Place:Yomitan, Nakagami, Okinawa, Japan

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NameYomitan
TypeVillage
Located inNakagami, Okinawa, Japan


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

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History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Originally known as , it was part of the Kingdom of Chūzan during the Sanzan period. In 1416, the Aji of Yomitanzan Magiri, Gosamaru, helped Shō Hashi invade Hokuzan.[1] Although Gosamaru lived in Yamada Castle, Shō Hashi allowed him to build Zakimi Castle.[1] The castle, along with other castle sites in Okinawa, was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in November 2000.[2] The port of Hamanaga, which was located in the north of Yomitanzan, was an important center of Nanban, or "southern barbarian", trade of the Ryukyu Kingdom.[2] Yomitanzan was also the site of a landing during the Invasion of Ryukyu by Satsuma Domain in 1609. After Japan annexed Ryukyu in 1879, Yomitanzan continued to be a magiri; all of the magiri were abolished in 1907 and Yomitanzan became a village.[3]

Yomitan was the initial site of fighting on Okinawa Island during World War II. Zakimi Castle was used as a gun emplacement by the Japanese military. The Hija River, between Yomitan and then-Chatan (Kadena area), was the site of the initial landing of the Allied forces in the Battle of Okinawa. The United States Marine Corps landed on the Yomitan-side of the river, while the United States Army landed on the Chatan side. The village is known for one of the most devastating examples of mass suicide during World War II. Villagers took refuge in Chibichiri Cave during the Battle of Okinawa. Faced with the rapid advance of American troops, approximately 140 men, women, and children were convinced or ordered by the Japanese military to commit mass suicide (shūdan jiketsu) on April 2, 1945. After the war, the village was renamed Yomitan.[2]

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