Ie Island/IMG

Ie Island

IMG_3681.JPG - Iejima (伊江島) is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa Honto. It measures 20 km around and has a population of 5,055. The island constitutes Ie Village and is connected to the Okinawa Motobu-Wan by ferry (also going to Tomari).View from Gusukuyama.The most notable geographic feature is a peak called Gusukuyama (or 'Tacchu') at a height of 172 meters resembling a volcano but is actually an erosion artifact.Ie island is the setting of a traditional Okinawan drama where a sad girl by the name of Hando-gwaa fell in love with a man named Kanahi, Ie-shima's headman. When Hando-gwaa learned that Kanahi had already wed she climbed up to Tacchu Mountain and hanged herself with her long, black hair. One can find a statue of this woman in a garden that sits below Gusukuyama.Alternately called "Peanut Island," for its general shape and peanut crop, or "Flower Island," for its abundant flora and more sizeable crop, Ie draws tourists by ferry, especially during late April when the Ie Lily Festival begins.

IMG 3681 | Iejima (伊江島) is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa Honto. It measures 20 km around and has a population of 5,055. The island constitutes Ie Village and is connected to the Okinawa Motobu-Wan by ferry (also going to Tomari). View from Gusukuyama. The most notable geographic feature is a peak called Gusukuyama (or 'Tacchu') at a height of 172 meters resembling a volcano but is actually an erosion artifact. Ie island is the setting of a traditional Okinawan drama where a sad girl by the name of Hando-gwaa fell in love with a man named Kanahi, Ie-shima's headman. When Hando-gwaa learned that Kanahi had already wed she climbed up to Tacchu Mountain and hanged herself with her long, black hair. One can find a statue of this woman in a garden that sits below Gusukuyama. Alternately called "Peanut Island," for its general shape and peanut crop, or "Flower Island," for its abundant flora and more sizeable crop, Ie draws tourists by ferry, especially during late April when the Ie Lily Festival begins.

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