Zamami, Okinawa
Encyclopedia
is a village
located in Shimajiri District
, Okinawa
, Japan
. It includes the islands of , , , and . Zamami village has a population of 955 (as of March 1, 2010) and a population density of 36.32 persons per km². The total area is 16.74 km².
Zamami's economy is based almost entirely on tourism. The main activities on Zamami are scuba-diving, snorkeling and sea kayaking. Furuzamami beach is popular for its crystal clear waters teeming with coral and fish. Many people flock to the island in winter and early spring for the chance to see humpback whale
s. There are many locally operated sightseeing boats for this purpose, as well as observation gazebos located around the island. There are smaller, uninhabited islands nearby which are accessible by boat from Zamami's harbour. Visitors to Zamami often enjoy renting and riding motor scooters around the island's narrow, winding and picturesque mountain roads. Zamami is considered to have some of the most beautiful scenery in Okinawa prefecture.
Zamami was used as a port for trade with China
during the fourteenth century. The island was among the first sovereign Japanese lands containing civilian inhabitants to be invaded by America during World War II
. It was taken on March 26, 1945 along with other islands in the Kerama archipelago
. Before and during the invasion, citizens of Zamami were ordered by the Japanese military to commit suicide using hand grenades. Controversy surrounding this issue continues to this day. The American military used the Kerama islands as a base to launch their invasion of the main Okinawan island on April 1, 1945.
Zamami can be reached by ferry from Naha's
Tomari Wharf. The standard Zamami ferry takes two hours, while the high speed passenger ferry, Queen Zamami III, takes 50 minutes to reach the islands from Naha. The Zamami ferry makes a brief stop at the island of Akajima, before completing the journey to Zamami. The Queen Zamami's schedule changes between its first and second trip of the day. The schedule, in English can be found here.
Zamami was the setting for the manga IO (manga).
An English website, Zamami English Guide, was built by the local English teacher in 2010.
Villages of Japan
A is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....
located in Shimajiri District
Shimajiri District, Okinawa
is a district located in Okinawa, Japan. Roughly translated, Shimajiri means "Butt of the island" which refers to its southerly position on the island of Okinawa. Compare this to Kunigami District, Okinawa....
, Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It includes the islands of , , , and . Zamami village has a population of 955 (as of March 1, 2010) and a population density of 36.32 persons per km². The total area is 16.74 km².
Zamami's economy is based almost entirely on tourism. The main activities on Zamami are scuba-diving, snorkeling and sea kayaking. Furuzamami beach is popular for its crystal clear waters teeming with coral and fish. Many people flock to the island in winter and early spring for the chance to see humpback whale
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
s. There are many locally operated sightseeing boats for this purpose, as well as observation gazebos located around the island. There are smaller, uninhabited islands nearby which are accessible by boat from Zamami's harbour. Visitors to Zamami often enjoy renting and riding motor scooters around the island's narrow, winding and picturesque mountain roads. Zamami is considered to have some of the most beautiful scenery in Okinawa prefecture.
Zamami was used as a port for trade with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
during the fourteenth century. The island was among the first sovereign Japanese lands containing civilian inhabitants to be invaded by America during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was taken on March 26, 1945 along with other islands in the Kerama archipelago
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
. Before and during the invasion, citizens of Zamami were ordered by the Japanese military to commit suicide using hand grenades. Controversy surrounding this issue continues to this day. The American military used the Kerama islands as a base to launch their invasion of the main Okinawan island on April 1, 1945.
Zamami can be reached by ferry from Naha's
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
Tomari Wharf. The standard Zamami ferry takes two hours, while the high speed passenger ferry, Queen Zamami III, takes 50 minutes to reach the islands from Naha. The Zamami ferry makes a brief stop at the island of Akajima, before completing the journey to Zamami. The Queen Zamami's schedule changes between its first and second trip of the day. The schedule, in English can be found here.
Zamami was the setting for the manga IO (manga).
An English website, Zamami English Guide, was built by the local English teacher in 2010.