Japan Heritage story
Iki, Tsushima and Goto: Japan's border islands
国境の島 壱岐・対馬・五島
Iki, Tsushima and the Goto Islands lie between Japan and the Asian mainland. For two thousand years they welcomed traders and envoys, and guarded the border when relations broke down.
Key facts
- Theme
- Castles, Ancient burial mounds, Sea and waterside, Festivals and rituals
- Era
- Yayoi, Nara
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 国境の島 壱岐・対馬・五島
- Official subtitle in Japanese
- ～古代からの架け橋～
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 長崎県（対馬市，壱岐市，五島市，新上五島町）
The story
Nagasaki has 1,479 islands, more than any other prefecture. Iki and Tsushima sit like stepping stones toward the Korean Peninsula, and the Goto Islands trail out into the East China Sea. Chinese envoys crossed this way to reach the ancient queen of Wa, and on Iki they found Harunotsuji, a trading capital where Korean settlers lived alongside locals.
After Japan's defeat at the Battle of Baekgang in 663, border guards and signal fires were placed on Iki and Tsushima, and refugees from Baekje helped build Kaneda Castle on Tsushima. Envoys to Tang China had to take the risky route via Goto instead; the monk Kukai left the words "the edge of Japan" there. From the Middle Ages, Tsushima ran Japan's trade and diplomacy with Korea.
What to see
- Harunotsuji (Iki): the site of an ancient island state, with old rice varieties grown around it.Google Maps 原の辻遺跡 (opens in a new tab)
- Iki burial mounds: large stone-chambered tombs for powerful local rulers.
- Kaneda Castle ruins (Tsushima): a Korean-style mountain fort above Aso Bay.Google Maps 金田城跡 対馬 (opens in a new tab)
- Goto Islands: the last stop for envoys sailing to China.
See more history and heritage and castles across Japan.
Good to know
- The islands are reached by ferry or plane from Kyushu, so plan at least one night on each island you visit.
- Look for local shochu and noodles, which the story links to centuries of exchange with the mainland.
- Stand on Tsushima's coast and remember that Korea is closer than most of Japan.
Questions travellers ask
Why are Iki and Tsushima called border islands?
They lie between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula, so they were both the gateway for trade and the front line of defence.
What is Harunotsuji?
The site of the capital of Ikikoku, an island state described in Chinese records, where traders from Korea and Japan lived together.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
- Hakone Hachiri: walking the Edo stone road over Hakone
- Hizen: the birthplace of Japanese porcelain
- Sakura, Narita, Sawara and Choshi: the Edo closest to the airport
- The Murakami Kaizoku: sea lords of the Geiyo Islands
- The Sugar Road: sweets along the Nagasaki Kaido
- Yatsushiro's stonemasons: the bridge builders of Japan
- Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo and Maizuru: Japan's naval port cities
Local foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.