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Kamishima

Nicknamed the “Lovers Paradise”, this island is home of many of the locations from Yukio Mishima’s “The Sound of Waves”

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This island sits just 14km northeast from Toba Port and 3.5km west of Cape Irago in Aichi Prefecture. While only 3.9km in circumference, this small island is believed to be true to its named and ruled by the “kami” or gods. This island is also known as the film location of “The Sound of Waves” and adaption of the love story written by Yukio Mishima.

The Sound of Waves is a widely beloved story that has been made into 5 different movies, telling the story of true love between the fisherman Shinji and a diver girl named Hatsue. In 1953 Mishima himself visited Kamishima twice as part of research for his novel.

The sentry point ruins are a critical place featured in the climax of “The Sound of Waves”, said to have been used to confirm the impact of cannons fired in the Iragosuido Strait during the war. Yatsuhiro Shrine, which his home to hundreds of treasures dating back to the Kofun era, is even featured as a place where Shinji and Hatsue visited together. The Kamishima Lighthouse, with over 100 years of history behind it, is also featured in the story.

The island landscape is made entirely of mountains, making for a unique island look where homes are built in a staircase pattern up from the port. On the island you can also find a unique topography of Karst landscape near the island’s southern point. The white, craggy stone faces appear in “The Sound of Waves” as “Niwa no Hama”

The island is rich nature escape where you can even see small gray-faced hawks in October, or chestnut tiger butterflies as they migrate across the changing seasonal air currents. In the winter a number of cormorant birds can be seen as they nest along the island cliffs.

Highlights

  • Take the walking route that visits the acclaimed locations from “The Sound of Waves”
  • This small little island makes for a perfect day trip.
  • Home to a lighthouse overlooking the Iragosuido Straight and a breathtaking lookout point.

Photos

  • The Yatsushiro Shrine Torii Gate
Image provided by Toba City

    The Yatsushiro Shrine Torii Gate Image provided by Toba City

  • Kamishima Lighthouse
Image provided by Toba City

    Kamishima Lighthouse Image provided by Toba City

  • The old clock tower. 
Image provided by Toba City

    The old clock tower. Image provided by Toba City

  • Kanteki Sho Ruins
Image provided by Toba City

    Kanteki Sho Ruins Image provided by Toba City

  • Karst land formations. 
Image provided by Toba City

    Karst land formations. Image provided by Toba City

Reviews

1
  • 陳榆

    神津島有沙灘、還有岩地步道、最重要的就是是浮潛的最理想地點,是適合旅人同遊的島嶼哦🏝️

Details

Name in Japanese
神島
Postal Code
517-0001
Address
Kamijimacho, Toba City, Mie
Telephone
0599-25-1157 (Toba City Tourism Dept.)
Hours
Free to walk around anytime
Access
From the JR/Kintetsu Toba Station, walk approx. 7 min. to Toba Marine Terminal and ride a scheduled city ferry for approx. 40 min. to arrive
Official Website
Official Website (Japanese)
Official Website (English)