[Header Image Credit] Mt. Chōkai beyond Tobishima from the Sea of Japan
(by ゆくゆく山形 by ヤマガタ未来ラボ)
念の為、飛島(とびしま)は山形県の離島であって、愛知県海部郡の飛島村でも奈良県の飛鳥(あすか)地域でもありません。
Tobishima, 飛島 when written in Japanese, is a name of a remote island which belongs to Yamagata Prefecture, and is not Asuka region 飛鳥地域 in Nara Prefecture. There's also Tobishima (飛島村, Tobishima-mura), a village located in Ama District, Aichi Prefecture.
I had the opportunity to visit this tiny island 10 years ago.
Location
Map of the island
About Tobishima
Tobishima (飛島), is an inhabited island located in the Sea of Japan, administered as part of Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. The island has an area of 2.75 km².
The island has no airport, and access is normally by ferry to the city of Sakata on the mainland. The islanders are dependent mainly on commercial fishing and seasonal tourism.
Photos taken on 13th July 2015
It was a very hot day in Sakata City.
My travel record shows the following:
酒田港⛴️飛島（勝浦） 09:30/10:45
飛島（勝浦）⛴️酒田港 13:30/14:45
So I walked around the island under time constraint.
Main deities of this shrine are Shinatsu-hiko 級長津彦命 & Shinatobe 級長戸邊命, deities of wind.
The main deity : Ōwatatsuminokami 主祭神：大海津見命
It is evident that the original main deity of this shrine was either Takaokami 高龗神 or Kuraokami 淤加美神, a deity of water or rain.
Deity of wind versus deity of water
Tobishima is a small remote island in the Sea of Japan surrounded by water, and the Shōnai 庄内 region of Yamagata Prefecture, which includes Tobishima, is known for its strong winds🌬️.
Here in Tobishima, deity of wind versus deity of water happens to exist by Komonoimi Shrine 小物忌神社 and Ogami Shrine 遠賀美神社, similar to Tatsuta Taisha 龍田大社 versus Hirose Taisha 廣瀬大社 in Nara Prefecture.
Of all the various remote islands I have visited in Japan, Tobishima is one of my most unforgettable experiences.
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