Roadside Station Ikitsuki Ohashi

To the island of whaling and Christianity in hiding
A roadside station with a beautiful bridge

Ikitsuki Island was named "Ikitsuki Island" because it was the island where the Japanese envoys to China once took a breather after their long journey. Located in Ikitsuki Ohashi Park on the Ikitsuki Ohashi Bridge that connects Ikitsuki Island and Hirado Island, the location offers a view of the sea and the bridge. Although small in size for a roadside station, it offers a variety of processed marine products, such as dried radish, "furikake" (dried cod roe), salted squid and octopus, chirimen (dried young sardines), kelp, and kamaboko (fish cake) kneaded with fresh seafood from Ikitsuki. In particular, "grilled sardine dashi" is a local specialty. The park has a walking trail and is adjacent to the Ikitsuki Town Museum.

Roadside Station Ikitsuki Ohashi Map

Roadside Station Ikitsuki Ohashi Gourmet Information

Local specialty: grilled sardines

A "chin" is a flying fish. In the Hirado area, northeasterly winds blow in September, and shoals of flying fish appear along the coast. The local people call this wind "Ago-kaze," which means "wind of the jaw. The chub mackerel is then grilled over a charcoal fire, which is called "yaki-ago. When broth is made from this, it has a mild, rich, and flavorful taste. It is the highest quality broth. Dried sea eel is also available in salted form, which is lightly roasted and served as a snack with sake.

Around Roadside Station Ikitsuki Ohashi

Ikitsuki Town Museum & Island Museum

If you want to have fun in the area

Ikitsuki Island boasted the largest whaling catch in Japan during the Edo period. The museum tells the history of whaling. There is also a life-size statue of Ikitsuki Geitaemon, a sumo wrestler of the Edo period who hailed from the island. He is said to be the reincarnation of a whale, and is said to have surprised people in the Edo area with his huge body. The museum also exhibits materials on latent Christians.

Hirado Dutch Trading Post

If you want to have fun in the area

The site of the Dutch trading post at Hirado was designated as a national historic site in 1922, and the warehouse, Japan's first Western-style stone building built in 1639, was restored in 2011. In 2011, the warehouse was restored. The museum exhibits historical documents and trading goods related to the trade of the time.