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29-599: The city borders Chatan to the west, Okinawa City to the north, Urasoe to the south and Nishihara to the east. Ginowan was heavily damaged during World War II. After the war, half of the area of the city was allocated for use by the United States military. A refugee camp was built in the Nodake area of Ginowan. The population of the refugee camp increased exponentially, and the area was renamed Nodake City. The American occupation forces abolished Nodake City in 1946, and renamed

58-465: A population density of 293 persons per km . Its total area is 210.30 km . Nago City is located in the northern part of Okinawa Island and with an area of 210.33 km², it represents 9.2% of Okinawa Island’s surface, coming third behind Taketomi (334.02 km²) and Ishigaki (229.00 km²) in Okinawa Prefecture, but first on Okinawa Island. The city is bordered by the sea both on the west and

87-779: A 25-story hotel named "The Beach Tower" and several beaches. Sunabe is famous for a large sea wall which attracts many SCUBA divers and surfers. The Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball have their spring training camp in Chatan. The Town of Chatan maintains four elementary schools: Chatan  [ ja ] (北谷町立北谷小学校), Chatan Number Two  [ ja ] (北谷町立北谷第二小学校), Kitatama (北谷町立北玉小学校), and Hamagawa (北谷町立浜川小学校); each elementary school has an associated nursery school. The town also maintains two junior high schools: Chatan Junior High School (北谷町立北谷中学校) and Kuwae Junior High School  [ ja ] (北谷町立桑江中学校). Chatan Senior High School  [ ja ] (沖縄県立北谷高等学校),

116-442: A city ticket office in Chatan. Chatan Town hosts eight designated or registered tangible cultural properties and monuments, at the national or municipal level. Nago, Okinawa Nago ( 名護市 , Nago-shi , Okinawan : ナグ Nagu , Kunigami : ナグー Naguu ) is a city located in the northern part of Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture , Japan . As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 61,659 and

145-482: A park which utilized a monorail train to move tourists to each exhibit. Its most popular exhibit was the Japanese Floating City; similar to an oil rig , the city floated on large pontoons which allowed it to be moved. If the city was threatened with a typhoon, it would move close to shore, fill the pontoons with sea water and sit on the ocean floor for more stability. The city was self sufficient , and used

174-586: A prefectural senior high school of the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education , is located directly north of the town hall. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools: Chatan is crossed from north to south by Japan National Route 58 , which runs parallel to the coastal area of the town. Delta Air Lines has a city ticket office in the Towa Building #1 (東和第一ビル Tōwa Daiichi Biru ) in Chatan. Northwest Airlines previously operated

203-457: Is a large flea market that is scattered over an area of several blocks, though much of the land it is on is constantly relocated or bought for expansion of businesses. With the expansion of shopping/recreational businesses in the Mihama area, Chatan has become one of the most popular destinations for recreation. It is home to a small convention center, several shopping plazas, arcades, karaoke parlors,

232-575: Is abundant throughout the year; the wettest month is August and the driest month is December. Nago Castle was built in the 14th century and served as the home of the Aji of Nago Magiri . Nago had always been one of the major settlements in Northern Okinawa, and a major port along with Unten. Nago Magiri became Nago town in 1907. Nago was upgraded to city status on August 1, 1970 with the merger of nine smaller towns and villages. Nago hosted Expo '75 in

261-785: Is also home to the Okinawa Prefectural Ginowan Marina, the Ginowan Municipal Museum, and the Sakima Art Museum. In the recent decades, several turtleback tombs in Ginowan City were studied academically and some were designated cultural assets of Ginowan City, such as the Motobu Udun Tomb in Ganeko, Ginowan. The Motobu Udun Tomb is considered valuable for research on the relationship between the royal family and

290-536: Is located on route 84. Right beside the Pineapple Park is Okinawa Fruits land. Pineapple Park is an interactive museum where visitors can see how pineapple is grown, and how pineapple wine is made. There is also a collection of thousands of seashells. Okinawa Fruits Land is a conservatory with many plants, birds and fruits. A map is provided and tourists can wander through the park as they wish. There are many types of tropical birds. The corals and seagrass beds of

319-424: Is run by a city assembly of 28 elected members. Ginowan is crossed by Japan National Route 58 , which stretches across segments of Kyūshū , Tanegashima , Amami Ōshima , and Okinawa , and Japan National Route 330 , which connects the city of Okinawa and the prefectural capital of Naha . Both highways are routed around the U.S. military bases. The Okinawa Expressway , which connects Nago to Naha, runs along

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348-567: The Ginowan District of the time, the construction of ancient turtleback tombs, and their transformations. On February 25, 2021, the Motobu Udun Tomb was designated a cultural property historical site by Ginowan City in recognition of its high value as a material that unravels the relationship between Ginowan District and royal descendants at that time. Ginowan was home to the former Okinawa International University Junior College . Ginowan

377-469: The Hamby Post Office is one of the first Japanese Postal offices to have an English name. Parts of Camp Foster and Camp Lester are in Chatan. The American Kadena Air Base is located on and forms the northern boundary of Chatan which is further demarcated by Route 23 - also known locally as Kokutai Road. The U.S. air base also encompasses much land which was once part of Chatan's area including most of

406-556: The Marine Corps' Camp Foster . Ginowan was elevated to city status on July 1, 1962. Ginowan is located in the south of Okinawa , and sits on the western coast of the island along the East China Sea . The city sits on gently-sloping coastal terrace composed of Ryukyuan limestone . 38% of the city is occupied by military bases used by the United States. The city includes seventeen wards. Clockwise, starting north, Ginowan borders on

435-562: The United States military. The city is home to taro , specifically the taimo (田芋) used in Okinawa cuisine. While the taimo remains the chief product of Ginowan, agriculture greatly declined in the city in the postwar period. Like other municipalities on Okinawa Island, the city produces cut flowers for sale on the home islands of Japan. The Okinawa Convention Center was constructed in Ginowan, and has hosted numerous international conferences. The city

464-591: The area Ginowan Village. Subsequently, the occupation authorities confiscated the main areas of Ginowan to build military bases. The area became a base town with military bases centered in Nodaka and Futenma. Around 33% of Ginowan has been leased by the Japanese Ministry of Defense for use as a US military base under the Japanese and American mutual defense agreement. and hosts Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and part of

493-639: The base to a new site adjacent to or within Camp Schwab, most recently in April 2013. The January 19, 2014 mayoral election in Nago became a de facto referendum on the April 2013 relocation plan, with incumbent mayor Susumu Inamine opposing the plan and his challenger, former Vice Mayor Bunshin Suematsu, supporting the plan. Nago is a tourist town. The many beaches draw Okinawans, mainland Japanese, Americans and other tourists to

522-500: The base". Ginowan city government called the Japanese defense ministry to investigate for "possible environmental impacts". The Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said: "We will take appropriate measures in cooperation with the United States and the city of Ginowan" as they plan environmental studies on soil in the week of March 18, 2014. The United States rarely allow environmental inspections on U.S. bases not planned for return to Japan. Ginowan has been economically dependent on

551-518: The cherry blossom festival every year in January. Nago established itself as a tax haven for financial companies in 2002, following the example of Dublin, Ireland . The Nago Multimedia Building was established as the core of this zone, with various subsidies for foreign financial firms to establish offices there. Orion Breweries has its factory in Nago. The city is also noted for the production of cement, rice, sugarcane, and pineapples. Founded as

580-603: The east coast of Nago are home to the last remaining population of dugong in Japan. Nago also hosts the international bicycle race known as the Tour de Okinawa, which is usually held in November. Since 1959, Nago has hosted the Nago 1/2 marathon race in February. Because of Nago's sub tropical environment, cherry blossoms bloom early in the year. Nago is always one of the first cities to host

609-399: The east. About 10% of the city area is occupied by U.S. military bases. The city includes fifty-six wards. About 10% of the area of Nago is occupied by U.S. military bases. Kushi Training Area 8.5ha New Henoko Base 205 ha (land reclaimed on sea: 160ha) Nago has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation

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638-490: The eastern border of the Ginowan. Chatan, Okinawa Chatan ( 北谷町 , Chatan-chō , Okinawan : Chatan , Northern Ryukyuan : きたたん Kitatan ) is a town located in Nakagami District , Okinawa Prefecture , Japan . As of October 2016 the town had an estimated population of 28,578 and the density of 2,100 per km². The total area of Chatan is 13.62 square kilometres (5.26 sq mi). 53.5% of

667-597: The following municipalities in Okinawa Prefecture: Its tourist attractions include two castle ruins. Japanese officials found dozens of abandoned metal drums in October 2013 when they entered the base with US permission to look for buried cultural property, The officials did not report this to the Ginowan city's mayor until March 2014. "No unusual odor or color change in soil" was detected and no health problems have been actively "reported by residents living around

696-536: The land area of the town is covered by United States military bases . "Chatan" is an Okinawan name. In Japanese, the Han character for the city's name are normally read as Kitatani ( 北谷 ) . Also unfamiliar in Japanese is that the "-tan" syllable of "Chatan" is emphasized in Okinawan, although many non-Okinawans place emphasis on "cha-" instead. Chatan is located in the central part of Okinawa Island . The town sits on

725-408: The northern part of the island. The main beach, known as Nago beach, is located on highway 58 in 21st Century Park. The facilities have showers, washrooms, and vending machines, and sites can be rented for picnics or barbecues. There is a lifeguard on duty and a net in the water to prevent harmful sea creatures from entering the swimming area. A popular tourist destination is the Pineapple Park which

754-456: The ocean floor for cultivating seaweed and other edible plants. Nago also hosted the 26th G8 summit in 2000. Nago is the site of Camp Schwab , a United States Marine Corps base established in 1956. It has gained national attention in Japan due to the controversy surrounding the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan , as there have been proposals at various times to relocate

783-458: The ward once named Shimoseido. The town includes sixteen wards. Kitamae, Mihama, and Sunabe enjoy great popularity among locals and tourists alike - for their many recreational and shopping destinations. Kamiseido, Ihei, and Kuwae are primarily local business and residential wards. Much of the Hamby area is home to the "Hamby Free Zone". Though the name is misleading due to romanization errors , it

812-601: The western coast of the island on the East China Sea . The east of Chatan is hilly and made up of Okinawan limestone. The hills of the eastern part of the town give way to low-lying land towards the coast. Two rivers run through Chatan west into the East China Sea: the Shiruhi River to the north, and the Futenma River at the south. Chatan, prior to World War II, was a noted area of rice production in Okinawa. The area

841-500: Was known as Chatan taa-bukkwa, a term in the Okinawa language for a "large area of rice paddies". Much of the land formerly used for rice cultivation is now utilized by military bases. Chatan primarily runs along Route 58 and a largely man-made coastline which includes the area of what used to be the U.S. Marine Corps base of Camp Hamby (now Camp Foster ). The northern half of Kitamae is nicknamed "Hamby Town" in recognition of this, and

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