ABSTRACT
To the south of Gūshū (Ōsumi Province)2 18 ri3 off the shore, there is an island called Tanega[shima] .4 My forbears have lived there for generations. According to a legend from ancient times, the name Tanega[shima], ‘The Seed Island’, is derived from the fact that the number of inhabitants, in spite of the smallness of the island, has grown and prospered like seeds (tane) which, once planted, grow and produce new seeds without number.
