Kunigami, Okinawa

Kunigami (国頭村, Kunigami-son, Kunigami: Kunzan, Okinawan: Kunjan) is a village in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It occupies the north tip of Okinawa Island, with the East China Sea to the west, Pacific Ocean to the east, and villages of Higashi and Ōgimi to the south.[1]

Kunigami

国頭村

Kunzan (Kunigami), Kunjan (Okinawan)
Village
Kunigami Village
View of Cape Hedo
Flag
Seal
Location of Kunigami in Okinawa Prefecture
Kunigami
 
Coordinates: 26°44′45″N 128°10′41″E
CountryJapan
RegionKyushu
PrefectureOkinawa Prefecture
Established1 April 1908
Area
 • Total194.80 km2 (75.21 sq mi)
Population
 (2015)
 • Total4,908
 • Density25/km2 (60/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
– TreeCastanopsis sieboldii
– Flowering treeSchima wallichii
– FlowerRhododendron tashiroi
– BirdOkinawa rail
– FishGreen humphead parrotfish
Websitewww.vill.kunigami.okinawa.jp

As of 2015, the village has a population of 4,908 and a population density of 25.20 persons per km2. The total area is 194.80 km2.

History

According to Chūzan Seikan, the goddess Amamikyu consecrated the first utaki in Asa Forest at Hedo, in what is now Kunigami; the forest is also mentioned in Omoro Sōshi.[1] Ceramics from the Jōmon-period Uzahama Site (宇佐浜遺跡) resemble those found in the Amami Islands.[2] Chūzan Seikan records the prayers of the Kunigami council for the recovery of Shō Sei after an abortive attempt to occupy Amami Ōshima in 1537, while Kyūyō recounts the appointment of the son of the Kunigami Oyakata as aji after the successful takeover of the Amami Islands by Shō Gen in 1571.[1]

Kunigami District was established in 1896 and, upon the abolition of Kunigami magiri, Kunigami Village was founded in 1908. During the Battle of Okinawa, the area saw an influx of refugees fleeing the heavy fighting in the south. In September 1945, the occupying government merged the three villages of Kunigami, Higashi, and Ōgimi into the new city of Hentona (辺土名市); the merger was reversed the following year.[1]

Geography

Kunigami is mountainous, with over 80% of the land area covered by subtropical evergreen forest. Endemic species include the Okinawa woodpecker and Okinawa rail.[3]

Demographics
Census data
YearPop.±%
1920 11,525—    
1925 10,112−12.3%
1930 10,417+3.0%
1935 10,460+0.4%
1940 9,969−4.7%
1950 12,000+20.4%
1955 11,267−6.1%
1960 10,653−5.4%
1965 9,192−13.7%
1970 7,324−20.3%
1975 6,568−10.3%
1980 6,873+4.6%
1985 6,510−5.3%
1990 6,114−6.1%
1995 6,015−1.6%
2000 5,825−3.2%
2005 5,546−4.8%
2010 5,118−7.7%
2015 4,908−4.1%
Source: Statistics Bureau

Neighbouring municipalities

See also

References
  1. 国頭村 [Kunigami Village]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Heibonsha. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  2. 宇佐浜遺跡 [Uzahama Site] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  3. 国頭村 [Kunigami Village] (in Japanese). Kunigami Village. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.