Shōnan ( 湘南 ) is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture , central Japan . Centered on Sagami River , about 60 kilometers southwest of Tokyo , the Shōnan region stretches from Ninomiya in the west to Fujisawa in the east, including Ōiso , Hiratsuka , and Chigasaki . Because of the bay, the region benefits from a mild climate and long beaches covered with dark volcanic sand.
10-569: The name "Shonan" of this Japanese region already existed in the 17th century, relative to Shigitatsu-an , according to Ōiso Town . During the 1880s, when the custom of swimming in the ocean was introduced into Japan, the "Shonan" region became a resort area for the politicians and rich people from Tokyo. In postwar times, the Shōnan region gained prominence in Ishihara Shintaro 's prize-winning 1955 novel, Taiyō no Kisetsu ( Season of
20-675: Is a tributary of the Xiang). In Japan, the corresponding flood-basin lake (which no longer exists but was mentioned in the Enoshima Engi ) was probably located along the course of the Kashio River , which flows into Sagami Bay (via the Katase River ) at Enoshima. Shigitatsu-an Shigitatsu-an ( Japanese : 鴫立庵 ) is a haikai dojo ( Japanese : 俳諧道場 ) in Ōiso, Kanagawa , Japan , where people learn haiku poetry from
30-508: Is that Shōnan comes from Xiangnan County (湘南県) of the old Province/Country of Changsha ( 長沙国 ) in southern China . In the latter theory, the region's name, Shōnan, derives from a supposedly scenic region in Hunan , China , encapsulated in the phrase 瀟湘湖南 (Chinese pinyin : "xiāo xiāng hú nán"; Japanese: " shōshō konan "). This phrase refers to a beautiful area on the Xiao River (瀟江) and
40-469: The Shin Kokin Wakashū : Original Japanese : こころなき 身にもあはれは 知られけり 鴫立沢の秋の夕暮 In Romaji : Kokoro naki mi nimo aware wa shirare keri Shigitatsu-sawa no aki no yūgure Translation: Known to me who has denied joy and sorrow of this world is The autumn scene of the rivulet where sandpipers walk at dusk. In 1694, Michikaze Ōyodo (大淀三千風) became the master at Shigitatsu-an. In 1768, it
50-699: The Xiang River (湘江) south of the Yangtze River in Hunan. Often praised in Chinese poetry of the Xiaoxiang genre, the scenery of this area became a stylized and popular subject of paintings in both medieval China and Japan , particularly as to the graphic and poetic series known as the " Eight Views of Xiaoxiang ". In Japan, the scenery of the Shōnan area was thought to be similar to the scenery around
60-546: The Sun ). The novel, which was also made into a popular movie, portrayed the hedonistic lifestyle of young sun-worshippers from elite families ( taiyo-zoku , the "sun-tribe"), who hung out on Shōnan beaches. Lying as it does on the edge of the Tokyo- Yokohama metropolitan area , the Shōnan region is nowadays a leading resort area, oriented to surfing , sailboating , and other water sports . There are two theories about
70-613: The Xiao and Xiang rivers in Hunan, China; hence the term "Shōnan" (Chinese pinyin : "xiāng nán", another name for the southern Hunan region) came to be applied to the area around Enoshima in Japan. Besides the similarity in scenery, the two areas both had flood-basin lakes. The lake in China, which still exists, is Lake Dongting . Among others, the lake is fed by the Xiang and Xiao rivers (the Xiao
80-540: The etymology of Shōnan ( Japanese : 湘南 ). One is that Kanagawa Prefecture where the Shōnan region is located was, until the first half of the 19th century, called Sagami-no-kuni ( 相模国 ) or Sōshū (相州) (as that phrase remains in Sagami River and Sagami Bay ) and, that Shōnan was in the south ( 南 ) of Sōshū (the water sign 氵 of the Kanji radicals having been added to "相" to make it more poetic ). The other theory
90-464: The master there or from each other. It is one of the three important such dojo, the other two being Rakushi-sha ( 落柿舎 ) in Sagano, Kyoto , and Mumei-an ( 無名庵 ) in Ōtsu, Shiga . Shigitasu-an was built in 1664 by Sōsetsu (崇雪) as a humble hut on the rivulet, Shigitatsu-sawa, Ōiso, where the 12th century waka poet, monk Saigyō , was said to write one of his most famous poems which was later included in
100-560: Was re-established by Chōsui Shirai ( 白井鳥酔 ). Currently, Motoi Ei ( ja:本井英 ) is the 23rd master (2020-). Shigitatsu-an was built on Tokaido , the main thoroughfare between Edo and Kyoto, which is now National Route 1 . There stands a stele erected by Oiso Town that the word " Shōnan " was first mentioned by Sosetsu introducing Shigitatsu-an to the passers-by. 35°18′40.4″N 139°18′48.6″E / 35.311222°N 139.313500°E / 35.311222; 139.313500 Kyoto City Too Many Requests If you report this error to
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