Yomitan, Okinawa
Encyclopedia
Villages of Japan
A is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....
located in Nakagami District
Nakagami District, Okinawa
is a district located in Okinawa, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 169,332 and the density of 1,216.03 persons per km²...
, Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As of 30 September 2005, the village has an official population of 38,532. The total area is 35.17 km².
The village has adopted as its symbol the flying phoenix, playing on the fact that the shape of the village resembles a bird in flight. The village flower is the bougainvillea
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...
.
Government
The mayor of Yomitan is Keizo Yasuda. As Yomitan is designated as a village, it is under the administration of Nakagami DistrictNakagami District, Okinawa
is a district located in Okinawa, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 169,332 and the density of 1,216.03 persons per km²...
. Once Yomitan reaches a population of over 50,000 it can then be classified as a city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
, thereby gaining a measure of autonomy and independence.
Geography
Yomitan is bounded to the north by OnnaOnna, Okinawa
is a village located in Kunigami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 9,333 and a population density of 183.83 persons per km². The total area is 50.77 km²....
(恩納村), to the east by Okinawa City
Okinawa, Okinawa
is the second-largest city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, following Naha, the capital city. It is located in the central part of the island of Okinawa, about 20 km north of Naha....
(沖縄市), to the south by Kadena
Kadena, Okinawa
is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2005, the town has an estimated population of 13,624 and a density of 915.9 persons per km². The total area is 15.04 km². Approximately 85% of the town is controlled by the US Government including Kadena Air Base, the second-largest...
(嘉手納町), and to the west by the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
.
31.5% of the land area is zoned for agriculture, 35.7% is zoned as forest, 12.3% is zoned for housing, and the remaining 20.6% is zoned for other uses.
History
The Hijagawa River in Yomitan was the site of the initial landing of the Allied ForcesAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
in the Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
.
Industry
6% of the working population of Yomitan is engaged in so-called "primary" industries, including agriculture and fishing. 25% is engaged in the "secondary" industries, i.e. food processing and manufacturing, and 69% is engaged in the "tertiary" industries: services and trade.Agriculture
The chief cash crop of Yomitan is the chrysanthemumChrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
, which, unlike in mainland Japan, can be grown in Okinawa during the winter months with the aid of heat lamps at night. Chrysanthemums are followed in value by sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
and pigs, in that order.
Sugarcane is particularly suited to cultivation in Okinawa, as it does not require significant infrastructure (such as irrigation), grows well in Okinawa's soil, and can be left unattended for 18 months until harvest. The harvesting, refining, and butchering of commercial agricultural products are coordinated by the National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives
National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives
The National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives , commonly known as "JA Kyosai" or ZENKYOREN, is Japan's national mutual aid association of agricultural cooperatives, founded based on Japan's Agricultural Cooperative Law. ZENKYOREN was founded in 1951 and provides property,...
(JA), and the growers receive a share of the profits.
Another important crop in Yomitan is the , if not for its value as a cash crop then as part of the local culture and tourist industry; the town promotes itself as the , and holds a contest each year. Sweet potato cultivation first reached Japan via Okinawa from present-day Taiwan, predating rice cultivation, and either Yomitan or neighboring Kadena
Kadena, Okinawa
is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2005, the town has an estimated population of 13,624 and a density of 915.9 persons per km². The total area is 15.04 km². Approximately 85% of the town is controlled by the US Government including Kadena Air Base, the second-largest...
can lay claim as the first cultivators of sweet potato in Japan.
Tourism
In addition to beautiful and largely unspoiled beaches, Yomitan attracts tourists for its folk crafts, including potteryPottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
(yachimun, or やちむん in the local dialect), glassblowing
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
(Okinawan glass being a famed product), sugar making, and salt making. There are several facilities where tourists can try their hand at these crafts, and take their handiwork home as souvenirs.
Also of interest are the ruins.
U.S. military bases
Approximately 36% (1,261 ha) of the village is leased from the village and local landowners to the Ministry of Defense of Japan and used as the United States military bases under the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces AgreementU.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement
U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement is an agreement between Japan and the U.S...
.
Two Facilities: Torii Communication Station
Torii Station
Torii Station is a United States Army facility located in Yomitan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Home to the United States Army on Okinawa, 10th Support Group, along with the 1-1 ADA , 835th Trans BN, 247th MP DET, 505th QM BN, 83rd ORD BN,35th CSSB, 1-1 SFG, and the 58th SIG BN provide support to...
(Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
) and a part of Kadena Ammunition Storage Area (Air Force and Marine) are located in the village. Senaha Communication Site (Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
), Sobe Communication Site (aka Elephant Cage, decommissioned in 2006, Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
), and Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield (Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
) were returned in 2007 and are now under local development.