Tomogashima

Tomogashima (友ヶ島) is the name of a largely uninhabited island in the Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, accessible by a 20-minute ferry journey from the nearby sleepy port town of Kada.

In part due to its remoteness, the island was for a long time regarded as sacred by Shinto and ascetic Shugeno practitioners alike. Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) however, the Japanese army established a modern artillery battery on the island to protect the vital port city of Osaka from incursion by foreign ships. In 1888, the island was designated a military site and removed from civilian maps, with the public forbidden to enter until after the Second World War.

The view from the Mount Takenosu Observatory

Today, the island is criss-crossed by walking paths, and visitors can freely explore a number of its long abandoned military installations, including four of the five former artillery batteries (the fourth battery being heavily overgrown and unsafe to enter), underground tunnels and an old Navy listening post, while an observation deck located at the top of Mount Takenosu offers some attractive views of the surrounding coastal scenery

Facilities on the island are basic, but there is a small information center and a cafe selling refreshments by the main Nonaura Pier on the northern shore, and visitors can even camp out overnight at the Minamitarumihiroba Campground. Some of the ruins contain areas that are unlit or may be slippery underfoot, so some care and practical footwear are recommended while exploring.

A section of the third battery ruins
  • Nonaura Port
    Ferries to the island arrive at this long concrete pier on the north coast, jutting out into the Osaka Bay. A refreshments stand and Tomogashima's only ryokan are located nearby.
  • Second battery ruins
    Located along the northwest coast, the second battery ruins are among the most extensive on the island but are partially collapsed and scattered with rubble, making them unsafe to enter.
  • First battery ruins
    The westernmost of the island's war ruins, the ruins of the first battery are located close to the Tomogashima Lighthouse. Although fairly substantial, the ruins are closed off and cannot be entered.
  • Tomogashima Lighthouse
    Standing 12 meters high, the Tomogashima Lighthouse was built in 1872 by Richard Henry Brunton, dubbed the "Father of Japanese Lighthouses". Restored after the end of the war, it has lit the way for ships sailing through the Kii Channel ever since and is a registered tangible cultural property.
  • Third Battery Ruins
    The most extensive of the island's military ruins, the third battery includes two open spaces with now empty gun emplacements, and several underground rooms, all of which can be freely explored.

Getting there and around

Tomogashima Kisen operates hourly ferries from Kada Port on the mainland to Nonaura Port. The one way journey takes 20 minutes and costs 2200 yen. Wakayamashi and Kada stations are connected by twice hourly trains along the Nankai Kada Line (25 minutes, 370 yen). The trip is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass. From Kada Station, Kada Port can be reached in about 20 minutes on foot or with a 5 minute taxi ride.

How to get to and around Wakayama City

Hours and Fees

Tomogashima Kisen Kada Ferry

Hours

9:00 to 16:30 (last outbound service at 13:30)

Closed

December 29 to January 3

Admission

2200 yen

Links and Resources

Japanese