{{Short description|Island in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan}} {{Expand Japanese|topic=geo|柱島|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Hashira Island | image_caption = Hashira Island | coordinates = {{Coord|34|01|N|132|25|E|type:isle_scale:500000_region:JP}} | image_skyline = Hashirajima.island.jpg | native_name = {{Nihongo||柱島|Hashira-jima}} | area_total_km2 = 3.12 | population_total = 184 | population_as_of = 2013 | population_density_km2 = 59 | elevation_max_m = 290 | elevation_min_m = 0 | latd = | latm = | lats = | latNS = | longd = | longm = | longs = | longEW = }}
{{Nihongo|'''Hashira Island'''|柱島|Hashira-jima|lead=yes}} is an island in southern Hiroshima Bay in the Inland Sea, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Located {{Convert|26|km|mi}} southeast of Iwakuni, it is part of the Kutsuna Islands within the Bōyo Islands group. The island covers {{convert|3.12|km2|mi2}} and as of 2013 had a population of 184 residents.<ref name="c"/><ref name="n"/><ref name="pop"/>
The highest point on the island is Mt. Kinzō. Economic activity on the island consists of fishing and cultivation of vegetables and citrus fruit.<ref name="n"/> Hashirajima is connected to the port at Iwakuni Mondays through Saturdays by a high speed ferry.
The island is best known for its association in World War II with the surrounding '''Hashirajima Anchoring Area''', located {{convert|30|to|40|km|nmi mi|0}} south of the naval base at Kure, Hiroshima. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy that did not need dock repairs would anchor at Hashirajima, and it was also used as a staging area before fleet departures. It was also the site of the loss of the Japanese battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Mutsu||2}}, which suffered an internal explosion and sank there on 8 June 1943.<ref name="n"/>
==References== {{reflist|2|refs=
<ref name="c">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei | title = 柱島 | url = http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | accessdate = 2013-11-23 | year = 2013 | publisher = Shogakukan | location = Tokyo | language = Japanese | trans-title = Hashira Island | oclc = 173191044 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | archivedate = 2007-08-25 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
<ref name="n">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) | title = 柱島 | url = http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | accessdate = 2013-11-23 | year = 2013 | publisher = Shogakukan | location = Tokyo | language = Japanese | trans-title = Hashira Island | oclc = 153301537 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ | archivedate = 2007-08-25 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
<ref name="pop">{{cite web | url = http://www.city.iwakuni.lg.jp/www/contents/1144485353554/html/common/52895375005.htm | script-title=ja:世帯数及び人口集計表（町丁別・日本人） | year = 2013 | publisher = City of Iwakuni | location = Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan | accessdate = 2013-11-23 | language = Japanese}}</ref>
}}
Category:Imperial Japanese Navy Category:Islands of Yamaguchi Prefecture Category:Islands of the Seto Inland Sea
{{Yamaguchi-geo-stub}}