Yaese, Okinawa

Yaese 八重瀬町
Town
Yaese Town Office
Flag Seal
Location of Yaese in Okinawa Prefecture
Yaese Location in Japan
Coordinates: 26°9′29″N 127°43′7″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Okinawa Prefecture
District	Shimajiri
Area
• Total	26.96 km^2 (10.41 sq mi)
Population  (April 30, 2024)
• Total	32,976
• Density	1,200/km^2 (3,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	659 Gushikami, Yaese-chō, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa-ken 901-0592
Website	www.town.yaese.okinawa.jp
Symbols
Fish	Flying fish
Flower	Marigold
Tree	Ebony

Yaese (八重瀬町, Yaese-chō Eeji mura) is a town located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Yaese was formed on January 1, 2006 by a merger between the town of Kochinda and the village of Gushikami.^[1]

As of April 30, 2024, Yaese has a population of 32,976;^[2] with a population density of 1,200 persons per km². The total area of the town of Yaese is 26.96 square kilometres (10.41 sq mi).

Yaese Town is host to the Tomori Shīsā, considered as the oldest stone shīsā conserved.^[3] It is designated as Cultural Property by Okinawa Prefecture.

Geography

The highest point of the town, Mount Yaese (163 m), is located in its centre. Lower hills develop around it. There are four second category rivers in the town: Nagadō-gawa River, Noha-gawa River, Yūhi-gawa River and Mukue-gawa River.^[4]

Administrative divisions

The town includes twenty-three wards.^[5]

Gushichan (具志頭)

• Aragusuku (新城)
• Asato (安里)
• Gushichan (具志頭)
• Hanashiro (玻名城)
• Koshihara (後原)
• Minatogawa (港川)
• Nagamō (長毛)
• Nakaza (仲座)
• Ōton (大頓)
• Yoza (与座)

Kochinda (東風平)

• Gishi (宜次)
• Hokama (外間)
• Iha (伊覇)
• Kochinda (東風平)
• Kogusuku (小城)
• Shitahaku (志多伯)
• Takara (高良)
• Tōme (当銘)
• Tomori (富盛)
• Tomoyose (友寄)
• Uetabaru (上田原)
• Yagibaru (屋宜原)
• Yonagusuku/Yonashiro (世名城)

Neighbouring municipalities

• Haebaru
• Itoman
• Nanjō
• Tomigusuku

Notable people from Yaese

• Hitoe Arakaki, singer

Cultural and natural assets

Yaese Town lists twenty-six tangible cultural properties and monuments, including eleven ones designated or registered at the national, prefectural or municipal level.^[6][7][8][9]

• Name (Japanese) (Type of registration)

Cultural Properties

• Aragusuku Gusuku (新城グスク)
• Gushichan Gusuku (具志頭グスク)
• Gushichan Uiigusuku (具志頭上グスク)
• Jiri Gusuku (勢理グスク)
• Kabira Shelter Site (カラビ壕遺跡)
• Kaniman Utaki Site (カニマン御嶽遺跡)
• Māga-nu-tun Site (マーガヌ殿遺跡)
• Midori Gusuku (ミドリグスク)
• Minatogawa Ancient Human Bones Site (港川古代人骨遺跡)
• Minatogawa Site (港川遺跡)
• Tatana Gusuku (多々名グスク)
• Temigura Gusuku (テミグラグスク)
• Yaese Gusuku (八重瀬グスク)
• Yagi Family Residence (main house, stone wall, hinpun wall, asagi dependence and well) (屋宜家住宅 主屋、石垣、ヒンプン、アサギ、井戸) (National)
• Yonagusuku Gusuku (世名城グスク)
• Yoza-nu-tun Site (与座ヌ殿遺跡)

Folk Cultural Properties

• Funerary equipment of Tōme and Kogusuku (当銘・小城の共有龕及び付属葬具一式) (Prefectural)
• Large stone lion of Tomori (富盛の石彫大獅子) (Prefectural)

Places of scenic beauty

• Hanandā (natural stone bridge) (National)

Natural Monuments

• Banyan tree of Tōna (当名のガジュマル) (Municipal)
• Banyan tree of Yonagusuku (世名城のガジュマル) (Municipal)
• Fukugi tree lane of Gushichan (具志頭のフクギ並木) (National)

References

1. "東風平町・具志頭村 合併協議会ホームページ". Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
3. 荒木, 正純 (2007). 知っておきたい天使・聖獣と悪魔・魔獣 (in Japanese). 西東社. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-4-7916-1489-9.
4. [1]八重瀬町景観計画
5. "沖縄県 島尻郡八重瀬町の郵便番号 - 日本郵便". www.post.japanpost.jp. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
6. [2]八重瀬町の文化財
7. "地域から見る 文化遺産オンライン". bunka.nii.ac.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
8. "表１－６　沖縄島における文化財の状況（３５）＜南風原町＞（３６）＜東風平町＞". www.pref.okinawa.jp. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
9. "表１－６　沖縄島における文化財の状況（４１）＜具志頭村＞". www.pref.okinawa.jp. Retrieved 2024-10-16.

External links

• Media related to Yaese, Okinawa at Wikimedia Commons
• Geographic data related to Yaese, Okinawa at OpenStreetMap
• Town of Yaese