Nanjō

Nanjō
南城市
Nanjoo
City

Clockwise from top left: Utaki Purified, Kudaka Island, Site of Tamagusuku Castle, Nirai-kanai Bridge, Gyokusen Cave

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Location of Nanjo in Okinawa Prefecture
Nanjō

Location of Nanjo in Okinawa Prefecture

Coordinates: 26°8′40″N 127°46′1″E / 26.14444°N 127.76694°E / 26.14444; 127.76694Coordinates: 26°8′40″N 127°46′1″E / 26.14444°N 127.76694°E / 26.14444; 127.76694
Country Japan
Region Kyushu
Prefecture Okinawa Prefecture
Government
 • Mayor Keishun Koja
Area
 • Total 49.69 km2 (19.19 sq mi)
Population (December, 2012)
 • Total 41,305
 • Density 831.25/km2 (2,152.9/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree Ebony
- Flower Hibiscus
- Flowering tree Common Gardenia
- Fish Grouper
- Shellfish Silver-mouth Turban
Phone number 098-948-7111
Address 143 Fusato, Tamagusuku, Nanjō-shi 901-0695
Website www.city.nanjo.okinawa.jp(Japanese)
Nanjō city hall

Nanjō (南城市 Nanjō-shi, Okinawan: Nanjoo) is a city located in the southern part of Okinawa Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

The modern city of Nanjō was established on January 1, 2006, from the merger of the town of Sashiki, and the villages of Chinen, Ōzato and Tamagusuku (all from Shimajiri District).

Nanjō has an area of 49.69 km² and, as of the date of its inception, a population of 41,305, and a population density of 831.25 per km².[1]

Translated literally, the name Nanjō means "southern castle". Many castle ruins, called gusuku in the Okinawan language, can be found throughout the city.

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 economical activities are agriculture and tourism. Important crops include sugarcane, for sugar and vinegar production, and turmeric, 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.

Geography

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.

Districts/Localities

Surrounding Municipalities

Tourism and Culture

Sefa-utaki

Located in Chinen, the seifa-utaki shrine 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 beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. Discovered in 1967, 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 Tamagusku, 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 a transparent floor used in marine-life observations.

As golf is a popular sport in Okinawa, a famous site in Nanjō is the Ryūkyū Golf Club, with three 27-hole courses. Every spring, the Ryūkyū Golf Club welcomes the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament.

Gusuku in Nanjō

Beaches

Historical Facts

Izaiho traditional event in 1954

Shō Hashi was the leader of Sashiki-gusuku before uniting the Ryūkyū Kingdom.

Sister cities

In kanji, Tamaki has the same spelling as Tamagusuku (玉城). Neither name follows the standard readings for the kanji in Japanese.

Access

By plane

Passengers traveling from mainland Japan and overseas arrive at Naha Airport.

By bus

Several lines serve the city of Nanjo, departing from the bus terminals at Naha and Itoman.

References

  1. ↑ 南城市の人口 [Population of Nanjō] (in Japanese). Nanjō, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan: City of Nanjō. 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
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