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Japanese island with a population less than 10 is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides

Oona McGee Sep 3, 2024
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Welcome to one of the least explored regions in Japan.

Japan truly is an island nation — in addition to the country’s four main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, there are over 3,000 smaller islands to discover, and some of them are home to tiny populations.

One such island is Ushijima (literally “Cow Island“), which belongs to Kagawa Prefecture and sits off the coast of Shikoku, in the Seto Inland Sea. Home to a population of only 10, the island is easily accessible from Kagawa’s capital city of Takamatsu.

▼ The first leg of the journey involves a 40-minute train journey on the Yosan Line from Takamatsu Station to Marugame Station.

From Marugame Station, walk 10 minutes to the Marugame Port Ferry Terminal, where the daily ferry will take you over to Ushijima in 15 minutes.

▼ There’s only one ferry a day, leaving here at 12:10 p.m., so you’ll want to keep that in mind when visiting.

▼ A round-trip ticket to the island costs 940 yen (US$6.43).

Ushijima isn’t the final destination for the ferry, as it continues on to a larger island called “Honjima” (“Main Island”).

▼ Honjima

This is a great port for island hoppers, as you can also head out to other islands, including one called “Hiroshima” (“Broad Island”), which is not to be confused with the famous city of Hiroshima on the mainland.

▼ Hiroshima

These islands are largely unknown and unvisited by foreign visitors, but Ushijima is the most unexplored out of all of them.

▼ The trip to Ushijima starts with a ride on the Nijimaru ferry.

▼ On a regular day, you’ll find less than a dozen passengers on board.

▼ The journey is a pleasant one, taking you through the Seto Inland Sea.

▼ After about 15 minutes, the ferry slows and approaches the isolated island port of Satoura on Ushijima.

▼ Stepping off the ferry, you’ll feel as if you’re stepping into a remote, unexplored region.

When our reporter Kouhey visited, the only other person to alight here was a postal worker, and given that he was here to deliver the post, Kouhey was the only sightseer. As a passionate island hopper, Kouhey felt a flutter of excitement at the adventure ahead of him, but before setting out to explore, he made sure to check the time for the return ferry so he wouldn’t be stranded here overnight.

▼ The ferry back to Marugame Port departs at 2:21 pm, so he had about two hours to explore the island.

▼ There are two villages on the island, with the first being Satoura, located near the port.

▼ Walking towards the village from the port, you’ll come across stone lanterns and old houses…but not a soul in sight.

▼ Further into the village are buildings that appear to be part of an old temple complex.

▼ The signboard here reveals that this is indeed a temple called Gokuraku-ji.

▼ Passing through the gate reveals a temple overrun by weeds.

The site is home to Muken no Kane, a temple bell that’s been designated as a cultural property by Marugame City.

Legend has it that anyone who rings this bell will be able to achieve prosperity but will eventually fall into ruin. Kouhey wasn’t going to take any chances with the bell, so he continued on, coming to the next stop on the trail…

▼…an abandoned shrine called Hijiri.

To get to the next village, you’ll need to head back to the port on the Seto Inland Sea, passing by the Red Lighthouse, one of the symbols of the island, where you can enjoy panoramic views that stretch out towards the famous Seto Ohashi Bridge on the horizon.

▼ The road to Koura Village is another quiet and beautifully scenic one that takes you past old houses and gardens.

The only sign of life in the area was the manicured gardens and well-maintained rice paddies around this farmhouse.

It really feels like a place that time forgot, and although Kouhey was yet to spy any of the island’s inhabitants, there were signs of their existence at the Ushijima Assembly Hall.

▼ This sign by the road points towards “Ushijima’s Showa Photo Exhibition” being held at the hall.

Like the rest of the island, there were no people at the Assembly Hall, but the door was unlocked for visitors to step inside and view the exhibition.

▼ The interior looked like an old private house that had been renovated.

Stepping into the next room revealed a number of photos showing Ushijima during the Showa era (1926-1989).

Although the current population of Ushijima is reportedly less than 10, these photos indicate the island was once a vibrant hub of activity.

▼ A school sports day event on Ushijima with children from Teshima (手島), Honjima (本島), and Hiroshima (広島).

▼ Leaving the meeting hall and walking back towards Koura Village, the scenery was beautiful.

There were more signs of human life in this village, but the only sounds to be heard were the chirping of birds and insects.

There were no vending machines or shops on the island, but there is a guesthouse. However, this business has to procure food and other supplies from outside the island so reservations are necessary.

▼ Passing through the village takes you back to…

▼ …the endless expanse of the Seto Inland Sea.

▼ Returning to the port, there were more graves than residents at a small cemetery overlooking the coast.

At the port, Kouhey met the postal worker who’d previously gotten off the ferry with him a couple of hours earlier. As they waited for the ferry, they struck up a conversation, where the postal worker told him more about the island.

Apparently the island has a circumference of 4.2 kilometres (2.6 miles) and a surface area of 0.84 square kilometres (0.32 square miles). It gets its “Cow Island” name due to the fact that it was once used for grazing, although its history stretches back to the Edo Period (1603-1868), when it was the home base for a ship owned by Maruo Gozaemon, a former samurai-turned-rich-merchant who was known as the “Sea King of the Inland Sea“. Members of the Maruo clan are buried on the island, accounting for some of the graves that Kouhey had passed earlier.

▼ After learning about the history of the island, the return ferry arrived.

Although his time on the island was short, it turned out to be an adventure that left an indelible mark on Kouhey’s soul. This expanse of nature is one that remains totally overlooked by visitors to Kagawa Prefecture, making it an island paradise only frequented by locals and those in-the-know. Now that you know about it too, you might want to add it to your travel itinerary, along with this small island closer to Tokyo.

Reference: Marugame City
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