「水島」熊本県・”Mizu shima” Kumamoto pref.

「水島」熊本県・”Mizu shima” Kumamoto pref.

「水島」熊本県八代市・”Mizu shima” Yatsushiro city, Kumamoto pref.

第１３代・景行天皇18年４月景行天皇が八代海の小島に上陸して食事をされたとき飲料水がなく従者が神に祈りを捧げたところたちまち小島の岩陰から真水が湧き出した（日本書紀）。それ以後その小島は「水島」と呼ばれ、万葉集などにも詠われる聖なる島となった。本来この水島は陸地から遠い海上に位置していたが江戸時代末期におこなわれた八代海の埋め立てにより造成された干拓地の堤防から数十メートルの位置となったが、これはあえて島として残すために周囲を埋め立てずに意図的に保存したもので、江戸時代における文化的景観保存の先駆例。残念ながら周辺の地形が変化したせいか昭和三十年代を最後に水島の湧水は枯れてしまった。水島は八代海の干潟の中に忽然とあらわれた結晶質石灰岩と一部千枚岩（せんまいがん）で構成され、島は東西９３m南北３７m。ときに斜めにあるいは突き出た岩や断層、または海の中に岩が飛び石のよう浮かぶ景観はまさに日本庭園の原風景そのもの。干拓地の堤防から拝殿まで橋がかけられ誰でも自由に渡ることができ、干潮時には島に上陸することもできるが、水島は地元の漁師たちの崇敬を集める大切な信仰の対象であり拝観時には節度ある行動を心がけたい。季節・時間により潮位はまったく異なるので気になる人はあらかじめ八代市観光振興課に問い合わせてからの訪問を。

■名称：水島

■住所： 熊本県八代市水島町地先

■TEL：0965-33-4115 八代市観光振興課

■公開時間：２４時間

■駐車場：無し（徒歩５分の万葉の里公園に無料駐車場とトイレがあります）

■アクセス：JR八代駅より車で２０分

”Mizu shima” Yatsushiro city, Kumamoto pref・「水島」熊本県八代市。

According to the Nihon Shoki, when the 13th Emperor Keiko landed on a small island in the Yatsushiro Sea of ​​Kumamoto and had a meal in BC13, there was no drinking water, so the emperor's servant prayed to God immediately. Fresh water gushed out from the shade of the rock. Since then, the small island has been called "Water Island" and has become a sacred island that is described in the Manyoshu. This island was originally located on the sea far from the land, but it was located several tens of meters from the land embankment created by the reclamation of the Yatsushiro Sea in the late Edo period. However, the people in charge of reclaimed land in the Edo period intentionally left the island without reclaiming it in order to leave it. This is a pioneer in the preservation of the cultural landscape of the Edo period. The spring water of Mizushima died half a century ago, probably because the surrounding topography changed. Mizushima is composed of crystalline limestone and phyllite that suddenly appeared in the mud flats of the Yatsushiro Sea, and the island is 93m east-west and 37m north-south. Sometimes diagonally or protruding rocks and faults, or the scenery of rocks floating like stepping stones in the sea is exactly the original scenery of the Japanese garden. A bridge is built from the embankment of the reclaimed land to the worship hall, and anyone can cross it freely and land on the island at low tide, but Mizushima is an important object of worship that attracts the reverence of local fishermen and at the time of visit. Moderate behavior. With the stance of visiting a shrine to the last. The tide level is completely different depending on the season and time, so if you are interested, please contact the Yatsushiro City Tourism Promotion Division in advance before visiting.

■ Name: Mizushima

■ Address: Mizushimamachi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture

■ TEL: 0965-33-4115 Yatsushiro City Tourism Promotion Division

■ Opening time: 24 hours

■ Parking: None (There is a free parking lot and toilet in Manbanosato Park, which is a 5-minute walk)

■ Access: 20 minutes by car from JR Yatsushiro Station