Recommended Routes & Itineraries
Follow in the wake of the pirates of the Inland Sea
The Murakami Kaizoku (also known as the Murakami Suigun) were a seafaring samurai clan who controlled the waters of the Inland Sea during Japan’s warring states period between the 14th and 15th centuries. Utilizing their intimate knowledge of the rapid currents and ever changing tides in the strategically important waterways of the Shimanami region they were a powerful force with whom anyone who wished to engage in trade or military affairs would have to reckon.
The Murakami Kaizoku were composed of three separate Murakami families, based on the islands of Innoshima, Noshima, and Kurushima. The word kaizoku is usually translated as “pirates”, but they are considered to have played the role of a kind of maritime police force that maintained order and ensured safe passage through, often perilous, local waters.
The sites of mountaintop forts maintained by the Murakami Kaizoku and other historical sites associated with them can be found throughout the Shimanami islands. This itinerary includes some of the major ones.
Innoshima Island
Mt. Shirataki
The Kannon-do Hall, dedicated to the Buddhist goddess of mercy and which doubled as a lookout point, famous for its 700 buddhist statues and impressive views, was built on the summit of 226m Mt. Shirataki by the 6th head of the Innoshima Murakami Kaizoku in 1569.
Innoshima Suigun Castle
Although the current buildings were built in 1983, and are far removed from the simple structures typical of Murakami Kaizoku strongholds, the castle’s museum houses many important artifacts related to them.
Graves of the Murakami Clan
18 pagoda cenotaphs and one five-story pagoda, said to represent the graves of the Innoshima Murakami, have been gathered here from grave sites all around the Island.
Ikuchijima Island
Kojoji Temple
Kojoji Temple in Setoda dates from the 15th century and was built by a local warlord named Ikuchi after whom the island of Ikuchijima is named. Its three-story pagoda was positioned to act as a lookout over the sea channel and port below and is designated as a national treasure.
Oshima
Noshima
The perilous tides that swirl around tiny Noshima Island made it a natural stronghold and was the site of a Murakami Kaizoku castle between the 14th and 16th centuries. Noshima can only be reached by sightseeing boat. Landing on the island is only permitted as part of guided tours arranged in advance.
Murakami Suigun Museum
Learn about the history of the Murakami Kaizoku. Reconstructions of boats used by the Murakami Kaizoku and many artifacts are on display. You can also try on replicas of military armor of the period.
Noshima Tidal Current Cruise
Sightseeing boats that leave from Miyakubo Port take you right into currents that swirl around Noshima Island.
Imabari
Geiyo Island Hopping
Local ferries that depart from Hashihama in Imabari can be used to island hop across the Kurishima Straits, exploring sites of forts of the Kurushima branch of the Murakami Kaizoku.
Learn more about the Murakami Kaizoku in English here https://murakami-kaizoku.com/en/
