Cultural Properties of the Munakata Region
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Oshima in the Modern Era: Fishing Island |
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Since ancient times, the waters around Okinoshima have served as vital fishing grounds, supporting the livelihoods of people on Oshima and shaping their culture.
Fishing villages developed along Oshima’s southern coast, where the land is sheltered from seasonal winds. Houses stood close together on limited land, and bamboo platforms called age extended from the shore for drying nets, laying out fishing gear, and mooring boats.
Fishermen from Oshima often spent part of the year on Okinoshima, living in huts and fishing its waters. They followed customary rules to avoid violating taboos and formed crews known as the Okinoshima nakama (“Okinoshima friends”). They stored their catch in icehouses on the island and shipped it to market on barges that brought supplies from the mainland. During stays, the fishermen prayed to the sacred deity that safeguarded their livelihoods. They would refer to the island as Okinoshima-sama, or Oiwazu-sama (“the one we do not speak of”), expressing both reverence and familiarity.
After the construction of a fishing port on Okinoshima in 1955 and the modernization of boats and equipment, these seasonal stays on the island ended. The traditional bamboo platforms and other familiar sights of Oshima’s fishing villages gradually disappeared as nylon nets replaced traditional ones. Today, despite declining catches and an aging population, the islanders’ identity remains rooted in their relationship with the sea and Okinoshima. |
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