shozu-gun,Commerce/Industry/Tourism Division, 1896
Kagawa pref., 761-4434, Japan
Municipal Off ice of Shodoshima Town Phone：（0879）82-7007 ／ Fax：（0879）82-7017

URL: http://town.shodoshima.lg.jp ／ E-mail：olive-shoko@town.shodoshima.lg.jp

There was a time in which over 30 water mills were lined along the river for
grinding wheat berry, taking advantage of a water volume of the Tonogawa
River, which supported the local industry of somen noodle production of thisisland. This village has the scenery telling the traditions passed down andpreserved, as well as providing a place to sooth visitorsʼ souls.

Toganoosan
Bishamondo〒 Onude Post Oﬃce

P

Kaerugoike Pond
Stone marker

Tamonji Temple“Yufune no Mizu”, one of theJapanʼs Best Spring WatersP❹Bus stop “Hitoyama”
JA Kagawa PrefectureOnudeP❺ Communal Washing Place

Hitoyama

Tonosho-cho Active Onude
Onude Municipal Nursery School

One of the Japanʼs 100 Best
Terraced Rice Fields

Bus stop “Tokiwabashi-mae”

252

Bus stop “Hitoyama Butai-mae”

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To ut 6
To boA(P❷

Nishi-Nakayama

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Shinto shrine

Buddhism temple

Parking lotToilet

Handrails, stone steps

Steep slope

P❸

Nakayama▲

Komame restaurantP
Bus stop“Kasugajinja-mae”

Bus stop“Nishi-Nakayama”

Oku-Nakayama

CemeteryGymnasiumNakayama
Noson Kabuki Stage❶

Hitoyama Noson Kabuki Stage

Yufunesan Temple

Jizojido❻

Jodoji Temple
Swimming poolNakayama❼
Hotaru-no-sato“Home of Fireﬂies”

Tonogawa DamBus stop
“Nakayama”

Nakayama Walking Map

Tonogawa
RiverTonogawa Dam Park▲To Ikeda Port (About 4km)
To Kusakabe Port (About 9km)

❶❷

❸

❹

❺

❻

❼

Rantosan, a tomb stone of a Christian

Nakayama Noson Kabuki Stage（farmersʼ kabuki stage）

This farmersʼ kabuki stage, designated asa national tangible cultural property onMarch 3 1987, is said to have been built,before the Tenpo era (before 1830)，
based on the design of the former
Kanamaru-za Theater in Kotohira. Theseats, located on a gradual slope，aredivided by stone masonry. The costumestorage contains 720 costumes，62 wigs,
206 stage settings and stage properties.
About 600 kabuki scripts are alsopreserved here. Nakayama Noson Kabuki
play is performed at the beginning of
October every year.

Hitoyama Noson Kabuki Stage（farmersʼ kabuki stage）

Shodoshima kabuki play has a history ofover 300 years since the Edo period.
There used be stages across the island,however, only two of stages survive
today: one in Nakayama area and one inthis Hitoyama area. This stage inHitoyama, designated as national tangible
cultural property, has a structure with ahipped thatched roof like the stage in
Nakayama but it is a little larger than thestage in Nakayama. The farmersʼ kabuki
play in Hitoyama is performed on May 3
every year.

Senmaida Terraced Rice Fields

This is the only place in Kagawa
prefecture that is designated as one of“the 100 Best Terraced Rice Fields inJapan”. In a total hilly area of 12 hectareon the slope of the Yufune Mountain,
magnificently beautiful curves are createdby about 800 large/small rice fields
terraced from an elevation of 250 meters
to 150 meters. It is also said that the rice
grown here is very delicious thanks to thespring water from the Yufune Mountainwhich is known as “Yufune no Mizu”
selected as one of “the 100 Best Spring
Waters in Japan”.
The recommended view spot is indicatedon the map.

Yufunesan Temple

Yufunesan Temple is located in thecenter of Shodoshima and there are manynative-grown tall trees including camphor
and juniper trees. The forestland of thetemple with those trees is protected as anatural treasure of Kagawa prefecture
and as a protected species of Shodoshimatown.
The spring water，called “Yufune noMizu”，serves as a precious water
resource that will never dry up evenunder any dry weather. It has been
carefully used as living water and also as
water for agricultural irrigation since longago.

Communal Washing Place

Communal washing place stands in theterraced rice fields. It serves as a place
for washing vegetables and clothes. It
also serves as a place for local people torelax meeting up after a dayʼs work,where they can enjoy chatting cheerfullyaround a washing place while washingvegetables.
Sasakia charonda(giant purple butterﬂy),Japanʼs national butterﬂy“Yufune no Mizu”, one of the
100 Best Waters in Japan

Nakayama ‒ Home of Firef lies

Various measures to increase a natural
population of fireflies have been taken,
such as incubating and stocking larvae offireflies. Today, you can see the fantastic
dance of fireflies such as Luciola cruciata,
Luciola lateralis, and Hotaria parvula fora month from the end of May. Nearby,there is a farm toolshed with a wall
painting of insects based on the conceptof the Home of Fireflies. In addition, theisland people continuously make efforts
to improve habitant environment
hospitable for wildlife such as Sasakia
charonda (giant purple butterfly) that isJapanʼs national butterfly but vanished inthis island, as well as restoration ofnarcissus fields.

Hiding place of Ukon Takayama

Stone monument of thehiding place

Statue ofUkon Takayama

Wall painting on thefarm toolshed
Christian lantern

It is said that Ukon Takayama, Christianlord, was expelled from his domain with
the Edict for expelling Jesuit Missionaries(in 1587) and hid himself under theprotection of Yukinaga Konishi, Cristianlord like Ukon, in Shodoshima Island
which was under his control. Island
people were tolerant toward Christians.
So, they were able to keep their religious
faith. Buddhist statues with a crossengraved on it and Christian lanterns arestill preserved here and there in theisland.