Nanjō

Nanjō (南城市) is a city located in the southern part of Okinawa Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Translated literally, the name Nanjō means "southern castle". Many castle ruins, called gusuku in the Okinawan language, can be found throughout the city. The modern city of Nanjō was established on January 1, 2006, from the merger of the town of Sashiki, and the villages of Chinen, Ōzato and Tamagusuku (all from Shimajiri District). Nanjō has an area of 49.69 km² and, on the date of its inception, a population of 44,043, and a density of 886.36 per km².

Located in Chinen, the seifa utaki shrine is listed by UNESCO as part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu World Heritage Site. It was believed to be a sacred place, from where one could see the "Isle of the Gods". In the shrine, noro priestesses from Shuri Castle would pray for the well being of the king and the kingdom. In Tamagusuku, the Gyokusendō cave is known for its stalagmites and stalactites. Discovered in 1967, the cave is estimated to be at least five kilometers long, but only 890 metres are open to tourists. The cave is located inside the Okinawa World cultural theme park. Other attractions of the theme park are the Habu snake museum, native dances such as Eisa, and a traditional Ryūkyū style village with traditional red clay roofed houses and workshops for local crafts such as dying and weaving, pottery, and glass blowing. Also located in Tamagusuku, the Itokazu Abuchiragama cave was used in World War II as a bomb shelter by soldiers and civilians alike. It is also open to tourists. Himeyuri students were used as nurses in this location among others. The isle of Kudaka, also called Isle of the Gods, can be accessed from Azama Port, located in Chinen. From the isle of Ōjima, in Tamagusuku, one can board a glass bottomed boat, a boat with a transparent floor used in marine life observations. Golf is a popular sport in Okinawa, and the Ryūkyū Golf Club in Nanjō has three 27 hole courses. Every spring, the Ryūkyū Golf Club welcomes the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament. The Nanjo Sightseeing Information Center and souvenir shop across the street have cardboard cut outs of the characters of The Aquatope on White Sand, with the shop including an "entire Aquatope corner."

Passengers traveling from mainland Japan and overseas arrive at Naha Airport. Several bus lines serve the city of Nanjo, departing from the bus terminals at Naha and Itoman.