Takeshima (Shiga)
| Takeshima | ||
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| Waters | Lake Biwa | |
| Geographical location | 35 ° 17 '47 " N , 136 ° 10' 41" E | |
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| length | 200 m | |
| width | 70 m | |
| surface | 1.2 ha | |
| Highest elevation | 101.3 m | |
Takeshima ( Japanese 多 景 島 , also 竹 島 and 武 島 ) is one of the three islands in Lake Biwa, Japan . It is administered by Hikone , Shiga Prefecture . The island is about 200 m long and 70 m wide. The coastline of the 1.2 hectare island is about 600 m. The island consists mainly of quartz porphyry . It is located 6.5 km west of the port city of Hikone.
In 1655 a monk from the Myōhō-ji temple in Nagahama founded the pagoda on the island. Since then, the island has been considered the Kentō-ji ( 見 塔寺 ) temple district of the Nichiren School of Buddhism.
Originally a rocky island, earth was brought from the coastal mountain Kōjin-yama to the island in the Edo period , probably in connection with the establishment of the temple precinct, where its present lush vegetation comes from. The name used to be written 竹 島 (literally "bamboo island") or 武 島 with the same pronunciation.
Attractions
- A 10 meter high rock with the inscription Namu myōhō renge kyō
- An approximately 20 m high stele with the "five-article oath" ( 五 箇 条 の 御 誓 文 , Gokajō no Goseimon ), which was announced on April 7, 1868, on the occasion of the enthronement of Emperor Meiji .
- Bronze statue of Nichiren , the founder of the Nichiren School
- seven-story stone pagoda
- Statue of Shakyamuni Fasting Buddha
A species of freshwater snail found near the island bears the name Semisulcospira (Biwamelania) takeshimensis, which is derived from the island .
The island is developed for tourism and is visited several times a day by ferries from Hikone .