Kumejima
久米島町
Town
Aerial view
Aerial view
Flag of Kumejima
Flag
Official seal of Kumejima
Emblem
Location of Kumejima in Okinawa Prefecture
Location of Kumejima in Okinawa Prefecture
Kumejima is located in Japan
Kumejima
Kumejima
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 26°20′27″N 126°48′18″E / 26.34083°N 126.80500°E / 26.34083; 126.80500
CountryJapan
RegionKyushu (Ryukyu)
PrefectureOkinawa Prefecture
DistrictShimajiri
Government
 • MayorHaruo Ota
Area
 • Total63.5 km2 (24.5 sq mi)
Population
 (October 2016)
 • Total7,647
 • Density120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
ClimateCfa
Websitewww.town.kumejima.okinawa.jp

Kumejima (久米島町, Kumejima-chō, Okinawan: Kumishima) is a town located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The town consists of the islands of Kume, Ōjima, Ōhajima, Torishima, and Iōtorishima. Among the islands, only Kumejima and Ōjima are populated. Kumejima is located approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Naha.[1] The town can be accessed by the New Kumejima Ferry, Japan Transocean Air, or Ryukyu Air Commuter. Kumejima Airport serves the island. As of 2016, the town had an estimated population of 7,647 and a population density of 120 inhabitants per square kilometre (310/sq mi).[2] The total area is 63.50 km2 (24.52 sq mi).

Kume Island is often said to be one of the most beautiful of the Okinawa Islands. It is well known for its textiles, called Kumejima-tsumugi which are designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property. The town is also known for its Kumesen Awamori (Okinawan sake) and deep sea water. Kumejima's main industries are sugar cane (sato-kibi), tourism, and deep seawater products.[1]

History

Historically due to Kume's abundance of freshwater, rice was once extensively cultivated. In 1506, the Ryukyu Kingdom invaded Kume under the leadership of Shō Shin.[3] During Ryukyuan rule, Kume Island was often visited by Chinese envoys called "sapposhi" on their way to Shuri Castle on Okinawa Island. When the Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan, many noble families moved from Shuri to Kume.

In 1945, Japanese soldiers killed 20 inhabitants suspected of being close to the U.S. forces, including a baby and children.[4]

Geography

An area of 119 km2 (46 sq mi) of land and sea is protected as the Kumejima Prefectural Natural Park and 255 ha (630 acres) of wetland have been designated a Ramsar Site.[5][6]

Numerous unique rock formations around the island can be viewed including Tatami Rocks, Bird Mouth Rock, Miifugaa, Garasaa Mountain, Tachijami, and the Yajiyagama Cave system.[7]

Climate

Kumejima has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) bordering on a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year; the wettest month is May and the driest month is July.

Climate data for Kumejima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1958−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.4
(81.3)		 27.0
(80.6)		 28.7
(83.7)		 30.2
(86.4)		 32.1
(89.8)		 33.7
(92.7)		 34.7
(94.5)		 35.3
(95.5)		 34.5
(94.1)		 32.7
(90.9)		 30.2
(86.4)		 29.4
(84.9)		 35.3
(95.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 19.5
(67.1)		 20.0
(68.0)		 21.8
(71.2)		 24.3
(75.7)		 27.0
(80.6)		 29.9
(85.8)		 32.0
(89.6)		 31.8
(89.2)		 30.5
(86.9)		 27.9
(82.2)		 24.9
(76.8)		 21.4
(70.5)		 25.9
(78.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17.0
(62.6)		 17.3
(63.1)		 19.0
(66.2)		 21.5
(70.7)		 24.2
(75.6)		 27.2
(81.0)		 29.0
(84.2)		 28.9
(84.0)		 27.7
(81.9)		 25.3
(77.5)		 22.4
(72.3)		 19.0
(66.2)		 23.2
(73.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 14.6
(58.3)		 14.8
(58.6)		 16.3
(61.3)		 19.0
(66.2)		 21.8
(71.2)		 25.1
(77.2)		 26.7
(80.1)		 26.5
(79.7)		 25.3
(77.5)		 23.2
(73.8)		 20.3
(68.5)		 16.6
(61.9)		 20.8
(69.5)
Record low °C (°F) 2.9
(37.2)		 4.0
(39.2)		 3.2
(37.8)		 6.8
(44.2)		 12.9
(55.2)		 16.4
(61.5)		 20.4
(68.7)		 19.8
(67.6)		 15.5
(59.9)		 11.6
(52.9)		 9.0
(48.2)		 5.4
(41.7)		 2.9
(37.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 138.3
(5.44)		 141.2
(5.56)		 195.5
(7.70)		 196.8
(7.75)		 260.3
(10.25)		 307.4
(12.10)		 154.4
(6.08)		 197.7
(7.78)		 235.6
(9.28)		 152.7
(6.01)		 129.6
(5.10)		 134.0
(5.28)		 2,243.5
(88.33)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 12.7 11.7 13.0 11.5 12.0 11.2 7.9 9.8 10.6 8.6 9.0 10.7 128.7
Average relative humidity (%) 68 70 73 76 80 84 80 80 78 73 70 68 75
Mean monthly sunshine hours 75.2 80.1 107.6 118.4 136.2 158.9 250.3 231.9 198.6 162.3 108.3 89.9 1,717.8
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[8][9]

Education

Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education operates Kumejima High School.[10]

Kumejima Town operates municipal elementary and junior high schools.

Junior high schools:[11]

Elementary schools:[11]

  • Hiyajiyo (比屋定小学校)
  • Kumeshima (久米島小学校)
  • Misaki (美崎小学校)
  • Nakazato (仲里小学校)
  • Otake (大岳小学校)
  • Shimizu (清水小学校)

Culture

Uezu House is a traditional Ryukyuan Governor's house dating back hundreds of years. The walled grounds contain gardens, a main house, and outlying buildings. The house is a quiet and peaceful look back into the history of Okinawa.[12]

In order to maintain and preserve the historic estate, there is a 300 yen entry fee for adults, payable at the house. If an attendant is not available, it is customary to leave the amount in a tray.

There are five castle sites on Kume Island that can be visited. The most prominent is Uegusuku Castle on Mount Uegusuku, which is the highest situated castle in Okinawa Prefecture. Gushikawa Castle is also designated a National Treasure.[13]

Deep Seawater and OTEC

Since 2001, the Okinawa Prefecture Deep Seawater Research Institute has researched the uses of deep seawater on Kumejima, fostering the development of new aquaculture and production industries totaling $20 million in yearly revenue. Due to the deep seawater resource, Kumejima now has the largest market share of Sea Grapes and Kuruma Prawns in Japan.[14]

In March 2013, Okinawa Prefecture completed the world's only fully operational Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Demonstration Facility. The facility is open to tours by appointment for free.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Kumejima". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  2. ↑ 久米島の人口・世帯数 [Populations and Households of Kumejima] (in Japanese). Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan: Town of Kumejima. 2012. Retrieved Jan 27, 2013.
  3. ↑ Smits, Gregory (2019). Maritime Ryukyu, 1050-1650. University of Hawaii Press. p. 24. ISBN 9780824884277.
  4. ↑ "Okinawa island unable to forget horror at hands of Japan troops：The Asahi Shimbun". Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  5. ↑ "Kumejima Prefectural Natural Park". Okinawa Prefecture. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Ramsar Sites in Japan - Streams in Kume-jima" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  7. ↑ "Natural Attractions". Retrieved 2014-09-10.
  8. ↑ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  9. ↑ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Home". Kumejima High School. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  11. 1 2 "町立小中学校・高等学校案内". Kumejima Town. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  12. ↑ "Uezu Historic House". Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Castles". Retrieved 2014-09-10.
  14. ↑ 久米島海洋深層水複合利用基本調査 [Kume Island Deep Seawater Multiple Use Basic Research] (PDF) (in Japanese). Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan: Kumejima Town. 2011. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
  15. ↑ "OTEC Okinawa". Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan: Okinawa Prefecture. 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
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