Medo-iwa Rock

Medo-iwa Rock is located between Kuranotani area and Uka area. Legend has it that the giant opening in the rock was kicked out by the famous war horse, Ikezuki, which appeared throughout the Genpei War. After losing its mother, the horse mistook its reflection in the pond for its mother, and after diving into the pond many times, it became a good swimmer. The islanders, who were watching this, tried to catch the horse. Upon reaching Nishinoshima Island, the horse was so excited that it kicked a hole in the rock, giving the strangely-shaped rock its name. The round rock that fell out of the hole remains on the shore in the shape of a turtle. So, the villagers called it Kamegashima or Kamejima Rock. Ikezuki is a famous horse given to Sasaki Takatsuna by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate, and the horse is well known for being the steed of Sasaki as rider raced to become the first to engage in battle in the Battle of Uji (1184).