Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa

Kitanakagusuku (北中城村, Kitanakagusuku-son; Okinawan: キタナカグシク, romanized: Kitanakagushiku^[1]) is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Kitanakagusuku 北中城村
Village
Kitanakagusuku Village Office
Flag Emblem
Location of Kitanakagusuku in Okinawa Prefecture
Kitanakagusuku
Coordinates: 26°18′4″N 127°47′35″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Okinawa Prefecture
District	Nakagami
Area
• Total	11.53 km2 (4.45 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2020)
• Total	17,969
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
Website	www.vill.kitanakagusuku.lg.jp

As of 1 October 2020^[update], the village has an estimated population of 17,969 and the density of 1,600 persons per km². The total area is 11.53 km². It is home to Nakagusuku Castle and the Nakagusuku Hotel ruins.

The village has quite a few centenarians.^[2]

Geography

Kitanakagusuku Village is located in the central part of Okinawa Island, along the eastern coast, commanding Nakagusuku Bay. The U.S. military base Camp Foster occupies 14.2% of its area.

Administrative divisions

The village includes fourteen wards.^[3]

• Adaniya (安谷屋)
• Atta (熱田)
• Chunjun (仲順)
• Higa (比嘉)
• Kishaba (喜舎場)
• Misaki (美崎)
• Ogidō (荻道)
• Ōgusuku (大城)
• Rycom (ライカム)
• Shimabuku (島袋)
• Toguchi (渡口)
• Waniya (和仁屋)
• Yagibaru (屋宜原)
• Zukeran (瑞慶覧)

Neighbouring municipalities

• Chatan
• Ginowan
• Nakagusuku
• Okinawa

Education

The village has the following municipal schools:

• Kitanakagusuku Junior High School (北中城中学校)^[4]
• Kitanagagusuku Elementary School (北中城小学校)^[5]
• Shimabuku Elementary School (島袋小学校)^[6]

The Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education operates nearby high schools, and the following special schools in Kitanakagusuku:

• Okinawa Prefectural Okinawa School for the Deaf [ja] (沖縄県立沖縄ろう学校)
• Okinawa Kenritsu Hanasakishien School (沖縄県立はなさき支援学校)

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates schools in Camp Foster for children of American military personnel:

• Zukeran Elementary School^[7]
• Kubasaki High School^[8]

Cultural Properties

• Name (Japanese) (Type of registration)

Cultural Properties

• Nakamura Family Residence (中村家住宅) (National)
• Sanshin - Yuna Type (三線与那型) (Prefectural)

Folk Cultural Properties

• Atta Māshirī Tomb (熱田マーシリー) (Municipal)
• Gan'yā Palanquin House of Kishaba (龕屋) (Prefectural)
• Mākā-nu-utaki Sacred Site (マーカーの御嶽) (Municipal)
• Niidukuru Hi-nu-kan (Fire God) (根所火の神) (Prefectural)
• Ogidō Hījā-gā Spring (荻道のヒージャーガー) (Prefectural)
• Sanskrit Stele inscribed "Abiraunken" of Toguchi (渡口の梵字の碑「アビラウンケン」) (Prefectural)
• Stone lion of Kishaba (喜舎場の石獅子) (Prefectural)
• Toguchi-no-tera/ Wanama-no-tera Sacred Site (渡口のテラ) (Prefectural)
• Tomb of Chunjun Ufushu (仲順大主の墓) (Prefectural)
• Tomb of Prince Kishaba (喜舎場公の墓) (Municipal)

Historic Sites

• Ii-no-utaki / Wana Ugan Praying Site (上の御嶽・和仁屋御願) (Municipal)
• Kishaba Ufukā Spring (喜舎場のウフカー) (Municipal)
• Nasu-no-Utaki Sacred Site (ナスの御嶽) (Municipal)
• Ogidō Shell Mound (荻堂貝塚) (National)
• Ōgusuku Iri-nu-kā Spring (大城のイリヌカー) (Municipal)
• Survey Stone of Toguchi (渡口の印部土手石 (ハル石)) (Municipal)
• Tomb of Nakagusuku Wakamatsu (中城若松の墓) (Municipal) ^[9]