祝島は、山口県上関町の南の沖合いにあり、周囲１２Ｋｍほどの島です。
Iwaishima ["Celebration"] island, circumference 12km, is
located at the southern off-shore of Kaminoseki town, in Yamaguchi prefecture.
本州の柳井市から、定期船「いわい」が１日３便、所用時間６５分で運行しています。
>From Yanai city on Honshu, the liner "Iwai" sails to the
island three times in a day, taking about sixty five minutes.


古くから、行き交う船の航行安全を守る神霊の鎮まる島として、崇められて来ました。
It has been worshipped as an island suppressed by the
divine spirit who protects the cruise safety of seafarers
since ancient times
.

当時は、祝島から姫島を経由して九州北東地域に至るこの航路が、本州との最短コースでした。
In those days, the route linking Iwaishima and Himeshima
island (present-day Oita prefecture) was the shortest
crossing between Honshu and north-eastern Kyushu.


西下する時、最後の中継地である祝島の位置づけは、都にも広く知られていて、
万葉集にも祝島を詠んだ歌が記録されている。
Iwaishima's position was widely known in the imperial
capital as the last stopping point on going west way to
KYUSHU, and the island was composed by 2 poems which
included in the ancient collection of Japanese poems, the Manyoshu .


次の二首は、「周防国玖珂郡の麻里布浦を行く時に作る歌八首」の中に排列されている。

万葉集巻十五―３６３６

家人は　帰り早来と祝島　斎ひ待つらむ　旅行くわれを

My family may

Wait for me to return

As quick as I can

From my trip, cleaning themselves

As clean as Iwai isle

万葉集巻十五―３６３７

草枕　旅行く人を　祝島　幾代経るまで　斎ひ来にけむ

Praying for safety

Of people travelling on,

Pillowing the grass,

How many generations

Has Iwai isle remained?

trans. Teruo Suga, The Man'yo-shu,
Ｔokyo: Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages:Kanda University of International Studies, 1991

豊後水道を北上する、黒潮に洗われる祝島は、気候温暖で、豊かな山や海の幸に恵まれています。
Thanks for Kuroshio current which is northern-flowing from the Bungo strait,
the island is blessed with mild climate and fruit of the mountains and sea.
そして、古代からの故事来歴も多い。
In addition, it has many origin and history from ancient times.
とりわけ、山口県指定の無形文化財「神舞」は有名です。
Iwaishima is particularly famous for its Prefectural
Intangible Cultural Asset: the kammai [Dance of the Gods] festival.