Tanegashima (種子島) is an island lying to the south of Kyushu, south Japan, and is part of the Kagoshima Prefecture.
It is a long low stretch of land, carefully cultivated, and celebrated as the place where Mendes Pinto landed when he found his way to Japan in 1543. Until modern times firearms were colloquially known in Japan as " Tanega-shima," in allusion to the fact that they were introduced by Pinto.
The headquarters of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the spaceport Tanegashima Space Center is located at the
southeastern end of the island.
External link
Initial text from a 1911 Encyclopedia. Please update as needed.
