Shika Island

island at Hakata Sea in Fukuoka, Japan

Shikanoshima Island (志賀島, Shika-no-shima[1]) is an island that is in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is famous for being the place where the Gold Seal of the King of Na, was found, and holding Shikaumi Shrine the ancestral shrine of the Azumi people. The island has a circumference of about 11 kilometers and is linked to the mainland via a causeway called Umi no Nakamichi (road).

Panorama view of South-West Shika Island from ferry on Hakata Bay
A view of the entire Hakata Bay from Shiomi-kōen Park Observation Deck

Two farmers found the golden seal on a hill overlooking Hakata Bay in 1784. The area was made into a park called Kin-in Park to celebrate the discovery. The seal is known as the Golden Seal of the King of Na and is a national treasure. Chinese records state that about 2,000 years ago, Emperor Guangwu of the Han dynasty gave a golden seal to a Japanese envoy to present to their king. The seal had the characters 「漢委奴国王」"(Han wa na koku-ō"), which means "[From the King of] Han, presented to the King of Nakoku". The seal is now kept at the Fukuoka City Museum.

A notable person from the island is Yūki Yoda, a member of the Japanese idol group Nogizaka46.[2]

The island is home to Shikaumi Shrine

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References

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  1. Teikoku's Complete Atlas of Japan, Teikoku-Shōin Co., Ltd. Tokyo, ISBN 4-8071-0004-1
  2. "タモリ、乃木坂46大園&与田の出身地トークにハマった!原付きで通学、イタチが… - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-07-20.

Other websites

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33°40′30″N 130°18′0″E / 33.67500°N 130.30000°E / 33.67500; 130.30000