town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
located in
Shimajiri District
is a district located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Modern translation of Shimajiri means "Butt of the island" which may refer to its southerly position on the island of Okinawa. Compare this to Kunigami District, Okinawa.
However, there are ...
,
Okinawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city o ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The town consists of the islands of
Kume
is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa, Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The town consists of the islands of Kume Island, Kume, Ōjima, Ōhajima, Kume Torishima, Torishima, and Iōtorishima. Among ...
Iōtorishima
or Iwo Tori-shima, also called Okinawa Torishima (沖縄鳥島), is a Volcano, volcanic island part of the Ryukyu Islands, Ryūkyū Island chain with the only active volcano in Okinawa Prefecture.
Geography
Iotourishima is located 65 km ...
. Among the islands, only Kumejima and Ōjima are populated. Kumejima is located approximately west of
Naha
is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...
. The town can be accessed by the New Kumejima Ferry, Japan Transocean Air, or Ryukyu Air Commuter. Kumejima Airport serves the island. , the town had an estimated population of 7,647 and a population density of . The total area is .
Kume Island is often said to be one of the most beautiful of the
Okinawa Islands
The Okinawa Islands ( or ) are an island group in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan and are the principal island group of the prefecture. The Okinawa Islands are part of the larger Ryukyu Islands group and are located between the Amami Islands of Kagoshi ...
. It is well known for its textiles, called
Kumejima-tsumugi
is the Japanese craft of silk cloth practised in Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture. is the oldest type of in Japan, out of the approximately two hundred forms of , and is the oldest fabric. It is recognised as one of the Important Intangible Cult ...
which are designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property. The town is also known for its Kumesen Awamori (Okinawan sake) and deep sea water. Kumejima's main industries are
sugar cane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...
(sato-kibi), tourism, and deep seawater products.
History
Historically due to Kume's abundance of freshwater, rice was once extensively cultivated. In 1506, the
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...
invaded Kume under the leadership of
Shō Shin
was a king of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the third ruler the second Shō dynasty. Shō Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of Chūzan", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of Shō En, the founder of the dyn ...
. During Ryukyuan rule, Kume Island was often visited by Chinese envoys called "sapposhi" on their way to
Shuri Castle
was a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroye ...
on
Okinawa Island
is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. The island is approximately long, an average wide, and has an ...
. When the Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan, many noble families moved from Shuri to Kume.
In 1945, Japanese soldiers killed 20 inhabitants suspected of being close to the U.S. forces, including a baby and children.
Geography
An area of of land and sea is protected as the
Kumejima Prefectural Natural Park
is a Prefectural Natural Park in the islands of Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1983 and includes a designated marine zone of 57 km².
See also
* National Parks of Japan
* Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park
* Okin ...
and of wetland have been designated a
Ramsar Site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa'') bordering on a
tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...
(Köppen ''Af'') with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year; the wettest month is May and the driest month is July.
Education
Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education The Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education (沖縄県教育委員会) is the prefectural education agency of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan.
The board oversees municipal school districts in Okinawa and directly operates many high schools.
Schools di ...
operates .
Kumejima Town operates municipal elementary and junior high schools.
Junior high schools:
* Kumejima Nishi Junior High School ( 久米島西中学校)
* Kumi Junior High School ( 球美中学校)
Elementary schools:
* Hiyajiyo (比屋定小学校)
* Kumeshima (久米島小学校)
* Misaki (美崎小学校)
* Nakazato (仲里小学校)
* Otake (大岳小学校)
* Shimizu (清水小学校)
Culture
Uezu House
is a traditional Ryukyuan people, Ryūkyūan home in Kumejima, Okinawa, Japan. It was the personal home of the Anji (Ryukyu), Aji of Kume Island, built around 1750. There is a ¥300 entry fee.
References
Ryukyu Kingdom
Ryukyuan culture
...
is a traditional Ryukyuan Governor's house dating back hundreds of years. The walled grounds contain gardens, a main house, and outlying buildings. The house is a quiet and peaceful look back into the history of Okinawa.
In order to maintain and preserve the historic estate, there is a 300 yen entry fee for adults, payable at the house. If an attendant is not available, it is customary to leave the amount in a tray.
There are five castle sites on Kume Island that can be visited. The most prominent is Uegusuku Castle on Mount Uegusuku, which is the highest situated castle in Okinawa Prefecture. Gushikawa Castle is also designated a
National Treasure
The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...
.
Deep Seawater and OTEC
Since 2001, the Okinawa Prefecture Deep Seawater Research Institute has researched the uses of deep seawater on Kumejima, fostering the development of new aquaculture and production industries totaling $20 million in yearly revenue. Due to the deep seawater resource, Kumejima now has the largest market share of Sea Grapes and Kuruma Prawns in Japan.
In March 2013, Okinawa Prefecture completed the world's only fully operational
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) uses the ocean thermal gradient between cooler deep and warmer shallow or surface seawaters to run a heat engine and produce useful work, usually in the form of electricity. OTEC can operate with a very hi ...
Demonstration Facility. The facility is open to tours by appointment for free.