Urasoe, Okinawa

Urasoe (浦添市, Urasoe-shi, Okinawan: Urashii) is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east.

As of November 2012, the city has an estimated population of 113,718 and a population density of 5,956.9 persons per km². The total area is 19.09 km².

United States Marine Corps base Camp Kinser is located on the city's coast.

Etymology

The name "Urasoe" is made up of two kanji characterss. The first, 浦, means "a coastal area", and the second, 添, means "ruling" or "uniting". The name is a reference to "ruling over many areas".

Geography

Urasoe sits to the south of Okinawa Island. Urasoe is rugged and hilly to the east, and the city slopes gently to the East China Sea in the west. Urasoe, while formerly agricultural, has become heavily urbanized due to its proximity to the prefectural capital of Naha.

Neighboring municipalities

History

Urasoe was the original capital of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan for several centuries until it was supplanted by Shuri in the late 14th or early 15th century. Shunten (1166 – 1237), the first known king of the Chuzan Kingdom, located in the central region of the island of Okinawa, ruled from Urasoe, as did his son and grandson. For much of the 14th century, Urasoe Castle was the largest on the island of Okinawa. The castle now contains the remains of several kings of the Ryukyu Kingdom.