City and Government

Urasoe is located in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa. It faces the East China Sea and neighbors the prefectural capital of Naha. To the north is Ginowan, which contains the Okinawa Convention Center and Tropical Beach. To the east is Nishihara, home to Ryukyu University, the only national university in Okinawa Prefecture. Though Urasoe covers a relatively small area of 19.09 square kilometers, the city's population of over 110,000 makes it the fourth largest in the prefecture after Naha, Okinawa City and Uruma.

History

Urasoe is known as the birthplace of the Ryukyu Kingdom. This is the site where one of the most power rulers of the Chūzan Kingdom, King Shunten, maintained his court. Urasoe of the past was much bigger than the present day city and included the expansive region of Ginowan, Naha Port and parts of Nishihara. The name "Urasoe" is made up of the characters 浦 (ura), meaning "coastal area," and 添い (soi), meaning "ruling or uniting." Ura-soi, which later evolved to Urasoe, was therefore the unifier of the coastal areas.

Urasoe was the capital of the Chūzan Kingdom from 1187 to 1405 and the royal court was based at Urasoe Castle. It was a flourishing political, economic and cultural center that traded with China and numerous other countries in Asia.

In 1406, the Chūzan royal court moved to Shuri. After defeating the rulers of the the Hokuzan and Nanzan Kingdoms, Shō Hashi of the Chūzan Kingdom became the first ruler to unite the entire island of Okinawa, creating the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1429. Urasoe moved to the background until the 1500s, when the eldest son of King Shoshin was banished from Shuri. He took up residence in Urasoe and brought renewed life to the castle.

In 1609, the Kyushu-based Satsuma Clan occupied the Ryukyu Islands, propagating Japanese language and customs. During the invasion much of the Urasoe area was destroyed, but the region eventually recovered. While the rest of Japan was subject to the central government's policy of isolation, the Ryukyu Islands were not bound by this and benefited from continued trade with overseas countries. In 1872, the Ryukyu Kingdom was dismantled and designated as the "Ryukyu Han". In 1879, the island chain officially became known as Okinawa Prefecture.

During World War II, Urasoe was the scene of intense fighting and everything was razed to the ground. 4,117 people, 45 percent of Urasoe's population, lost their lives. After the Battle of Okinawa ended on June 23rd 1945, the first task to be undertaken by Urasoe's village administration was that of accepting returnees who had evacuated because of the fighting. In 1946, the village office was re-established to coordinate official business and restore basic agricultural operations. Four years later, under United States occupation, Urasoe experienced a significant increase in the US military presence in the western area that today makes up Camp Kinser.

Urasoe was designated a city in 1970, two years prior to the return of Okinawa to Japan, and has been developing as a thriving suburb of Naha ever since.

In keeping with its historical experiences as a center of trade and overseas contact, Urasoe continues to pursue a policy of increasing international understanding.

Climate

An abundance of sunny days combined with the beauty of the sea and the rolling hills around Urasoe make it a very pleasant city to live in or visit. Okinawa's climate is sub-tropical (Urasoe is found at 26 degrees latitude and 127 degrees longitude), with hot, humid summers and mild winters. The average annual temperature for Okinawa is around 23 degrees centigrade (73 Fahrenheit) with summer highs reaching 34 degrees (93 Fahrenheit) and winter lows of 10 degrees (50 Fahrenheit). Sunshine is plentiful throughout the year, although the prefecture experiences a rainy season in May and a typhoon season from April to November. Average yearly rainfall is about 1,700mm (5.5 feet) and average humidity is about 75 percent.

Friendship Cities

Friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding are all key points in Urasoe's plans for internationalization. Urasoe is striving to realize these objectives by welcoming other cultures and by participating in "friendship city" exchanges. Gamagōri City, Aichi Prefecture, in eastern Japan is Urasoe's domestic friendship city and Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, in the People's Republic of China is Urasoe's international friendship city. These relationships are based on historical and cultural ties that have afforded the opportunity for exchange in a wide variety of fields such as music, sports, and other cultural activities.

Gamagōri City

The city of Gamagōri is located in the southeastern part of Aichi Prefecture and has a population of around 82,000 people. Located at the center of three estuaries, it is a beautiful and peaceful city. People often visit Gamagōri for cultural exchange as well as for various seminars and forums. Local residents are active in marine sports and make use of the area's excellent marine environment. Gamagōri is proud to have served as the training ground for the "Nippon Challenge Americas Cup 1991 Committee."

Exchange between Gamagōri and Urasoe began in 1962 when a memorial was erected at Urasoe Castle Site in order to honor the casualties of the Pacific War from Aichi Prefecture. On November 4th 1981, Urasoe and Gamagōri signed a Friendship and Cooperation City agreement to formalize their long history of exchange. These activities continue through the Youth Friendship Delegations that have participated in home-stays, sports competitions, and other exchange programs.

Take a look at the Gamagōri English Hompepage.

Quanzhou

Quanzhou is the provincial capital of Fujian Province in the People's Republic of China and has a population of about 7,790,000 people. The city's port has contributed to its long history of trade and exchange with foreign countries. Throughout the Sung Dynasty, up until the Mongol Dynasty, the city flourished through foreign trade. Trade and exchanges between the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa) and Quanzhou were particularly noteworthy. During the Ming Dynasty (c. 1350AD), King Satto of the Ryukyus, who ruled from Urasoe, began paying tribute and sent gifts to China. This relationship continued for approximately 500 years.

Present day Quanzhou is a thriving city with active agricultural, manufacturing and commercial industries. Lacquerware, pharmaceuticals, electronics, tea, and wheat are all principal products of Quanzhou's economy.

In 1981 Urasoe sent a delegation to follow the path taken by Ryukyuan tribute vessels to China. Consequently, Quanzhou expressed its desire to continue exchange activities with Urasoe. In 1982, a friendship delegation was again sent from Urasoe to Quanzhou. On September 23, 1988, a Friendship City Agreement was formally established between the two cities and a symposium entitled "Opinions Regarding the History of Ryukyuan-Chinese Exchange" was held to commemorate the formalization of the relationship.

Since then, there has been ongoing exchange between the two cities in fields such as economy, trade, education, fine arts, athletics, and martial arts.

See this site for more information about Quanzhou.

Introduction to Government Facilities

Living abroad, one can face many difficulties due to differing languages and customs. The International Relations Section, located on the fourth floor of Urasoe City Hall, is here to help you. We can offer advice and guidance on all municipal government related matters. There is a native English speaker employed by City Hall working in this section here to help you out with any concerns that you may have.

The IR Section maintains this site as well as Urasoe English News Flash, a blog where city announcements and local event listings are posted on a regular basis.

Urasoe City Hall
Address: 1-1-1 Ahacha Urasoe City, Okinawa 〒901-2501
Telephone: (098) 876-1234
Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
(Closed for lunch 12:00-1:00 pm)
Closed on Saturdays and Sunday

Parking for City Hall is available in the underground parking lot, the parking area behind City Hall, and the lower parking lot below the Central Community Center.

Assembly Building
The Urasoe City Assembly meets in the building next to Urasoe City Hall.

Other Offices in Okinawa

Okinawa Prefectural Offices - Naha City

Another valuable resource for foreign nationals living in Okinawa is the Exchange Promotion Division of the Okinawa Prefectural Office located in Naha. There are native English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean speakers employed there to help out speakers of those languages.

Okinawa Prefectural Government, Exchange Promotion Division
1-2-2 Izumizaki, Naha, Okinawa, Japan 〒900-8570
Telephone: (098) 866-2479
Website here.

City Symbols

Urasoe City Emblem
This emblem symbolizes the limitless progress of peace and homeland. The Japanese phonetic characters (katakana) that spell "Urasoe" (ウラソエ) are used as the base for the design. The character that is pronounced "U" expresses the concept of eternal progress. The four characters are placed in a circle that stands for peace and harmony.

Urasoe City Flag
The indigo blue background brings to mind the deep blue of the Bingata stencil dyed fabric that is one of Urasoe's traditional arts and expresses our optimism for eternal progress. The color white in the emblem symbolizes our hope for successful and healthy lives for our citizens.

Urasoe Citizens' Charter
We, the people of Urasoe, the City of the Tedako (Sun child), with our venerable history and our hopes for the future, establish this charter to help us achieve these hopes.

We will steward the natural environment and make our city green.
We will abide by the rules and make our city comfortable to live in.
We will build a dynamic community by taking joy in our work.
We will value peace and enrich our city's culture.
We will train our minds and bodies to create a happy and healthy community.

Urasoe Citizens' Flower: Allamanda, Golden Trumpet
This flower belongs to the oleander vine family. It originates in South America and blooms from April to October over about six months. It is also referred to as "Golden Cup."

Urasoe Citizens' Plant: Barbados Flower
This plant originates in the West Indies. It is said to be one of the three most popular flowers in the Ryukyu Islands, the others being the Sandanka (Ixora) and Deigo (Indian coral bean). It is also called Akousa in Okinawan dialect and grows to two or three meters in height when mature. The Akousa blooms with red and yellow striped flowers from June to November. It is considered a very easy flower to propagate.

Urasoe Citizens' Tree: Elaeoearpus Tree
This tree is called Tarashisa or Tauru in Okinawan dialect. From ancient times, Okinawans have believed that this tree brings good fortune. People plant it in their gardens for good luck, and its branches are often placed around Shinto altars.