Hegurajima

Hegurajima (Hegura Island) is a small inhabited island off the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, known for its fishing village and continuing tradition of female free-divers called ama. The island is administered as part of Ishikawa Prefecture and remains a working fishing community with seasonal visitors.

The shoreline is rocky with small harbors and village clusters; the island’s economy is centered on fisheries, seaweed and shellfish gathering, and limited tourism. Access is by scheduled ferry services from the Noto Peninsula, which serve the island’s small port and provide the main connection to the mainland.

The island has been occupied by fishing communities for many generations and retains cultural practices tied to coastal harvesting. Many houses, small temples and community facilities reflect the island’s role as a local maritime settlement.

Hegurajima sits off the west coast of Honshu in the Sea of Japan, administratively part of Ishikawa Prefecture and reachable by ferry from ports on the Noto Peninsula.

• Ama divers: Traditional female free-divers known as ama continue to practise shellfish and seaweed harvesting around the island, and visits to observe their work are part of the island's cultural interest.