is a

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 Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016, the town has an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 13,441 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...

of 250 persons per km². The total area is . Several islands can be accessed from Motobu, namely the small islands of Sesoko (by bridge) and Minna-jima (by ferry). Both islands are incorporated as part of the Town of Motobu. Ferry service also runs from Motobu Port to Ie-jima. Motobu is served by three large supermarkets and eight individual schools from elementary to high school levels. Like many towns in Okinawa, Motobu is composed of what were formerly several smaller and independent villages. In addition to Motobu proper other included districts are Sesoko, Kamimotobu, Sakimotobu and Izumi. The well-known

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium The , formerly known as the Okinawa Ocean Expo Aquarium, is located within the Ocean Expo Park in Okinawa, Japan. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), and was the largest aquarium in the world until it was sur ...

is located in Motobu. Other notable sites include the remains of

Nakijin Castle is a Ryukyuan '' gusuku'' located in Nakijin, Okinawa. It is currently in ruins. In the late 14th century, the island of Okinawa consisted of three principalities: Nanzan to the south, Chūzan in the central area, and Hokuzan in the north. Na ...

, as well as several cafes.

Geography

The town of Motobu sits on the northern part of Okinawa Island. The town occupies the eastern part of the

Motobu Peninsula The is a peninsula in the Yanbaru region of Okinawa Island. It is surrounded by Nago Bay to the east, the Haneda Inland Sea to the north, and the East China Sea to the west.Okinawa Island Guide " Nago City / Motobu Town / Nakijin VillageOkina ...

as well as two islands: Minnajima and Sesokojima. Motobu is bordered by

Nago ''Nagu'', Kunigami: ''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 a population density of 288 persons per km2. Its tota ...

to the south, Nakijin to the east, and by the East China Sea to the west. The Minna River () runs from the center of the Motobu Peninsula through the town and empties into the East China Sea at the small Toguchi Bay. Coral around the entrance of the bay was removed to create a natural shipping channel into the bay, and the town center is concentrated in this area. There are beaches with white sand and clear water such as Minnajima Beach.

Parks

The Omoro Botanical Garden and Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum are located in the northern portion of this town.

History

Motobu

magiri The administrative divisions of the Ryukyu Kingdom were a hierarchy composed of districts, ''magiri'', cities, villages, and islands established by the Ryukyu Kingdom throughout the Ryukyu Islands. Divisions There were three or ''hō'': , , and ...

covered the area of the present-day town. The ''magiri'', a type of regional administrative district, were abolished under Imperial Edict 46 in 1907, and the Town of Motobu was incorporated in 1908.

Ocean Expo 1975

In 1975, the World Exposition was held in Motobu, with a focus on the world's oceans. After the expo concluded, Ocean Expo Park was built on the site. Ocean Expo Park is the site of the

as well as other exhibits highlighting the Okinawa Island and its culture.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

The

is located within the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park. The aquarium consists of four floors, with tanks containing deep sea creatures, sharks, coral and tropical fish. The aquarium sits on of land, with a total of 77 tanks containing of water. The main tank, called the Kuroshio Sea, holds of water and features an

acrylic glass Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite ...

panel measuring with a thickness of . The aquarium was the world's largest until the construction of the

Georgia Aquarium Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It exhibits hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, all of which reside in more than of water. It was the largest aquarium in the wo ...

in the city of

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. The aquarium additionally holds 80 species of

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...

. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is one of only a few aquariums that keeps and attempts to breed whale sharks in captivity.

Education

Motobu High School is a town located in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016, the town has an estimated population of 13,441 and a density of 250 persons per km2. The total area is . Several islands can be accessed from Motobu, namely ...

, a public high school operated by the

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 dir ...

, serves the area. * Located on Sesoko Island is another high school for the severely disabled Motobu's public elementary and junior high schools are run under the guidance of the Motobu Board of Education located in Ohama Town, central Motobu. The Board also serves as a meeting place, art exhibit, English class, and a venue for other various town events. Public elementary and junior high schools are: * Motobu Junior High School (本部中学校), located in Ohama Town, central Motobu * Motobu Elementary School (本部小学校), located in Ohama Town, central Motobu * Kamimotobu Gakuen (上本部学園) - Kamimotobu Junior High School (上本部中学校) and Kamimotobu Elementary School (上本部小学校) - located in Yamagawa Town near the Churaumi Aquarium * Minna Elementary and Junior High School (水納小中学校) - On Minna-Jimma serving the residing 5 students of the island, in view of Toguchi port. 25 minute ferry * Sesoko Elementary School (瀬底小学校) - located on Sesoko Island * Izumi Elementary and Junior High School (伊豆味小中学校) - located near Nakijin Town Former schools: * Sakimotobu Elementary School (崎本部小学校), located on the outskirts of Ohama Town * Sesoko Elementary School was formerly Sesoko Elementary and Junior High School (瀬底小中学校) Private schools: * Yashima Gakuen University International High School, a private school, is located in Motobu.

Transportation

Motobu is located between the towns of Nakajin and Nago and can be reached by either route 449 or 84.

Port

There are plans to expand the pier in Motobu, and deepen the port. As ships of only up to 20,000 tons can dock at the port, only two cruise ships visited in 2014 and one in 2015. The expansion of the pier would allow larger cruise ships, especially carrying Chinese tourists, to dock. Berths at Naha port are limited and docking requests have been rejected for this reason.Extended pier to draw cruise ships to northern Okinawa May 17, 2016
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References

{{Authority control Towns in Okinawa Prefecture