Iheya Island

Iheya Island
Native name:
伊平屋
Map
Geography
LocationPacific Ocean
ArchipelagoOkinawa Islands
Area20.66 km2 (7.98 sq mi)
Administration
Japan
PrefectureOkinawa Prefecture
Demographics
Population1,200
Ethnic groupsRyukyuan, Japanese

Iheya Island (Okinawan: 伊平屋島, Ihyaajima) is an island located in the Okinawa Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.[1][2][3]

Its total population is 1,200,[1] most of whom are ethnic Ryukyuans. To the southeast of Iheya is nearby Izena Island.

According to historian George H. Kerr, local legends suggest that early settlers took refuge from storms and enemies in a hillside cave on the island called Kumaya Cave, and as such it "has been held in peculiar reverence in the folklore of Okinawa." For example, Kumaya Cave is associated with the legendary Amano-Iwato and the island is locally considered the place where Jimmu's Eastern Expedition began.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Iheya Island". VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  2. ^ "Iheya Island / Izena Island/Okinawa Island Guide". www.oki-islandguide.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  3. ^ Mansfield, Stephen (2015-12-19). "Bask in the warmth of Iheya Island". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  4. ^ Kerr, George H. (2000). Okinawa: The History of an Island People (Revised ed.). Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 978-4-8053-1479-1.

27°03′07″N 127°58′30″E / 27.052°N 127.975°E / 27.052; 127.975


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