Tanegashima

Nakatane in Tanegashima

Tanegashima (Japanese: 種子島) is an island lying to the south of Kyūshū, south Japan, and is part of the Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is the second largest of the Osumi Islands.

It is a long low stretch of land, carefully cultivated, 57.5 kilometers from north to south, and 5-12 kilometers from east to west. On the island, there are a city, Nishinoomote, and two towns, Nakatane and Minamitane. The towns belong to Kumage District.

A Tanegashima arquebus.

This island is celebrated as the place where Mendes Pinto landed when he found his way to Japan in 1543. Until modern times firearms were colloquially known in Japan as "Tanega-shima," due to the belief that they were introduced by Pinto. In fact, Pinto was probably not present at the first Portuguese contact with the Japanese, although he did visit Tanegashima soon after and legend has it that he married a local woman, who bore a son.

The Europeans had arrived to trade, not only guns, but also soap, tobacco and other goods unknown in medieval Japan, for the Japanese goods.

The headquarters of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Tanegashima Space Center spaceport is located at the southeastern end of the island.

New Tanegashima Airport serves the country

Edge tools (knives and scissors) of Tanegashima

Edge tools (knives and scissors) made in Tanegashima are famous as traditional handicrafts in Japan. The crafts-men in Tanegashima had been keeping traditional technique to forged and sharpening iron long term. Tanegashima was famouse for producing center of sand iron. So the technique had been developed since roughly 1185 when (Taira clan) were marooned from Kyoto by (Minamoto no Yoritomo). When they were marooned, They take along with various crafts-men or chefs from Kyoto. So people of the island talk with each other with a Kyoto accent even now. They don't talk with (Kyushu) or (Kagoshima) accent even though the island is near Kyushu.It is very interesting. These crafts-men had been keeping and developping the technique to forged and sharpening iron uniquely.

So the technique is rare and important. It is famous as "Tanegashima Hocho" (Tagemashima knives) or "Tane-basami"(Tanegashima scissors).

"Tanegashima Hocho" are used by many Chefs in Kyoto and Kansai. "Tane-basami used by many plantsman for (Bonsai).

Those edge tools are all hand-made and famous as most sharp and highest quality in Japan recently.

Moreover since 1543 when firearms were introduced by Pinto in 1543, they developed to make high quality firearms with their technique of forging iron. Now (Tanegashima Space Center) is located in the island. Leading-edge technology had been in Tanegashima island all through the ages. It is interesting.

External links

• Template:Wikitravel
• http://spaceboy.nasda.go.jp/gallery/gallery-e/t_tour_e.html
• http://web-japan.org/atlas/technology/tec09.html

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

30°34′26″N 130°58′52″E