Yomitan Village

Location of Yomitan Village

Yomitan Village is located on the west coast of the central district of Okinawa Island and is approximately 28 kilometers north of Naha City, the capital city of Okinawa.
The neighboring municipalities are Onna Village to the north, Okinawa City to the east, and Kadena Town to the south.
The geographic features of Yomitan village are: A cape, which is located in the west, projects over the East China Sea and national highway 58, the principal highway of Okinawa Island, runs through the village from south to north.

Land Area of Yomitan Village

The land area of Yomitan Village is 35.17 square kilometers (3.517 ha), and it is the 18th largest municipality in Okinawa, Japan.

Geography of Yomitan Village

The east side of Yomitan Village is characterized by a gentle slope, which slopes down toward the south, and its highest point is Yomitan-dake (200 meters above sea level). The west side of the village is mostly karstic hilly plateau and beaches along the coast. The highest point in the west is Zakimi Castle (130 meters above sea level).
The measurements of the central area of the village are approximately 5.7 kilometers from east to west and approximately 5.8 kilometers from south to north.

The Flower of the Village ,The Tree of Yomitan Village

The Flower of the Village: Bougainvillea		The Tree of Yomitan Village: Chagi (a podocarp tree)
Bougainvillea is a symbol of passion, brightness and prosperity. It is a vine-like climbing plant whose origin is Brazil. The plant grows well on a well drained sunny place, and it can be grown from a cutting. The bright colorful flowers of the plant are in bloom all year round.		Chagi (in Okinawan dialect) is a symbol of strength, peace and everlasting development. It is a dioecious evergreen tree. It can grow anywhere in Okinawa, and is characterized by thick leaves that grow on its branches. Chagi is one of the most valuable woods in Okinawa because it is solid and hard as well as beautiful. The tree is grown to provide a high quality lumber.

Future Image of YOMITAN Village

From an aerial view, the geographic outline of YOMITAN Village resembles a phoenix flying toward the East China Sea. The head of the phoenix is Zanpa Point and its wings consist of mountains which include Takoyama and Zakimi Castle. The phoenix is carrying a coral reel in its mouth to welcome the happiness that comes from the overseas land of Niraikanai (a paradise) and goes into the golden rim of Zakimi Castle. Zakimi Castle is like a waist towel blown by the wind. The people, goods, and cultures meet at the crossroads of the main street of Yomitan Village whose west side is a busy community and east side is calm and peaceful. Nagata River runs along the skirts of the mountains and washes away the past with its flow.

The phoenix has a coral reef in its mouth and the wind blowing into the wings from the eastern mountains below gives the bird an aura of pwer. The phoenix, which is ready to fly into the 21st century, is a symbol of the dreams and hopes of the villagers of YOMITAN.

The illustration of the phoenix was drawn by Bokunen Naka, a famous woodblock artist of Okinawa, for YOMITAN Village to express its future image.

Quick tip: Brief History of Yomitan Village