Nishihara, Okinawa
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Nishihara 西原町 |
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| Town | |
 Location of Nishihara in Okinawa Prefecture |
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 Nishihara
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| Coordinates: 26°13′00″N 127°46′00″E / 26.21667°N 127.76667°ECoordinates: 26°13′00″N 127°46′00″E / 26.21667°N 127.76667°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Okinawa Prefecture |
| District | Nakagami |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.84 km2 (6.12 sq mi) |
| Population (Dec. 2011) | |
| • Total | 34,902 |
| • Density | 2,203/km2 (5,710/sq mi) |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Banyan |
| • Flower | Bougainvillea |
| • Flowering tree | Sawafuji (Barringtonia racemosa) |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) |
| City hall address | 112 Aza Kadekaru, Nishihara-cho, Nakagami-gun 903-0220 |
| Website |
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Nishihara (西原町 Nishihara-chō?, Okinawan: Nishibaru) is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. In the Okinawan language, nishi means "north" (in standard Japanese, however, it means "west"), as Nishihara was north of the historical Ryukyuan capital of Shuri.
As of 2011, the town had an estimated population of 34,902 and a density of 2,203 persons per km². The total area is 15.84 square kilometres (6.12 sq mi).
Situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of the city hall of Naha, Nishihara is surrounded by the cities, towns, and villages of Naha, Urasoe, Ginowan, Haebaru, Yonabaru, and Nakagusuku.
Because both the University of the Ryukyus and the Okinawa Christian Junior College are located in Nishihara, and the Okinawa International University is located nearby, Nishihara's municipal slogan is "Education Town".
The north, west, and south of Nishihara are hilly; these areas give way to the low-lying coast in the east of the town.
The highest point in Nishihara is Untamamo (158 metres (518 ft)). The low-lying peak, also known as Untamamui in the Okinawan language, sits to the south of the town on the border of Nishihara and the neighboring town of Urasoe. Due to its pyramidal shape, the peak is sometimes known as the "Nishihara Fuji" for its resemblance to Mount Fuji. Untamamo has utaki, or places sacred to the Okinawan religion, on both the north and south sides of the peak. Untamamo was the site of fierce fighting during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II; the spontaneous combustion of unexploded ordnance caused numerous mountain fires in the post-war period.
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