is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located on Okinoerabujima, in Ōshima District,

Kagoshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. As of October 2020, the town has an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 5,750 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 108 persons per km² (280 people/sq mi). The total area is 53.29 km² (20.6 sq mi).

Geography

China is located on the southern end of Okinoerabujima. The town's Yakomo Beach is about five minutes from the harbor by bus.

NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

describes it as one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Other natural seaside attractions include Ushishi Beach (ウシシ海岸) and Tamina Cape (田皆岬). Another tourist attraction in the town is the 3,500-meter (11483 ft; 2.2 mi) long Shōryū Caves (昇竜洞). They were discovered in 1963 and partially opened to the public that same year.

Climate

The climate is classified as

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfa'') with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, but is highest in the months of May, June and September. The area is subject to frequent typhoons.

Surrounding municipalities

* Wadomari

History

China Village was founded in 1888. As with all of Okinoerabujima, the village came under the administration of the United States from 1 July 1946 to 25 December 1953. It was promoted from village to town status in 1946.

Economy

Sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

, sweet potato, and peanut farming are popular.

Floriculture Floriculture (from ) is the study of the efficient production of the plants that produce showy, colorful flowers and foliage for human enjoyment in human environments. It is a commercially successful branch of horticulture and agriculture found ...

is also practiced. A total of 1,958

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

s (4,838 acres; 7.6 sq mi) of land are under cultivation in the town. However, due to the lack of local jobs, there has been an outflow of residents.

Transportation

China is located on Kagoshima Prefectural Route 84. The only airport serving the area, the Okinoerabu Airport, is about 80 minutes away in neighboring Wadomari. There also is a ferry to the prefectural capital

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

from China Port. It takes between 17 and 18 hours.

Education

Primary and junior high school education in China is controlled by the five members of the Education Committee, whose members serve four year terms. The town has five kindergartens, five primary schools, two middle schools, and one senior high school. The high school, , controlled by Kagoshima Prefecture, was formed in 1949 through the merger of China High School and Wadomari High School. It initially had separate campuses in China and Wadomari. There is also a municipal library.

Public facilities

There are two medical clinics, four dental clinics, and one hospital in the town. There are also two nursing homes. The Ōyama

Japan Self-Defense Forces The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense ...

base is located about 10 minutes from the center of town by bus, near the Ōyama Camping Grounds.

Culture

China has a distinctive form of

lion dance Lion dance ( zh, s=舞狮, t=舞獅, p=wǔshī, c=, first=t) is a form of traditional dance in Culture of China, Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a Asiatic lion, lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good l ...

, believed to have been transmitted from

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

in the 18th century. Another local traditional dance is the , consisting of a snake puppet suspended in mid-air from a frame and manipulated by strings. It is performed to a ''

taiko are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various J ...

'' drum and ''

sanshin The is a Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyuan musical instrument and precursor of the mainland Japanese (). Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings. Origins The sanshin is believed to have originated fro ...

'' (

n three-stringed banjo) accompaniment. Popular local dishes include the traditional ''tofu-misozuke'', prepared by drying

tofu or bean curd is a food prepared by Coagulation (milk), coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', and ''extra (or super) firm''. It originated in Chin ...

in the sun and then adding

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae''), and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spreads; p ...

. A more recent innovation adds

kimchi Kimchi (; ) is a traditional Korean side dish (''banchan'') consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...

to the dish.

Notes

External links

*
Official website
in Japanese {{Authority control Towns in Kagoshima Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan