Tomonoura

Tomonoura

Lighthouse

Tomonoura featured on a 1939 stamp of Japan.

Tomonoura (鞆の浦), formerly known as Tomonotsu (鞆の津), is a port in Ichichi ward of Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the southern point of the Numakuma Peninsula, and has been a prosperous port and bay area since ancient times. Its unique circular harbor shape was preserved even when modern port facilities were introduced. Tomonoura is located within Tomokōen (鞆公園) and is part of Setonaikai National Park. It was listed as one of the top 100 scenic municipalities in Japan, and as one of the top 100 historical natural features in Japan in 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Overview

Tomonoura is located 14-kilometer south from Fukuyama Station. There are many historical temples and shrines around Tomonoura, and the area is famous for Madai (真鯛 (red sea bream)) fishing.

History

• 8 poetries about Tomonoura were written on the Japanese oldest collection of poems Man'yōshū in Tenpyō-hōji era.
• Jyoganji Temple was established by Saichō, Ioji Temple was established by Kūkai in Heian period.
• Nunakuma Shrine, the main shrine of Yasaka Shrine was established in Heian period.
• After the Battle of Tatarahama, a memorial writing for Nitta Yoshisada was given to Ashikaga Takauji from Emperor Kōgon in Tomonoura in 1336.
• The Five-storey pagodas of Jyoganji Temple was lost during the Battle of Tomo between Northern Court and Southern Court in Nanboku-chō period.
• The former Tomo Castle was built by Mōri clan in Sengoku period.
• After Ashikaga Yoshiaki was banished from Kyoto by Oda Nobunaga, Ashikaga formed Tomo Bakufu with Ise clan, Ueno clan and Odachi clan with Mōri clan's support, to against Oda.
• Fukushima Masanori of Bingo Province started rebuilding of Tomo Castle in Edo period. (construction was disturbed by Tokugawa Ieyasu.)
• Mizuno Katsushige of Fukuyama Domain was opened the government office at the site of Tomo Castle.
• The governor of Joseon Dynasty with Joseon Tongsinsa praised the prospect from Fukizenji Temple as the most beautiful in 1711.
• Tomonoura was the site of the sinking of the Irohamaru, the ship of Sakamoto Ryoma.
• Tomo railway service between Tomo station and Fukuyama Station was started in 1913. (closed in 1954)
• The Setonaikai National Park was founded, including Tomo, Suisenjima and Bentenjima islands, with Abuto Kannon on March 16, 1934.

Bridge construction plan

The local government had a plan to build a bridge over the scenic harbor for a bypass road. The plan has caused much conflict with the local community concerned about the historical harbor. The plan has now been overturned by the Hiroshima District Court. The planned construction also became the reason why the town was included in the World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund in 2002 and 2004. The organization subsequently helped restore a historic merchant house in the town with financial support from American Express. The 19th century residence, known as Uoya-Manzo, has since become an information center and guesthouse for visitors.

Tomonoura in the arts and literature

Poetry

Man'yōshū - (7th to 8th century) (8 poems, including 2 Ōtomo no Tabito's poems)

Music

Haru no Umi, composed by Michio Miyagi - Koto music - (1929)

Books

Tomonotsu Chakaiki by Masuji Ibuse - Fiction about the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi - (1986) 鞆の浦殺人事件 (Murder in Tomonoura) by Yasuo Uchida - Detective fiction - (1988)

Photography exhibitions

尾道への旅 (A Journey to Onomichi) by Wim Wenders - (2006)

Films

• 白椿 (White camellia), directed by Masatoshi Akihara, acted by Hiroko Hatano - a story of a family in Tomo - (2007) (original story written by Yumeno Kyūsaku)
• 崖の上のポニョ(Ponyo), directed by Hayao Miyazaki - (2008) (Miyazaki rented a house in Tomonoura, in which he stayed for two months in 2005)

See also

• Setonaikai National Park
• Seto Inland Sea
• Ponyo

External links

• Tomonoura
• Tomonoura(in Portuguese)
• Yakup Bektas, "Visions of Vanishing Japan: Threatened with radical redevelopment, the rare Edo-Period port town of Tomo-no-Ura has been granted a reprieve. For just how long, no one knows." ICON Magazine, Summer 2004, p. 18-23.