Nago

Nago 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 293 persons per km². Its total area is 210.30 km².

WWW Official Site

Geography

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 and Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture, but first on Okinawa Island. The city is bordered by the sea both on the west and the east. About 10% of the city area is occupied by U.S. military bases.

Administrative divisions

The city includes fifty-six wards.

Abu
Asahikawa
Awa
Bīmata
Burikena
Futami
Gabu
Gabusoka
Genka
Goga
Henoko
Inamine
Isagawa
Katsuyama
Kawakami
Kayō
Kise
Kogachi
Kōki
Kushi
Kyoda
Makiya
Mihara
Miyazato
Nago
* Agarie
* Gusuku
* Minato
* Ōhigashi
* Ōkita
* Ōminami
* Ōnaka
* Ōnishi
Nakao
Nakaoshi
Nakayama
Ōkawa
Ōura
Oyakawa
Sedake
Sukuta
Sumuide
Taira
Teima
Teniya
* Sokoniya
Toyohara
Uchihara
Umusa
Umusanomori
Untenbaru
Yabu
Yaga
Yamada
Yamanoha
Yofuke
Yohena

Main summits

Neighbouring municipalities

U.S. military bases in Nago

About 10% of the area of Nago is occupied by U.S. military bases.

U.S. military base	Area	Area in Nago
Camp Schwab	2062.6ha	2042.7ha
Henoko ammunition depot	121.4ha	121.4ha
Camp Hansen	4870.8ha	5.9ha
Yaedake Communication Site	3.7ha	2.5ha

U.S. military bases that have been returned to the city

Kushi Training Area 8.5ha

U.S. military bases under construction

New Henoko Base 205 ha

Climate

Nago has a humid subtropical climate with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year; the wettest month is August and the driest month is December.

History

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 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 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 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.

Tourism

Nago is a tourist town. The many beaches draw Okinawans, mainland Japanese, Americans and other tourists to 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 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 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 the cherry blossom festival every year in January.

Economy

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.

Education

Founded as a private university, the now public Meio University is located in Nago. The National Institute of Technology, Okinawa College is also located in Nago.
Prefectural high schools:

Okinawa Prefectural Nago Senior High School
Okinawa Prefectural Nago Commercial and Technical High School
Okinawa Prefectural Hokubu Agriculture and Forestry High School

Municipal junior high schools:

Nago Municipal Agarie Junior High School
Nago Municipal Hanezi Junior High School
Nago Municipal Kube Junior High School
Nago Municipal Nago Junior High School
Nago Municipal Oomiya Junior High School
Nago Municipal Yabu Junior High School
Nago Municipal Yagazi Junior High School

Private schools:

Enagic Sports High School - A private school
Okinawa Saniku Junior High School of Saniku Gakuin

Cultural Properties

Nago City hosts sixty-three designated or registered cultural properties and monuments, at the national, prefectural or municipal level.

Name

Cultural Properties">Cultural Property (Japan)">Cultural Properties

Awa Stone Bridge
Calligraphy by Tei Junsoku
Documents of Nakanoya in Gabusoka
Emaki painting "Genuine Views of the Ryūkyū Islands"
Former Kunigami Agricultural College Entrance
"Hope Sculpture" in Nago Elementary School
Kogachi ware ameyu -glazed funerary jar
Kogachi ware black glazed funerary jar
Kogachi ware black glazed funerary jar
Kogachi ware black glazed funerary jar
Kogachi ware kwadīsā-glazed funerary jar
Kogachi ware small unglazed water jar
Kogachi ware udun-shaped funerary urn
Kogachi ware udun-shaped funerary urn
Kogachi ware water basin
Kugō Residence in Yabu
Sanpu Ryūmyaku-hi stele
Tsuboya ware unglazed jar and lid with four handles
Tsukayama Distillery
Uēki Residence in Genka

Folk Cultural Properties">Cultural Property (Japan)#Folk Cultural Properties">Folk Cultural Properties

Dolphin hunting and fishing tools
Gabu funerary implements
Gabusoka raised storehouse
Janagusuku raised storehouse
Kan'nondō Shrine in Kushi
Kubo-no-Utaki Sacred Site in Awa
Survey stones at Nago Museum
Ukkā-nu-Bijuru Sacred Site in Teniya

Historic Sites">Monuments of Japan#Designated monuments of Japan"> Historic Sites

Bansachi Beacon Site in Teniya
Haneji River Improvement Works Memorial
Kogachi ware Kiln Site
Kushi Magiri Banjo Guards House spring
Salterns Site of Gabu
Survey stone of Kōchi Matakauchibaru ウ
Survey stone of Kōchi Matakauchibaru ぬ
Survey stone of Kogachi Uchiharabaru
Survey stone of Sedake Sentachibaru
Temiji spring in Kyoda
Urandā-baka
Yagaji Untenbaru Sabaya Shell Mound

Places of scenic beauty">Monuments of Japan#Designated monuments of Japan">Places of scenic beauty

Bansachi Beacon Site in Teniya
Todoroki Falls
Tsukayama Distillery Gardens

Natural Monuments">Monuments of Japan#Designated monuments of Japan">Natural Monuments

Banyan tree of Abu Uganju praying site
Camellia trees Camellia japonica L. in the garden of the Ashagi Sacred Site of Nakaoji
Chinaberry tree of Sekita Elementary School
Deigo tree of Yabu Elementary School Erythrina variegata
Ginkgo tree of Ōura
Kayō folds
Mangrove forest of Ōura
Miyazato Mee-nu-utaki lantern-tree forest Hernandia nymphaeaefolia Kubizki
Mount Katsuu, Mount Awa, and Mount Yae Nature Reserve
Nago Guards House Site’s fukugi trees Garcinia subelliptica
Nago’s "Hinpun Gajumaru" banyan tree Ficus macrocarpa
Okami-matsu sacred pine tree of Sokoniya
Okinawan oak tree of Ōshittai Quercus miyagii
Powder-puff tree of Makiya Barringtonia racemosa
Saion Pine of Kawakami
Sea almond tree lane of Yaga
Sea fig tree of Sumuide Ficus superba
Sea fig tree of Yagaji Elementary School Ficus superba
Sea mango tree of Agarie Cerbera manghas
Ubame oak tree of Kyoda ''Quercus phillyraeoides''