Home to the launching site of the world’s most sophisticated rocket, Tanegashima is often referred to as the island closest to the universe. Before this landmass eventually became the island we know today, it was once connected to mainland Kyushu. In this section, we will introduce Tanegashima’s position within Japan as a whole, and how it came to be.

Buried beneath a layer of volcanic ash that fell upon Tanegashima about 35,000 years ago are the remnants of human civilization. This island, with the Yamato kingdom to its north and the Ryukyu islands to its south, was well-positioned as a site for cultural exchange between these regions, and the subsequent development of their own unique culture.

The Higo clan, who were appointed governors of the Tokara islands in the eleventh century, built a stronghold on Tanegashima and eventually took the name of the island as their own. During their reign, they sent valuable goods they had obtained through trade with regions such as the Ryukyu islands to aristocratic families, samurai, and religious institutions as gifts. This section presents a history of diplomatic exchange between Tanegashima and the rest of Japan from just before the introduction of firearms and beyond.

Following their sudden jump to domestic fame due to the introduction of guns into Japan, the Tanegashima clan eventually yielded to the larger Shimazu clan, governors of the Satsuma domain to the north. Though they were administratively subsumed into this domain, the Tanegashima clan was allowed to remain as local governors of the island. This section introduces Tanegashima’s local customs and ways of life as they were shaped through the ages.