Urasoe, Okinawa


Urasoe is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east. As of February 2024, the city has an estimated population of 115,518 and a population density of 6,051.2 persons per km2. The total area is 19.09 km2.
United States Marine Corps base Camp Kinser is located on the city's coast.

Etymology

The name "Urasoe" is made up of two kanji characters. The first,, means "a coastal area", and the second,, means "ruling" or "uniting". The name is a reference to "ruling over many areas".
However, what appears to be an older form of this word is attested in Old Okinawan under the forms *uraosoi うらおそい and *uraosoe うらおそへ.

Geography

Urasoe sits to the south of Okinawa Island. Urasoe is rugged and hilly to the east, and the city slopes gently to the East China Sea in the west. Urasoe, while formerly agricultural, has become heavily urbanized due to its proximity to the prefectural capital of Naha.

Administrative divisions

The city includes twenty wards.
  • Ahacha
  • Gusukuma
  • Inanse
  • Irijima
  • Iso
  • Jicchaku
  • Kowan
  • Kyōzuka
  • Maeda
  • Makiminato
  • Minatogawa
  • Miyagi
  • Nakama
  • Nakanishi
  • Nishihara
  • Ōhira
  • Takushi
  • Tōyama
  • Uchima
  • Yafuso

    Neighboring municipalities

  • Ginowan
  • Naha
  • Nishihara

    Transportation

The city is served by Naha Airport and the Okinawa Expressway. Also it has three stations of Okinawa Urban Monorail : Kyozuka, Urasoe-Maeda and Tedako-Uranishi.

History

Urasoe was the original capital of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan for several centuries until it was supplanted by Shuri in the late 14th or early 15th century. Shunten, the first known king of the Chuzan Kingdom, located in the central region of the island of Okinawa, ruled from Urasoe, as did his son and grandson. For much of the 14th century, Urasoe Castle was the largest on the island of Okinawa. The castle now contains the remains of several kings of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Urasoe was completely razed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 at the end of World War II. 45% of the population, 4,117 residents, died during the battle. The village office of Urasoe was re-established in 1946 to conduct basic administrative functions, settle refugees returning to the village, and restore agricultural land. The village saw a significant increase in U.S. military presence in 1950 in the western coast of the village, which eventually became Camp Kinser. The population of Urasoe grew rapidly from 1956, and the city became a bedroom community of Naha in this period. Urasoe was elevated to city status on July 1, 1970.

Economy

The beer company Orion Breweries has its headquarters in Urasoe.

Diplomatic missions

The U.S. Consulate General for Naha is in Urasoe.

Education

Urasoe city operates public elementary schools and junior high schools, while the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education operates public high schools.
Prefectural high schools:
Municipal junior high schools include:
  • Kamimori Junior High School
  • Minatogawa Junior High School
  • Nakanishi Junior High School
  • Uranishi Junior High School
  • Urasoe Junior High School
Municipal elementary schools include:
  • Kamimori Elementary School
  • Maeda Elementary School
  • Makiminato Elementary School
  • Miyagi Elementary School
  • Nakanishi Elementary School
  • Takushi Elementary School
  • Toyama Elementary School
  • Uchima Elementary School
  • Urashiro Elementary School
  • Urasoe Elementary School
Private schools:
The Department of Defense Education Activity of the United States federal government operates Kinser Elementary School at Camp Kinser.

Notable residents

Urasoe is the hometown of Japanese actress, musician and former idol Yukie Nakama.

Cultural and natural assets

Urasoe City hosts seventy-two designated or registered tangible cultural properties and monuments, at the national, prefectural or municipal level, including forty-four items of Ryūkyū lacquerware.
  • Name

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

  • Black lacquer agarwood box with hishi leaves and shippōtsunagi pattern, raden technique
  • Black lacquer box with aoimon patterns and chrysanthemums, raden technique
  • Black lacquer box with figures on horseback, raden technique
  • Black lacquer box with grapes and squirrels, raden technique with gold leaf
  • Black lacquer box with kisshōmon patterns, raden technique with gold leaf
  • Black lacquer central table with landscape with pavilions, raden technique
  • Black lacquer cupboard with shelves with pavilions and human figures, raden technique
  • Black lacquer flower-shaped tray with landscape with human figures, raden technique
  • Black lacquer food container with peacocks, peonies and karakusa scrolls, chinkin technique
  • Black lacquer large tray with clouds and dragons, raden technique
  • Black lacquer long writing box with clouds, dragons and phoenixes, raden technique
  • Black lacquer octagonal food container with algae, fishes and plovers, raden technique
  • Black lacquer octagonal food container with grapes and squirrels, gold leaf
  • Black lacquer octagonal food container with landscape with human figures, raden technique
  • Black lacquer octagonal food container with pavilions and human figures, raden technique
  • Black lacquer octagonal food container with the "twenty-four paragons of filial piety" and karakusa scrolls, raden and chinkin techniques
  • Black lacquer plaque with Sima Guang Family Precepts, raden technique
  • Black lacquer pumpkin-shaped tobacco container with landscape with human figures, raden technique
  • Black lacquer screen with landscape with human figures, raden technique
  • Black lacquer table with peonies and karakusa scrolls, raden technique
  • Black lacquer three-level incense container with kirin mythical animal, grapes and squirrels, raden technique
  • Black lacquer tray with clouds and dragon, raden technique
  • Black lacquer tray with flowers and birds, raden technique with gold leaf and mitsudae painting
  • Black lacquer tundābun serving tray with paulownias and phoenixes, raden technique
  • Black lacquer writing paper box with grapes and squirrels, raden technique with gold leaf
  • Byakudannuri lacquer tākū hot water pail with landscape with pavilions, gold leaf technique
  • "Eight Views of Ryūkyū", ukiyo-e prints by Hokusai
  • "Flowers and birds", painting
  • Genealogic records of the Shō Clan
  • Green lacquer round chest with phoenixes, clouds and checkered lattice, chinkin technique
  • Green lacquer serving tray with peonies, karakusa scrolls and stone pavement, chinkin technique
  • Iso-no-takaufaka Tomb
  • Proof prints for "Eight Views of Ryūkyū"
  • Red and black lacquer table with clouds and dragon, raden and chinkin techniques
  • Red lacquer desk with birds and flowers, raden technique with gold leaf and mitsudae painting
  • Red lacquer hexagonal tray with plum and moon, raden technique
  • Red lacquer ryōka flower-shaped food container with pavilions and human figures, gold leaf technique
  • Red lacquer screen with bamboo, tiger and connected pearls, chinkin and raden technique
  • Red lacquer serving tray with flowers and birds, chinkin technique
  • Red lacquer square tray with Kanzan and Jittoku story depiction, raden technique
  • Red lacquer table with peonies and a long-tailed bird, raden technique
  • Red lacquer tray on pedestal with landscape with human figures, chinkin technique
  • Red lacquer tray on pedestal with peonies, tomoe and shippōtsunagi patterns, chinkin technique
  • Red lacquer tray with flowers and birds, mitsudae painting
  • Red lacquer tundābun serving tray with landscape and human figures, gold leaf technique
  • "Ryūkyū Trading Port", painting
  • "Ryūkyū Trading Port", painting on byōbu screen
  • Stone zushi of Urasoe Yōdore mausoleum
  • Uruminuri lacquer inkstone box with grapes and squirrels, raden technique with gold leaf
  • Uruminuri lacquer round food container with flowers and birds, gold leaf and mitsudae painting
  • Uruminuri lacquer ryōka flower-shaped food container with boats and vegetation, gold leaf technique
  • White square tray with landscape with pavilions and human figures, mitsudae painting and gold leaf

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

  • Ahacha Fījā spring
  • Chijifuchā Cave Site
  • Iso Castle Site
  • Kyozuka Stele
  • Machinato Terabugama Cave
  • Nakagami West Coast Road and Futenma Shrine approach
  • Nakama Praying Sites: Jitū Hi-nu-kan Fire God Altar
  • Nakama Praying Sites: Kubasā-nu-utaki Sacred Site
  • Nakama Praying Sites: Nakama Fījā spring
  • Nakama Praying Sites: Nakamantira Praying Site
  • Nishibaru Agari-gā spring
  • Nishibaru Sentaku-gā spring
  • Takushi Iri-nu-kā spring
  • Urasoe Castle Site
  • Urasoe Shell Mound
  • Urasoe Udun Tomb
  • Tamagusuku Chōkun's Tomb

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

  • Amamiku-nu-mui

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

  • Banyan tree of Yafuso Uganju Praying Site
  • Large bishop wood tree of Uchima