Mitsukejima

Mitsukejima (見附島) is an uninhabited island in Suzu, Ishikawa, Japan. Because of its shape, it is also known as Gunkanjima (軍艦島, "Battleship Island"), which is also the common name given to Hashima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Mitsukejima

According to folklore, the island was given the name "Mitsukejima" by the Buddhist monk, scholar, and artist, Kūkai, who was the first to discover the island while travelling from Sado Island.

Mitsukejima is approximately 150 metres long, 50 metres wide, and 30 metres above sea level. It is composed of Neogene period diatomaceous earth, the raw materials commonly used for shichirin, a portable clay cooking stove which is a specialty product of Suzu. The top of the island is covered with Japanese black pine and Japanese knotweed. Mitsukejima is known as a scenic spot of the Noto Hantō Quasi-National Park, and attracts many tourists.