Tonosho Town

9.93m wide, the world's narrowest strait.

Dofuchi Strait

Photo by Asturio Cantabrio (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Hoshoin's Shinpaku

Villagers once saved this treefrom being sold for timber.

Estimated at over 1,600 years old, this Shinpaku (a juniper) at Hōshō-in (宝生院) temple is said to be Japan's largest of its kind. Around 1882, when the idea arose to fell and sell it to help pay for rebuilding the temple's main hall, local benefactors formed a fund to cover the cost instead, and the tree was saved. Its trunk measures 17.28m around at chest height (1.2m); the largest of its three trunks, to the south, is 9.9m.

Over 1,600 years old
17.28m around at chest height
Japan's only Special Natural Monument Shinpaku

02 ／ Hiyoyama's Rural Kabuki

A headman spent his own moneyon a pond, and a play began.

In 1686, to save a village suffering from drought, the local headman Ota Noritoku (太田典徳) spent his own fortune to build the Kaeruko (蛙子) irrigation pond. A grand play staged to celebrate its completion is said to be the origin of Hiyoyama's (肥土山) rural kabuki. Every 3 May, six neighbourhood groups take turns performing it at the Rikyu Hachiman Shrine (離宮八幡神社) stage. In 2024, together with Nakayama's kabuki, both the stage and the performance became the first such pair in Japan to receive national designation, as "Shodoshima Rural Kabuki."

Kaeruko pond completed, 1686
Six groups perform in rotation
Nationally designated, tangible and intangible, 2024

03 ／ Osaka Castle Stone Park

Stones cut for Osaka Castlestill sit at the port, unshipped.

In the 1640s, stones were cut at the Koumi (小海) quarry for Osaka Castle's walls but never loaded onto ships; 40 of these "zannen-ishi" (残念石, regret stones) remain. The site became a prefectural historic site in 1971, and in 1999 it was developed into Osaka Castle Zannen-ishi Memorial Park. It is one of the component sites of the Japan Heritage story "Islands of Stone."

40 unshipped stones remain
Prefectural historic site, 1971
Park opened, 1999

Living here

Boats also call at Teshima, Odeshima and Okinoshima.

about 10,000 people
Rural district town

The town spans the northwest of Shodoshima Island and three inhabited outlying islands: Teshima, Odeshima and Okinoshima. Its gateway, Tonosho Port, is linked by ferry and high-speed boat to Takamatsu, Okayama and Uno. Around town, sights such as Angel Road, the Maze Town lanes and the monkeys of Choshikei are all within walking distance of one another.

People living here: 12,846people
Area: 74.34km²
Households: 5,750households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 9 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —5 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Tonosho Town in Japan34.487°N 134.188°E

to TakamatsuShodoshima Ferry60min
to OkayamaKokusai Ryobi Ferry70min
to UnoShodoshima Teshima Ferry60min

Travel times follow 島の町（フェリー・高速船を駅の無い町のバスの起点と同じ扱いで採る。2026-09-25 ユーザー判断）として、土庄港へ乗り換えなしで着く3航路を事業者公式の時刻表で確かめた。**高松**：小豆島フェリー（四国フェリーグループ）公式「④高松〜小豆島土庄（高速艇）」「❷高松〜小豆島土庄」の時刻表で、フェリーは高松発15便・約60分、高速艇は高松発8便・約35分。**便数の多いフェリー（15便）を採った**。**岡山**：国際両備フェリー公式の時刻表（新岡山港⇔土庄港）で、フェリーは新岡山発9便・約70分（1本のみの航路）。**宇野**：小豆島豊島フェリー公式の時刻表（宇野港⇔豊島・家浦港/唐櫃港経由⇔土庄港）で、フェリー（自動車渡船）は宇野発4便・約89分（6:45発→8:14着など）、旅客船（高速艇）は宇野発5便・約60分（8:40発→9:40着など）。**便数の多い旅客船（5便）を採った** (checked 2026-09-25). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 1 municipalities.

Territory of Tonosho Town

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

11.6km

小豆島町

Tonosho Town isthis kind of town.

01The Dofuchi Strait is the Guinness-certified narrowest strait in the world, just 9.93m across. At low tide, a sandbar called Angel Road also appears.
02The Shinpaku juniper at Hōshō-in is over 1,600 years old, Japan's only Special Natural Monument of its kind. Villagers once saved it from being sold for timber.
03Hiyoyama's rural kabuki began with a 1686 celebration for a new pond, and Osaka Castle Stone Park still holds 40 stones that were cut but never shipped.

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Tonosho Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗