Lake Biwa and Awaji Island are famous tourist spots in Kansai that no one knows about. By the way, Lake Biwa and Awaji Island have an astonishing secret behind their birth. In fact, there is a theory that these two were originally created by legendary giants. This time, we will introduce in detail the interesting urban legend and the secret story of the birth of Lake Biwa and Awaji Island, which were created by a legendary giant.
①Basic information about Lake Biwa!! ︎
Lake Biwa is a lake located in the center of Shiga Prefecture. It is the largest lake in Japan in terms of area and water storage capacity. The area is approximately 670 km², which is approximately 1/6 of Shiga Prefecture. For example, the area of Lake Biwa is larger than the 23 wards of Tokyo and slightly smaller than Singapore. The name comes from its shape, which resembles a stringed instrument called a biwa.
➁Basic information about Awaji Island!! ︎
Awaji Island is the largest island in the Seto Inland Sea. Today, Awaji Island is connected by the following two bridges, and it is possible to go back and forth freely without using a boat.
① “Akashi Kaikyo Bridge” from Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture (Honshu)
② “Naruto Ohashi” from Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture (Shikoku)
Therefore, you can cross by car from either Honshu or Shikoku. Awaji Island has an area of 592.55 km², which is a size smaller than Lake Biwa (670 km²).
➂Lake Biwa and Awaji Island are almost the same shape and area! Here’s the legend behind this‼︎
There is a famous urban legend about Lake Biwa and Awaji Island that everyone in Kansai knows about. The theory is that Lake Biwa and Awaji Island are similar in shape and area, and that they were created by the famous giant Daedarabocchi kicking the ground. To begin with, Lake Biwa is a lake, and Awaji Island is an island, and it is said that if you turned Awaji Island around, it would fit perfectly into Lake Biwa like a puzzle piece. The basis for this is the area ratio and the outer circumference.
① Area ratio is 9 (Awaji Island): 10 (Lake Biwa)
②The outer circumference of Awaji Island is 203 km, and that of Lake Biwa is 241 km.
So the two are almost perfect. If you look at them side by side, they really look the same. By the way, there is a legend that the birth of Lake Biwa and Awaji Island is related to “Daidarabocchi”, who often appears in Japanese folk tales. Another interesting theory is that a meteorite collided with it.
④JapanesefamousGiantWhat is Daedarabotchi?
Daedarabotchi is a giant that has been passed down in various parts of Japan. It appears in Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke and other works.
❶Characteristics of Daedara Boccchi
Daedarabotchi is a giant with superhuman strength who often appears in myths. It is a giant that is as big as sitting on Mt. Fuji. He has superhuman strength, and once he starts going wild, he is uncontrollable. The name Daedarabotchi first appeared in Japanese history during the early Nara period. These include “Hitachinokuni Fudoki,” which was established in the 6th year of Wado (713), and “Harima no Kuni Fudoki,” which was established around 715. It’s quite detailed.
❷Daedarabotchi has appeared in various creative works.
Daedarabotchi has appeared as a character in various creations. Famous ones include GeGeGe no Kitaro, Yokai Watch, and Princess Mononoke.And so on。
❹The theory that Daedarabotchi created Lake Biwa and Awaji Island
In fact, there is a theory that Lake Biwa and Awaji Island were created by Daedara Botchi. The theory is that Daedarabotchi tripped on Mt. Hiei and angrily kicked the clod of earth away, which became Awaji Island, and the hole in the ground became Lake Biwa.
⑤The theory that a meteorite collided with the other side of the earth and pushed it out.
There are other unique urban legends surrounding Lake Biwa and Awaji Island. The theory is that a meteorite collided with the other side of the Earth and pushed it out. The theory is that in ancient times, a large meteorite fell off the western coast of Portugal, and the land of Japan, which was on the other side of the world, was pushed out like a billiard ball and became Awaji Island, and the dented remains became Lake Biwa.
⑤Awaji Island was the first island created in Japanese mythology.
According to Japanese mythology, Awaji Island is said to be the first island created when Japan was born. After that, they were created in the order of Shikoku, Oki, Kyushu, Iki, Tsushima, Sado, and Honshu.
⑥Realistic Lake Biwa formation.
Lake Biwa was born about 4 million years ago, and is said to have settled in its current location about 400,000 years ago. Originally, Lake Biwa was born near Iga City, Mie Prefecture. After that, approximately 3.6 million years later, it is said to have reached the present-day central part of Shiga Prefecture. So, in conclusion, it can be said that it is a coincidence that Awaji Island and Lake Biwa have similar shapes.
⑦Access information to Awaji Island.
Here you will find detailed information about access to Awaji Island. The address of Awaji City Hall is 8 Ikuho Niijima, Awaji City, Hyogo Prefecture.
❶Route from Akashi City Hall to Awaji City Hall by car
Akashi City Hall (1-5-1 Nakazaki, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture) ⇒ Urushiyama Tamon Line ⇒ Daini Shinmei Road ⇒ Kobe Awaji Naruto Expressway ⇒ National Route 28 ⇒ Prefectural Route 66 ⇒ Awaji City Hall
The total travel distance is approximately 50.1 km, and the travel time is approximately 53 minutes.
Summary of urban legends of Lake Biwa and Awaji Island.
This time, we introduced interesting urban legends and the secret story of the birth of Lake Biwa and Awaji Island, which were created by a legendary giant. Lake Biwa and Awaji Island are sightseeing spots that fit together like puzzle pieces. There is also a secret story about the birth of Daedarabotchi, and there are many things to see. When you visit Kansai, we recommend that you also stop by Lake Biwa and Awaji Island.
▲Awaji Island official website
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