At approximately 817 meters, Mt. Hoshigajo is the highest peak in the Seto Inland Sea. During the Northern and Southern Courts period, a mountain castle was built here, serving as a stronghold for control of the inland sea. Ruins are scattered throughout the mountain—at the east summit, a stone tower of mysterious origins; at the west, a great rock that juts out toward the sea. On clear days, the island-dotted sea opens up in all its beauty; on misty days, the mountain feels like a world from myth. On summer evenings, the cry of the higurashi cicada seeps into the forest’s deep green.
Mt. Hoshigajo
Fukuda, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa 761-4402
Access: 20-minute drive from Kusagabe Port
Places with Connections
Guide: Jiku Obayashi, Jokooji Temple
Through a Wild Gorge, in Search of the Island’s Ancient Name
From Kankakei—known among Japan’s three most celebrated scenic gorges—it is roughly an hour’s walk to the summit of Mt. Hoshigajo. Along the way, Azukijima Shrine stands quietly, dedicated to Onotehibime, the island’s patron deity. The shrine preserves the island’s ancient name: “Azuki-jima,” as it appears in the Kojiki, Japan’s oldest chronicle. One theory traces the island’s name to “scorched earth” or “salt earth,” reflecting its dry climate and salt-making heritage. Walking these mountain paths with old names in mind, listening for their echoes, is its own quiet pleasure.
Azukijima Shrine
Kamikake-dori, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa 761-4433
Access: 30-minute drive from Tonosho Port
