Kunigami 国頭村 Kunzan (Kunigami), Kunjan (Okinawan) | |
|---|---|
| Kunigami Village | |
 View ofCape Hedo | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Kunigami inOkinawa Prefecture | |
  Kunigami | |
| Coordinates:26°44′45″N128°10′41″E / 26.74583°N 128.17806°E /26.74583; 128.17806 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Okinawa Prefecture |
| Established | 1 April 1908 |
| Area | |
• Total | 194.80 km2 (75.21 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 4,908 |
| • Density | 25/km2 (60/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| – Tree | Castanopsis sieboldii |
| – Flowering tree | Schima wallichii |
| – Flower | Rhododendron tashiroi |
| – Bird | Okinawa rail |
| – Fish | Green humphead parrotfish |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | www |
Kunigami (国頭村,Kunigami-son,Kunigami:Kunzan,Okinawan:Kunjan,Northern Ryukyuan:くにがみKunigami) is avillage inKunigami District,Okinawa Prefecture,Japan. It occupies the north tip ofOkinawa Island, with theEast China Sea to the west,Pacific Ocean to the east, andvillages ofHigashi andŌgimi to the south.[1]
As of 2015, the village has apopulation of 4,908 and apopulation density of 25.20 persons per km2. The total area is 194.80 km2.
According toChūzan Seikan, thegoddessAmamikyu consecrated the firstutaki in Asa Forest at Hedo, in what is now Kunigami; the forest is also mentioned inOmoro Sōshi.[1] Ceramics from theJōmon-period Uzahama Site (宇佐浜遺跡) resemble those found in theAmami Islands.[2]Chūzan Seikan records the prayers of the Kunigami council for the recovery ofShō Sei after an abortive attempt to occupyAmami Ōshima in 1537, whileKyūyō recounts the appointment of the son of the Kunigami Oyakata asaji after the successful takeover of the Amami Islands byShō Gen in 1571.[1]
Kunigami District was established in 1896 and, upon the abolition ofKunigami magiri, Kunigami Village was founded in 1908. During theBattle of Okinawa, the area saw an influx of refugees fleeing the heavy fighting in the south. In September 1945, theoccupying government merged the three villages of Kunigami,Higashi, andŌgimi into the new city of Hentona (辺土名市); the merger was reversed the following year.[1]
Kunigami is mountainous, with over 80% of the land area covered bysubtropical evergreen forest.Endemic species include theOkinawa woodpecker andOkinawa rail.[3]
The village includes twenty-one wards.[4]
| Climate data for Kunigami (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.9 (78.6) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 31.0 (87.8) | 33.2 (91.8) | 34.2 (93.6) | 33.8 (92.8) | 33.6 (92.5) | 32.1 (89.8) | 28.4 (83.1) | 26.6 (79.9) | 34.2 (93.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.9 (64.2) | 19.8 (67.6) | 22.3 (72.1) | 25.1 (77.2) | 28.3 (82.9) | 30.5 (86.9) | 30.1 (86.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 24.0 (75.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 14.7 (58.5) | 14.9 (58.8) | 16.5 (61.7) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.8 (71.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.7 (80.1) | 25.6 (78.1) | 23.1 (73.6) | 20.1 (68.2) | 16.5 (61.7) | 20.9 (69.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.7 (54.9) | 12.7 (54.9) | 14.1 (57.4) | 16.5 (61.7) | 19.5 (67.1) | 22.9 (73.2) | 24.7 (76.5) | 24.7 (76.5) | 23.6 (74.5) | 21.3 (70.3) | 18.2 (64.8) | 14.6 (58.3) | 18.8 (65.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) | 4.8 (40.6) | 5.2 (41.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.7 (60.3) | 19.8 (67.6) | 20.3 (68.5) | 17.7 (63.9) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.1 (52.0) | 7.2 (45.0) | 3.1 (37.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 143.9 (5.67) | 159.7 (6.29) | 194.6 (7.66) | 199.4 (7.85) | 281.8 (11.09) | 342.8 (13.50) | 199.6 (7.86) | 230.3 (9.07) | 271.5 (10.69) | 225.9 (8.89) | 189.5 (7.46) | 155.2 (6.11) | 2,594.1 (102.13) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.4 | 12.9 | 13.6 | 12.6 | 13.8 | 14.9 | 10.1 | 12.9 | 13.7 | 11.8 | 10.8 | 12.5 | 153 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 77.6 | 82.8 | 113.0 | 126.9 | 145.0 | 170.7 | 245.1 | 218.6 | 167.5 | 130.2 | 94.0 | 79.8 | 1,651.1 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency[5][6] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 11,525 | — |
| 1925 | 10,112 | −12.3% |
| 1930 | 10,417 | +3.0% |
| 1935 | 10,460 | +0.4% |
| 1940 | 9,969 | −4.7% |
| 1950 | 12,000 | +20.4% |
| 1955 | 11,267 | −6.1% |
| 1960 | 10,653 | −5.4% |
| 1965 | 9,192 | −13.7% |
| 1970 | 7,324 | −20.3% |
| 1975 | 6,568 | −10.3% |
| 1980 | 6,873 | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 6,510 | −5.3% |
| 1990 | 6,114 | −6.1% |
| 1995 | 6,015 | −1.6% |
| 2000 | 5,825 | −3.2% |
| 2005 | 5,546 | −4.8% |
| 2010 | 5,118 | −7.7% |
| 2015 | 4,908 | −4.1% |
| Source:Statistics Bureau[1] | ||
There is one municipal junior high school, Kunigami Junior High School (国頭中学校).[7]
Kunigami has the following municipal elementary schools:[7]
The following municipal elementary schools are permanently closed:[7]
There is one municipal kindergarten, Kunigami Nursery School (くにがみこども園).[7]
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