善入寺島, River island in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan
Zen'nyūji Island is a river island sitting in the Yoshino River in Tokushima Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku. It is a flat, elongated landmass covered mostly by open fields, bounded by flood control embankments on both sides.
Until 1907 the island was home to hundreds of households, along with villages, schools, and shrines. After that year it was converted into a flood retention basin, and no one has lived there since.
Today the island is used mainly for farming, with fields of daikon radishes in winter and watermelons in summer giving the land a seasonal rhythm. Walking through it feels more like crossing open countryside than visiting a managed site.
The island can be reached on foot via several bridges, but these may be closed when water levels are high, so it is worth checking conditions before you go. Walking the full length of the island takes a couple of hours at a relaxed pace.
The boundary between two different cities runs directly through the center of the island, meaning it belongs to two separate municipalities at once. This administrative line divides the island even though no one lives there today.
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