Scenic Wooden Dock on Tranquil Mountain Lake, Japan
Serene wooden dock on a tranquil mountain lake framed by lush green peaks in Japan.

Manabe-shima: Florian Chavouet’s Island

Manabe-shima, an original little island in the heart of Seto Inland Sea, is also known for its gangs of cats!

The small island of Manabe-shima (真 鍋 島) is the southernmost of the Kaseoka islands in Seto Inland Sea. It is administered by the city of Kaseoka in Okayama prefecture. There were almost 1,000 islanders in the 1970s, compared with just over 200 at present.

Manabe-shima
Manabe-shima

Legend has it that a Fujiwara clan member established a naval base there towards the end of the Heian era (7941185). The new clan, the Manabe, would in its prime have dominated the nearby Kaseoka islands. The ruins of Manabe castle are on a hill overlooking the sea, and other historical traces of the military past are scattered around the island.

During the Meiji era (18681912) the island prospered through fishing and villages were established. Manabe-shima was recently designated a “Furusato [homeland] village” by Okayama prefecture for the conservation of its picturesque ambiance. It’s also sometimes used as a location for filmshoots in search of yesteryear Japan.

Manabe-shima
Manabe-shima

There are two fishing villages on the island, Hon-ura 本 浦 and Iwatsubo 岩 坪. Both are known for their vibe of narrow alleys and old wooden buildings (more and more of them abandoned).

Manabe-shima
Manabe-shima

The island is also famed as one of dozens of Japanese “Cat Islands”. Generally there’s very little traffic, and the ever-present sea offers up quantities of fishy catfood.

Manabe-shima
Manabe-shima

The popularity of the island, especially among the French, is down to Florent Chavouet’s graphic novel Manabeshima Island Japan, illustrating his daily life there.

Manabeshima Junior High School (笠岡市立真鍋中学校 / Kasaoka Shiritsu Manabe Chugakko)

The wooden building dating from 1949 is supposedly still open, but has become a tourist special attraction for its nostalgic atmosphere.

Manabe-shima
Manabe-shima

A wide corridor with windows on one side and rooms on the other, typical architecture of Japanese school buildings of the time. It was also used as a set for the 1984 film MacArthur’s Children, a WW2 drama about the occupation of General MacArthur and his troops.

Manabe-shima
Manabe-shima

Manabe residence

he Manabes were one of the most influential families on the island in the late Heian era. The family mansion has been designated a national cultural property. The wooden homestead, dating from Meiji times, was built in the Shoin-zukuri style typical of aristocratic mansions.

Manabe-shima
Manabe-shima

Right next to the house is an Elaeocarpus sylvestris tree over 250 years old. In Japanese it’s mistakenly called Horuto-no-ki (literally “tree of Portugal”) because the olive-shaped fruit was believed to have originated there.

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Who Am I

Jordy Meow
This is me!

I am Jordy Meow, a French photographer based in Tokyo. I explore offbeat places in Japan.

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Scarlet lantern lights, Leading through nature's embrace— A temple's whisper.赤き灯火 緑に包まれて 寺の囁き#offbeatjapan #japan #mysticalpath #sacredsteps #traditionallanterns #spiritualretreat #templejourney
Rust whispers secrets, in shadows of steel and dust, time's ghostly embrace. 錆が秘密をささやく、 鋼と埃の影に、 時の幽霊の抱擁。 #urbanexploration #haikupoetry #industrialdecay #forgottenworlds #offbeatjapan #japan #postapocalyptic
Warm light through paper, In night’s cool blue, whispers old Tales of welcome glow. 温かな光が紙越しに、夜の涼しい青の中で、古い歓迎の物語を囁く。#omotenashi #traditionallight #serenenight #oldjapan #offbeatjapan #japan #japanesearchitecture #historiccharm
Starry night whispers, Light-soaked sakura in bloom — Ethereal glow. 星空ささやく 光浴びる桜 幻想的な輝き #offbeatjapan #夜桜 #hanami #cherryblossom #etherealglo #ruraljapan #夜の美しさ #japan
Rainbow balconies, Colors dance on gray canvas— Urban art alive.---レインボー・バルコニー、 灰色のキャンバスに踊る色— 都市のアート生きる。---#rainbowfacade #urbanart #colorfularchitecture #japanesearchitecture #modernjapan #offbeatjapan #japan
Sunlight whispers through, blue hues dance on wooden beams— echoes of old hands.光がしのび寄り、 青い色が木の梁に踊る— 古き手の響き。#offbeatjapan #hiddenhistory #vintagejapan #explorethepast #japan #ancientcrafts #forgottenplaces #quietmoments
Lush cliffs guard the sea, Deep blues kiss rocky outcrops, Isle whispers secrets.豊かな崖 青海と岩を抱く 島が囁く#offbeatjapan #hiddenjapan #coastallandscape #naturephotography #japan #serenebeauty #wanderlust
Emerald river, Concrete whispers through green trees— Harmony awakes.エメラルド川、 緑木々を抜ける音— 調和が目を覚ます。#hydropower #natureandtech #emeraldgreen #sustainableenergy #offbeatjapan #hiddenjapan #japan