Tsushima Island is an archipelago located in the Korea Strait, right between the Korean Peninsula and Kyushu Island. Administratively, the entire landmass falls under Tsushima City within Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The total land area of Tsushima reaches approximately 708 square kilometers.
Geographically, the island lies closer to the South Korean mainland than to mainland Japan. The distance from the northern coast of Tsushima to Busan City in South Korea is only around 50 kilometers.
Meanwhile, the distance from Tsushima to Hakata Port in Fukuoka City, Kyushu, reaches 138 kilometers. On clear days, the high-rise buildings and landscape of Busan can be seen with the naked eye from the northern part of the island.
Tsushima Island terrain is generally divided into two main areas, namely Kamino-shima in the north and Shimono-shima in the south. Although they appear to be two separate islands, historically both formed a single continuous landmass before being divided by a man-made sea canal in the middle.
The Kamino-shima Area in the North
Kamino-shima refers to the northern part of Tsushima Island that faces the Korean Peninsula directly. The coast of the area is dominated by an indented shoreline and small coves. Inland, the landscape consists of hilly terrain.
In the northern area lies Hitakatsu Port, which serves international sea routes to South Korea. The port features immigration facilities to accommodate high-speed ferries bound for Busan Port. Travel time on the crossing ranges between 70 and 90 minutes.
In addition to sea routes, the northern coastal area has several geographical vantage points. One of them is Kakusai Park, where visitors can view the South Korean mainland from the Japanese coast.
The Shimono-shima Area in the South
Unlike the northern area, Shimono-shima occupies the southern half of the archipelago with a larger land area. Most of the area consists of rugged, hilly terrain and dense forest covering over 80 percent of the land.
In the southern coastal area of Shimono-shima lies the settlement of Izuhara. Historically, Izuhara developed as the seat of power for the So Clan during the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo period around the 17th century. The ruling clan was designated by the central government of Japan to manage exclusive diplomatic relations and trade with Korea's Joseon Dynasty.
The legacy of the administrative hub continues today. Izuhara serves as the primary administrative center, housing the Tsushima City government offices along with various public facilities.
To support local activities in the south, transportation links are available by sea and air. Izuhara Port provides ferry services to Fukuoka City on Kyushu Island. For air travel, Tsushima Airport operates in Mitsushima Town, offering daily flights to Fukuoka and Nagasaki.
The Separation of Land via Manzeki Strait in the Center
The central portion of Tsushima Island originally formed a narrow neck of land. In 1900, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to dig through and cut across the narrow strip.
The excavation was carried out to speed up the movement of warships from the Sea of Japan to the Korea Strait. The cutting permanently severed Tsushima's single landmass, which left Kamino-shima in the north and Shimono-shima in the south separated by a waterway with strong currents.
To reconnect land access between the two sections, the Japanese government constructed the Manzeki Bridge directly over the canal. The bridge remains the sole overland connection joining the northern and southern areas today.
