Miwara Bay

Miwara Bay [免桥港; みわら・もん] is a bay located on the southern coast of Zōhai Prefecture, facing the Umure Strait. It is bordered by the settlements of Nichō, Shishie, Tatai, Zaki, Kanatari and Kikaze, all of which are historical fishing and trading communities. Nichō in particular was historically known as a byōbunja or 'sailor's village', where seafarers could rest and recuperate in between voyages.
The bay has a long history of facilitating trade and communication between Zōhai islanders and Kantonese mainlanders. In particular, it was common from the 12th century onwards for inhabitants of Aoma and Arami to choose Miwara Bay as their landing spot due to it being easy to access from across the Umure Strait. In comparison, the larger port of Nasae Bay on the east Zōhai coast was far more developed yet was harder to navigate to, imposed tariffs and was often frequented by large trading vessels and cargo ships rather than by ferry passengers and merchants.