Uruma
Uruma (うるま市, Uruma-shi) is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, encompassing the central-eastern coast of Okinawa Island, the Katsuren Peninsula, and the Yokatsu Islands chain.[1] Established on April 1, 2005, through the merger of Gushikawa City, Ishikawa City, Katsuren Town, and Yonashiro Town, the municipality spans 87.02 square kilometers and recorded a population of 125,303 in the 2020 census.[2][3] The city's landscape features subtropical beaches, coral reefs, and Ryukyuan heritage sites, including the UNESCO-listed Katsuren Castle ruins, a gusuku fortress exemplifying medieval Okinawan architecture and defense systems.[4] Uruma also hosts U.S. military facilities under the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance, notably Camp Courtney, which serves as a key command center for the III Marine Expeditionary Force and contributes substantially to the local economy through employment and infrastructure, though it has been associated with periodic safety incidents and base-related disputes.[5] Notable among historical events is the 1959 crash of a U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabre jet near a school in what is now Uruma, resulting in 17 deaths and underscoring early post-war frictions over military operations in densely populated areas.[2] Today, Uruma balances tourism-driven growth, with attractions like Ikei Beach and Hama Higa Island Bridge, alongside industrial development and agricultural production of pineapples and sugarcane, reflecting its role in Okinawa's broader post-reversion economic diversification.[4]Etymology
Name Origin
The name Uruma (宇流麻) originates from the Okinawan language, where it denotes an "island of coral reefs" or a coral-formed island, alluding to the geological composition of Okinawa Island, which features extensive coral reef systems. This term historically functioned as a poetic designation for the island, with its earliest recorded appearance in the Senzai wakashū, an imperial Japanese poetry anthology compiled in 1188.[6][7] When the modern city of Uruma was established on April 1, 2005, through the consolidation of the towns of Ishikawa and Gushikawa with the villages of Katsuren and Win, officials adopted this traditional name to evoke the region's natural coral landscapes along the eastern coast of central Okinawa.[8] The city's official materials emphasize this coral-related interpretation, aligning with linguistic evidence from Okinawan dialects, such as the Uruma variant where ulma similarly means "coral island."[9] A secondary folk etymology, also embraced by municipal promotions, parses uruma as combining uru ("fine" or "beautiful") and ma ("place" or "island"), though this lacks direct support in historical linguistics and appears derived from interpretive segmentation rather than primary dialectal roots.[10]History
Prehistoric and Ryukyu Kingdom Era
Archaeological evidence indicates human presence in the Uruma region dating back approximately 9,000 to 10,000 years, with bone fragments unearthed in local excavations confirming early Paleolithic activity.[11] The area later featured settlements during the Shellmidden Period, around 2,000 to 2,500 years ago, exemplified by the Nakabaru Site on Ikei Island, which preserves traces of a village including pottery, tools, and marine refuse indicative of a coastal foraging economy reliant on shellfish and fishing.[12][13] During the Gusuku Period (12th to 15th centuries), the Uruma area saw the construction of fortified stone castles known as gusuku, which served as administrative centers for local lords (aji) and facilitated maritime trade networks across East Asia. Katsuren Castle, perched on a limestone hill overlooking Nakagusuku and Kin Bays, emerged as a prominent gusuku by the 13th century, strategically positioned to control sea routes and defend against rivals.[14][15] In the 15th century, under the Ryukyu Kingdom (established 1429), Katsuren Castle became the residence of Aji Amawari, a local ruler who expanded his influence through aggressive diplomacy and commerce with China, Southeast Asia, and beyond, amassing wealth from tribute missions and exporting local goods like sulfur and horses. Amawari's rebellion against the central Sho Dynasty in the 1450s highlighted regional power struggles, culminating in his defeat and the castle's partial destruction, though it symbolized the kingdom's decentralized feudal structure before unification efforts.[14][16][17] The site's enduring limestone walls and arches reflect Ryukyuan architectural adaptations to the subtropical environment, emphasizing elevation for surveillance and natural defenses.[15]World War II and Battle of Okinawa
The regions that now constitute Uruma City, including Ishikawa, Gushikawa, and Katsuren, lay in central Okinawa and encountered U.S. forces early in the Battle of Okinawa, which commenced with amphibious landings on April 1, 1945, at Hagushi beaches on the island's western coast.[18] Japanese strategy under Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima's 32nd Army emphasized preserving combat strength for prolonged attrition warfare in the southern highlands around Shuri Castle, leading to lighter initial resistance in the north and center to lure invaders into overextension.[19] Consequently, elements of the U.S. XXIV Corps, including the 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions, advanced eastward and northward with relative speed, crossing the island's midline by April 3–4 and reaching areas like Misato Village in Ishikawa without major opposition.[20][21] However, pockets of determined Japanese resistance emerged in the Ishikawa area, particularly at the Ishikawa Isthmus, where the 6th Marines confronted fortified positions in the Yanbaru Forest and along ridges leading to Yae-dake Mountain.[21] Defenders, numbering around 2,500 under Colonel Kikuji Udo, exploited natural terrain features such as caves, cliffs, and camouflaged gun emplacements for interlocking fields of fire, employing reverse-slope tactics to counter U.S. artillery and infantry assaults.[21] U.S. forces overcame these defenses through sustained bombardment and close-quarters combat, securing the northern sector including Yae-dake by April 14–16, 1945, thereby isolating Japanese remnants and facilitating the overall northern campaign's conclusion by late April.[21] The Katsuren Peninsula, extending eastward from central Uruma, saw minimal direct engagements, as Japanese naval and air assets prioritized kamikaze operations offshore rather than ground holds in that vicinity.[19] Civilian experiences in the Uruma regions mirrored broader Okinawan hardships, with local inhabitants displaced into makeshift camps—one of the earliest established in the Uruma area for evacuees amid the chaos of advancing fronts.[21] Japanese military conscription of Okinawan laborers for fortification work, combined with orders to resist to the death, contributed to high non-combatant casualties from crossfire, starvation, and coerced group suicides in caves and tombs, though precise figures for Uruma-specific locales remain undocumented in primary accounts.[18] Torrential rains and mud from April monsoons exacerbated logistical challenges, turning coral-based soils into quagmires that hindered U.S. armor while aiding Japanese guerrilla tactics, and initial bombings contaminated water sources, fostering disease outbreaks among refugees.[21] By mid-1945, with northern Okinawa pacified, these areas transitioned to rear-area support for U.S. operations focused southward, underscoring the battle's asymmetric intensity where central zones like Uruma served as transit corridors rather than decisive battlegrounds.[19]Post-War Occupation and Reversion to Japan
Following the cessation of hostilities in the Battle of Okinawa on June 22, 1945, the central Okinawan region that now constitutes Uruma came under the administration of the United States Military Government. The Ishikawa district, a key area within modern Uruma, hosted one of the largest internment camps for displaced Okinawan civilians, surrounded by barbed wire fencing and accommodating thousands amid postwar shortages and reconstruction efforts.[22] These camps facilitated initial relief but highlighted the scale of civilian displacement, with the Ishikawa facility noted as the largest such site on the island.[23] Under U.S. occupation, which lasted from 1945 to 1972, significant land in the Uruma area was requisitioned for military purposes, reflecting broader patterns where 70.6% of U.S. forces in Japan facilities were concentrated in Okinawa by the occupation's end. Facilities such as Camp Courtney, a U.S. Marine Corps base in Uruma, were established to support logistical and operational needs, evolving from wartime airfields and camps into permanent installations.[24] Similarly, the White Beach area in Uruma served as a naval port facility, requisitioned during the early occupation for amphibious and supply operations.[25] Local residents faced land seizures often without adequate compensation, fueling economic dependence on base-related employment while restricting agricultural and civilian development.[26] The U.S. Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, formalized in 1957, governed the area, implementing policies for economic rehabilitation including foreign trade resumption by 1950, yet maintaining strict control over land use for bases.[27] Okinawan advocacy for reversion to Japan intensified in the late 1950s, driven by grievances over land expropriations and a desire for integration with the Japanese mainland's democratic framework and economic recovery.[26] [28] The Okinawa Reversion Treaty, signed on June 17, 1971, in Washington and Tokyo, culminated in the islands' return to Japanese sovereignty on May 15, 1972, without fundamentally altering U.S. military access to bases in the Uruma region under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.[29] This reversion integrated Uruma's constituent areas into Okinawa Prefecture, ending separate U.S. administrative rule but perpetuating the military presence that had defined the occupation era.[30]Formation and Contemporary Developments
Uruma City was established on April 1, 2005, through the merger of Gushikawa City, Ishikawa City, Katsuren Town, and Yonashiro Town, all within Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture.[31] [2] This administrative consolidation formed a municipality covering 86.0 square kilometers along the central-eastern coast of Okinawa's main island, incorporating urban centers, rural communities, and offshore Yokatsu Islands.[2] The merger aligned with Japan's Heisei-era municipal restructuring initiative, which sought to streamline local governance by reducing the number of entities from over 3,200 in 1999 to about 1,700 by 2010 through voluntary amalgamations.[32] Post-merger, Uruma has pursued integrated development emphasizing cultural preservation and economic diversification. In 2007, the city opened the Ishikawa Multi-Purpose Arena, Japan's first domed bullfighting venue, hosting regular events that draw tourists and reinforce Uruma's tradition of tōgyū (bullfighting) inherited from former Gushikawa.[33] Population has remained stable around 125,000 residents as of 2024, supporting growth in tourism via sites like Katsuren Castle ruins and annual festivals such as the Uruma Eisa Festival.[34] [35] The city's economy reflects its proximity to U.S. military facilities, including White Beach Port Facility, which facilitates amphibious training and provides local employment opportunities amid Okinawa's broader base-related dynamics. However, this presence contributes to ongoing local concerns over noise, safety incidents, and land use constraints, with surveys indicating divided opinions on the net benefits of hosting such installations.[36] Recent initiatives include plans for new industrial zones to foster non-military job growth and reduce dependency.[37]Geography
Location and Physical Features
Uruma occupies the central-eastern portion of Okinawa Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, extending along the Pacific coastline between Kin Bay to the north and Nakagusuku Bay to the south.[38][1] The city's approximate central coordinates are 26°23′N 127°51′E.[39]
The total land area measures 86.00 km², incorporating mainland terrain and offshore islands.[40]
Uruma's physical landscape consists of coastal lowlands, rolling hills of coral limestone, and the protruding Katsuren Peninsula, alongside the Yokatsu Islands—a cluster of eight islets such as Henza, Ikei, Miyagi, and Hamahiga—linked to the mainland by bridges and a 4.7 km causeway system.[2][1] The highest point is Mount Ishikawa, rising 204 m above sea level in the northern sector.[41] Rivers including the Tengan and Ishikawa drain into adjacent bays, supporting mangrove fringes and sandy shorelines amid subtropical vegetation.[42]
Administrative Divisions
Uruma City was formed on April 1, 2005, through the administrative merger of Gushikawa City, Ishikawa City, Katsuren Town, and Yonashiro Town, all formerly within Nakagami District in Okinawa Prefecture.[43] This consolidation aimed to streamline local governance and services across the region's dispersed communities.[44] The city's administrative structure reflects its origins, with the main city hall located in the former Gushikawa area at Midori-cho 1-1-1, handling central functions.[45] To serve the other merged areas, Uruma operates three branch offices (出張所): the Ishikawa Branch in Ishikawa Ishizaki 1-1, the Katsuren Branch in Katsuren Heian 3047, and the Yonashiro Branch in the Yonashiro area.[46] These branches provide localized services, including resident registration, vital records (excluding certain weekend/holiday filings), and community consultations.[47]| Branch Office | Location | Primary Services |
|---|---|---|
| Main City Hall (former Gushikawa) | Midori-cho 1-1-1, Uruma City | Central administration, full range of municipal services |
| Ishikawa Branch | Ishikawa Ishizaki 1-1, Uruma City | Resident services, local consultations; TEL: 098-965-5609[48] |
| Katsuren Branch | Katsuren Heian 3047, Uruma City | Resident services, community support; TEL: 098-978-7193[49] |
| Yonashiro Branch | Yonashiro area, Uruma City | Resident services, local administration; TEL via main line[46] |