Have you heard about the Kabushima Island in Aomori-Prefecture? It is the only place you can closely view the seagull’s nests and their caring of baby birds in Japan.
I visited there in June, the most lively season of the Kabushima Island. Please enjoy the following images, one of the popular tourist spots in Hachinohe-City.
First, seagulls welcome you like this at the parking area……..wow.
Can you see the white dots on the grass? The dots are all seagulls, and the total number is said to be THIRTY-THOUSAND!!
Kabushima is a small, uninhabited gourd-shaped island 0.8 kirometers in circumference. Every year they migrate to this island in early March and start breeding.
When eggs hatch in June, the rapeseed flowers are in full bloom on the island. Parents and baby seagulls squawk, they fly around all the time, and the sound of ocean waves and winds make the area so lively (or noisy).
I just love the way seagulls standing still, all facing to the same direction…….
By the way, can you guess what these umbrellas are for ?
The answer is to protect yourself from the dropping of seagulls!!!
There is the Kabushima Shrine on the top of the island, and visitors and tourists pass through the red Trii gate and go up the stairs with umbrellas.
On the way climbing up the stairs, many nests and seagull families can be viewed.
Seagulls protect the shrine with gardian lions. Seagulls are regarded as the messengers of the sea goddess among fishermen, since seagulls tell where the schools of fish are in the water.
Kabushima Shrine
Seagull bronze statues and live models
The new candy featuring seagulls started to be sold from this year. The name is “Umineko Bakudan”, literally “seagull bombs” in Japanese.
Candies in the shape of seagulls droppings can be taken out from the back of the box seagull….can be good for the souvenir.
Now seagulls are all gone migrating south, so please come to Aomori next summer to enjoy this amazing view in Hachinohe.
Oh please let me tell you about the omen believed in Japan. “Droppings” and “fortune” have the same pronunciation in Japanese.
So if seagull droppings land on you, it is a major sign of wealth coming from heaven. If you want that sign, please come to Kabushima island. I promise you can receive a whole bunch of “fortune” signs from seagulls :)
Kabushima Island & Kabushima Shrine
Access: 15 minutes walk from JR Same Station, Hachinohe-Line
Aomori-mori 
