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46-603: Of the eleven cities in Okinawa Prefecture, Nanjō has the smallest population. It does not have a separate police station nor a high school. For those services, citizens have to refer to the neighbouring towns of Yonabaru and Yaese . The city hosts a fire station responsible for Chinen, Ōzato and Tamagusuku and parts of Yaese, while Sashiki is served by a separate station. The city's main economic activities are agriculture and tourism. Important crops include sugarcane , for sugar and vinegar production, and turmeric ,

92-496: A humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa )—bordering on tropical rainforest climate ( Köppen climate classification Af )—with hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year; September is the wettest month and December is the driest. Naha has hot and humid summers with July and August being the city's warmest months, exceeding an average high of 31 degrees Celsius (88 °F). Naha has warm winters, with average high temperatures in

138-769: A community traditionally said to have been founded by Japanese settlers. It was organized around Wakasamachi-Ōdōri, an avenue which intersected with Kume-Ōdōri and ran across tidal mudflats to the east of Ukishima, connecting the community to the port of Tomari on the Okinawan mainland. A number of Japanese shrines and temples were located in Wakasamachi, including the Naminoue Shrine , the Zen temple Kōganji, and temples devoted to Ebisu and Jizō . The community had lodgings specifically set aside for traders and travelers from

184-659: A forest on a low hill (133m) called Amagoimui (雨乞森) and on the northwest by another called Untamamui (運玉森, 158 m). It mainly develops on flat lands between those hills and Nakagusuku Bay. The social banditry that took place in Untamamui is famous in Okinawa through the story of Untama Girū. It was dramatized in a film ( Untama Girū ) that received the Newcomer Award of the Directors Guild of Japan in 1989 and

230-472: A popular medicinal herb in Okinawa. Several turmeric processing plants are based in the city, producing semi-processed goods to be used by industries on the mainland or consumer products like tea and dietary supplements . Nanjō is a city located in the southern region of Okinawa's main island. The isle of Kudaka, off the coast of Chinen, also belongs to the city. Located in Chinen, the seifa-utaki shrine

276-604: A transparent floor used in marine-life observations. Golf is a popular sport in Okinawa, and the Ryūkyū Golf Club in Nanjō has three 27-hole courses. Every spring, the Ryūkyū Golf Club welcomes the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament. The Nanjo Sightseeing Information Center and souvenir shop across the street have cardboard cut-outs of the characters of The Aquatope on White Sand , with

322-467: Is 39.98 km (15.44 sq mi). Naha is located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island , the largest of Okinawa Prefecture. The modern city was officially founded on May 20, 1921. Before that, Naha had been for centuries one of the most important and populous sites in Okinawa. Naha is the political, economic and educational center of Okinawa Prefecture. In

368-470: Is 5.18 km , making it the second smallest municipality in Okinawa. Yonabaru is located 9 km east of Naha City , on the eastern coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island , along Nakagusuku Bay . With an area of 5.18 km², it is the smallest municipality on Okinawa Island, and the second smallest in Okinawa Prefecture after Tonaki Village . The town is bordered on the south-east by

414-466: Is also used as a resource for the red roof tiles that are a main production of the town. Until land was reclaimed on the sea, the coast was an area with quiet waves on Nakagusuku Bay, without much coral reef development. Until the Second World War, it was a spot fit for sea bathing with many nice sand beaches but since the water was really shallow, land started to be reclaimed on the sea after

460-504: Is attached directly to an upscale shopping mall; another mall, Naha Main Place, a few hundred meters (yards) down the street, contains many upscale Western-brand fashion boutiques, with restaurants and other shops. Frequented by young people, the area boasts large stores such as Toys R Us and Best Denki (an electronics store), a co-op market, many restaurants and a movie theater. The Okinawa Prefectural Museum , containing sections devoted to

506-657: Is listed by UNESCO as part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu World Heritage Site . It was believed to be a sacred place, from where one could see the "Isle of the Gods". In the shrine, noro priestesses from Shuri Castle would pray for the well-being of the king and the kingdom. In Tamagusuku, the Gyokusendō cave is known for its stalagmites and stalactites . Discovered in 1967,

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552-523: Is quite likely that many other Chinese, chiefly from Fujian and other maritime trading areas along the southern Chinese coast, would have settled here as well. Major sites in the community included the Tensonbyō Taoist temple near the northern end of Kume-Ōdōri and two shrines called Upper and Lower Tenpigū, dedicated to the Taoist goddess of the sea Tenpi, also known as Matsu . A Confucian temple,

598-411: Is the neighborhood of Tsuboya ( 壺屋 , "pot/jar shop") , which was once a major center of ceramic production (see Tsuboya-yaki ). Northeast of Kokusai-dōri is a relatively new commercial district called Shintoshin ( 新都心 , "New Metropolitan Center") . The area, formerly United States military housing, was released to Okinawa in 1987, but major development only began in the mid-1990s. Omoromachi Station

644-862: The Tokara Islands . Another settlement, known as Izumizaki, lay on the mainland of Okinawa Island, just across the Kumoji River from Ukishima. Izumizaki had no notable or major port facilities and is believed to have been simply an extension of the residential community of Naha proper, which thus spread onto the mainland as the population and according demand for land grew. At some point, the tidal mudflats and Kumoji River separating Ukishima, that is, Naha, from Okinawa Island were filled in. The neighborhoods of Kume, Wakasa, and Tomari can still be found in Naha today. Commodore Matthew C. Perry 's expeditionary squadron stopped in Naha en route to Tokyo in 1853; and

690-617: The American ships visited several more times. The lithographs prepared from drawings made by the expedition's official artist would be widely circulated. These images would provide the basis for 19th century impressions of the geography and people of the Ryūkyū islands. After the replacement of the Ryūkyū Kingdom with the Ryūkyū Domain in 1872, Naha became the capital city. The Ryūkyū Domain

736-578: The Caligari Filmpreis Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1990. Until the Second World War, Yonabaru had a good natural harbour on Nakagusuku Bay, used by Yanbaru-sen ships. It was an important place for marine transportation and trade on the eastern coast of Okinawa Island. It was also an important junction point for the land transportation both toward the southern and central parts of

782-654: The Immaculate Heart of Mary (Kainan Church) is the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Naha . The restored and rebuilt Shuri Castle , the former royal palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, is one of the finest gusuku (Okinawan castle) and among the most important historical sites in Naha. The palace, and a series of tunnels underneath it, were used as a major command post by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II, and

828-592: The Itokazu-Abuchiragama cave was used in World War II as a bomb shelter by soldiers and civilians alike. It is also open to tourists. Himeyuri students were used as nurses in this location among others. The isle of Kudaka, also called Isle of the Gods, can be accessed from Azama Port, located in Chinen. From the isle of Ōjima, in Tamagusuku, one can board a glass-bottomed boat, a boat with

874-595: The Ryukyus , Bank of Okinawa and Okinawa Kaiho Bank , are headquartered in Naha. The Bank of Japan , Mizuho Bank , Shoko Chukin Bank and Japan Post Bank also have branches in Naha. Major international insurance companies also have call centers based in the city. Naha Airport is a major transportation hub for the region, and Japan Transocean Air and Ryukyu Air Commuter , subsidiaries of Japan Airlines , are headquartered in Naha. Naha Airport and Naha Port serve

920-563: The Tertiary Shimajiri Group, with coastal lowlands along Nakagusuku Bay. However, at the boundary with Ōzato (Nanjō City), around the Ōzato Castle Site Park, Ryūkyū limestone can be observed covering the strata of the Shimajiri Group. As a consequence of this geological characteristics, most of the soils in the town are of the jāgaru type. Jāgaru soils are adapted to the cultivation of sugar cane. The muddy earth

966-536: The abolition of the magiri in 1908, the area of Yonabaru became part of Ōzato Village . A railway line to Naha opened in 1914 and with it came a period of economic growth. Talk during the early Shōwa period of separate municipal status was interrupted by the Pacific War and the foundation of Yonabaru Town had to wait until 1 April 1949. Yonabaru Town lists sixty-three tangible cultural properties and monuments, including nine ones designated or registered at

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1012-508: The area represented by the modern town of Yonabaru may be found in the Omoro Sōshi , which makes mention of "Yonaharu" and "Yonaha-bama". According to the Chūzan Seifu ( 中山世譜 ) , Shō Hashi , before becoming king, acquired iron from foreign ships that came to Yonabaru to trade, forged from this metal tools for farming, and gave these to the people. Formerly part of Ōzato Magiri , with

1058-593: The art, history, and natural history of the Ryukyus, opened in the area in November 2007 and sits in front of Shintoshin Park . The city includes seventy-eight wards. Among the former municipalities, only Shuri still exists administratively as a local subdivision. According to the Irosetsuden ( 遺老説伝 ) , the name of Naha comes from its original name, Naba, which was the name of a large, mushroom -shaped stone in

1104-454: The boundary of the city of Tomigusuku , is listed on the Ramsar list of wetlands . Four universities are in the Naha area. Two are run by Okinawa Prefecture; two are private. The University of the Ryukyus , the sole national university in Okinawa Prefecture, was also in Naha, on the site of Shuri Castle. Before the restoration of the castle, the university moved to the town of Nishihara to

1150-609: The castle was subsequently almost destroyed in 1945 by the US Marines, Army and Navy. After the war, the University of the Ryūkyūs was constructed on the site. Today Shuri Castle has been reconstructed, including the famous Shureimon , its main gate, and is registered, along with a number of other gusuku and other Okinawan historical and sacred sites, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Lake Man , covered with mangrove woods on

1196-571: The cave is estimated to be at least five kilometers long, but only 890 metres are open to tourists. The cave is located inside the Okinawa World cultural theme park . Other attractions of the theme park are the Habu snake museum, native dances such as Eisa , and a traditional Ryūkyū-style village with traditional red-clay roofed houses and workshops for local crafts such as dying and weaving, pottery, and glass blowing. Also located in Tamagusuku,

1242-522: The city of Nanjo, departing from the bus terminals at Naha and Itoman . Yonabaru Yonabaru ( 与那原町 , Yonabaru-chō , Okinawan : Yunabaru ) is a town in Shimajiri District , Okinawa Prefecture , Japan . It is located at the southern end of Okinawa Island , on the east coast, overlooking Nakagusuku Bay . As of 2024, the town has a population of 19,817 and a population density of 3,825 persons per km . The total area

1288-403: The city, ranging from small huts to temples consisting of several houses. The religion is a mix of Shintoism, Buddhism, Taoism, and indigenous traditions. The most visible part of the local beliefs though is by far the shisa, the Okinawan shiisaa ("lion dogs") that are considered protectors of the island and are found everywhere - walls, roofs, windows, street corners and parks. The Cathedral of

1334-458: The city. ( Naba is a Western Japanese and Ryukyuan word for " mushroom .") Gradually, the stone wore away and became buried, and the name's pronunciation and its kanji gradually changed. In Naha, some archeological relics of the Stone Age were found. From a Jōmon period kaizuka (shell mound), ancient Chinese coins were found. Pottery found by archaeologists indicates that the area

1380-518: The city. Naha Airport is the hub of Okinawa Prefecture. The Okinawa Urban Monorail , also known as the Yui Rail ( ゆいレール ) carries passengers from Naha Airport Station to the center of Naha, Kokusai-dōri, Shintoshin, Shuri, and to the terminal at Tedako-Uranishi Station in Urasoe . The Tomari wharf in Naha connects the main Okinawa island to the rest of the islands around it. Notably it connect to

1426-410: The coolest months of January and February, hovering around 19-20 degrees Celsius (66 to 68 °F) and average lows around 14-15 degrees Celsius (57 to 59 °F). The city sees a substantial amount of rainfall, averaging in excess of 2,000 mm (79 in) of rain per year. Naha is an economic center of Okinawa dominated by tourism, retail and service industries. Okinawa's largest banks, Bank of

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1472-461: The entrance to the harbor defended the port, and a small island within the harbor held a warehouse, Omono gusuku ( 御物グスク ) , used for storing trade goods. Tomari ( 泊 ) , on the mainland of Okinawa Island to the northeast of Ukishima, served as the chief port for trade within the Ryūkyū Islands. The administrators of Tomari were also responsible for collecting and managing the tribute paid to

1518-539: The fighting. The entire centre of the city had to be rebuilt. On 1 September 1954, the village of Oroku was merged into the city. On April 1, 2013, Naha became a core city , a category of cities of Japan under the Local Autonomy Law of Japan . Naha now carries out many of the functions, notably for public health care, normally delegated to the prefectural government. Naha is the first core city in Okinawa Prefecture. There are numerous shrines throughout

1564-798: The gift of the Kangxi Emperor , was built in Kumemura in the 1670s; the Meirindō , a school of classic Confucian Chinese learning, was established in 1718. Following their destruction in World War II , the Meirindō, Confucian temple, and Tenpigū shrines were rebuilt on the site of the Tensonbyō in northern Kume, where they stand today as the Confucian temple Shiseibyō . On the northwest side of Ukishima lay Wakasamachi ( 若狭町 , "Wakasa town") ,

1610-458: The island (Shimajiri and Nakagami). However, after the war, it lost its harbour town characteristic. It is still nowadays an important junction point between the southern and central parts of the island for land transportation on the eastern coast. If you exclude the land reclaimed on the sea, the topographical and geological features of the town can be divided into two groups. Most of the town corresponds to low hills of mudstone and sandstone of

1656-757: The kingdom by the Amami Islands , whose tribute ships made port here. Kume-Ōdōri ( 久米大通り , "Kume Great Avenue") ran across Ukishima from southeast to northwest, forming the center of the walled community of Kumemura , the center of classical Chinese learning in Ryūkyū for centuries. Kumemura is traditionally believed to have been founded by 36 Min families sent to Ryūkyū by the Ming Chinese Imperial Court and to be inhabited primarily or solely by descendants of those settlers; historian Uezato Takashi points out, however, that due to Naha's prominence in international maritime trade networks, it

1702-476: The main bus terminal in Okinawa and is served by several stations along the Okinawa Urban Monorail , the only train system in the prefecture. Spurring off from Kokusai-dōri is the covered Heiwa-dōri Shopping Arcade and Makishi Public Market, a massive shōtengai filled with fresh fish, meat, and produce stands, restaurants, tourist goods shops, and liquor shops. Just outside the market area

1748-653: The medieval and early modern periods, it was the commercial center of the Ryukyu Kingdom . Central Naha consists of the Palette Kumoji shopping mall, the Okinawa Prefecture Office , Naha City Hall, and many banks and corporations, located at the west end of Kokusai-dōri, the city's main street. Kokusai-dōri ( 国際通り , "International Avenue") boasts a 1.6 kilometer (1 mile) long stretch of stores, restaurants and bars. Kokusai-dōri ends at

1794-419: The national, prefectural or municipal level. Naha City Naha ( 那覇市 , Naha-shi , Japanese: [naꜜha] , Okinawan : Nāfa or Nafa ) is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture , the southernmost prefecture of Japan . As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 people per km (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area

1840-750: The northeast of Naha. Naha's public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Naha City Board of Education . Naha's public high schools are operated by the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education . Private schools include the Okinawa Actors' School . Naha-te , (Naha-hand), called Nawate by Gichin Funakoshi , is a type of martial art developed in Naha. The successor styles to Naha-te include Gōjū-ryū , Uechi-ryū , Ryūei-ryū , and Tōon-ryū . Naha has

1886-524: The period of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, it was a smaller city, prominent as a major port, but not as a political center. Medieval Naha was on a tiny island called Ukishima, connected to the mainland of Okinawa Island by a narrow causeway called Chōkōtei ( 長虹堤 , lit. "long rainbow embankment" ) which led on to Shuri. The main port area for international trade, Naha proper, was divided into the East ( 東 , higashi ) and West ( 西 , nishi ) districts and

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1932-483: The shop including an "entire Aquatope corner." Nanjō City hosts sixty-two designated or registered cultural properties and monuments, at the national, prefectural or municipal level. In kanji , Tamaki has the same spelling as Tamagusuku (玉城). Neither name follows the standard readings for the kanji in Japanese. Passengers traveling from mainland Japan and overseas arrive at Naha Airport . Several bus lines serve

1978-688: The war. This development on the sea still continues nowadays, with the development of the Nakagusuku Bay Harbour Marine Town Project conjointly with the neighbouring town of Nishihara. The town, as the rest of Okinawa Island, has a subtropical climate, with really small seasonal temperature variations. The mean temperature is of 22.3°C, the mean annual rainfall is of 1688 mm, with rainfalls mainly in spring and summer, although they can sometimes start earlier. Typhoons mainly come in summer and autumn. The town includes four wards with twelve settlements. References to

2024-621: Was abolished in 1879 and the former Ryūkyū Kingdom came to an end, fully annexed by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture , with Naha remaining as the capital city. Shuri and other neighboring municipalities were absorbed into the city. An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Naha as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom. During the battle of Okinawa in World War II , Naha suffered extensive damage from

2070-472: Was an active site of trade with the Japanese archipelago and Korean peninsula at least as early as the 11th century. Though it is not known just when the area first became organized as a functioning port city, it was active as such by the time of the unification of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in the early 15th century. Though today Naha has grown to incorporate the former royal capital city of Shuri , center of Chinese learning Kumemura , and other towns and villages, in

2116-475: Was on the southwestern portion of Ukishima. A large open-air marketplace was active in front of the royal government trading center, or oyamise ( 親見世 ) . A number of Japanese temples and shrines were located here, along with a residence and embassy, known as the Tenshikan ( 天使館 ) , for visiting Chinese officials. A pair of forts ( Mie gusuku and Yarazamori gusuku ) built atop embankments extending out across

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