Place · island

Shikanoshima

Shikanoshima is a small island at the mouth of Hakata Bay in Fukuoka, Japan, joined to the mainland by a sandbar. In 1784 a farmer found there a gold seal inscribed 'King of Na of Wa of Han', generally identified with the seal the Chinese emperor Guangwu granted to envoys from Na in 57 CE. The seal, now a National Treasure, is one of the earliest objects linking Japan to written history.

Shikanoshima
Image: 厄無し / Yakunashi · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Na (Japan)

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Shikanoshima. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shikanoshima
MLA
“Shikanoshima.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shikanoshima. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Shikanoshima.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shikanoshima.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Shikanoshima’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shikanoshima (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻