From Shonan to Okinawa Part 2: What I feel living in Ishikawa, Uruma City
The town of Ishikawa
—What I feel living in the "navel" of Okinawa's main island
On the east side of Okinawa's main island, right around the narrowest part, lies the town of Ishikawa in Uruma City.
It is a place that has long been called the "town of the navel."
In my own sense, Ishikawa is the "northernmost point of the central-southern region," and at the same time, it is the gateway to the northern Yanbaru region.
When you pass through the town to the north and enter Kin Town, the air suddenly changes. The forests become denser, and the atmosphere of the roads becomes more laid-back. Beyond that point, it is already Yanbaru.
On the other hand, if you drive west for about 10 minutes, you reach the west coast of Onna Village. There is also the Ishikawa Interchange on the Okinawa Expressway, so it takes less than an hour to get to both Naha and Nago.
This feeling of "being able to easily go anywhere, north, south, east, or west" is quite significant once you actually live here.
Ishikawa was Ishikawa City until 2005. Currently, it has merged with Gushikawa City, Katsuren Town, and Yonashiro Town to become part of Uruma City.
However, I feel that the unique atmosphere of the town of "Ishikawa" still remains firmly intact even today.
It is truly comfortable to live in
Living here, I find that Ishikawa is also a very convenient town.
There is a branch office for Uruma City's administrative services, a police station, a fire station, a sports park, and multiple post offices and banks. Major supermarkets and convenience stores are located on every corner, so there is almost nothing to worry about in daily life.
The restaurants are also interesting. There are national chain stores, as well as traditional diners and bento shops that have remained. There are also many unique, privately owned shops and izakayas. Furthermore, the "Ishikawa Social District" at night, which retains a strong trace of the Showa era, has a unique charm.
It is not a tourist spot at all; it is a bit old-fashioned and has a sense of everyday life, and that miscellaneous feel is actually quite comfortable.
As an immigrant from the mainland, if I were to name one thing I really want, it would probably be a super sento (large public bathhouse).
If a super sento were built in Ishikawa, it would be nearly perfect for me.
The town that was the starting point of post-war Okinawa
History is indispensable when talking about Ishikawa.
It was originally a small port town facing Kin Bay. Sugarcane fields spread out in the surrounding area, and during the Ryukyu Kingdom era, it was also a key transportation hub connecting the central and northern regions.
I believe the geography of this "narrow part of the main island" has been important since long ago.
This town changed significantly after the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
The U.S. military established the large-scale "Ishikawa Internment Camp" in the area around Ishikawa, gathering many refugees from various places.
In a scorched Okinawa, Ishikawa was one of the places where people first began to rebuild their lives.
This was the era when Buten Onaha was active.
The early postwar school "Ishikawa Gakuen" was born, and the Okinawa Advisory Council (the predecessor to the current Okinawa Prefectural Government) was also established there. For this reason, Ishikawa is sometimes called the "birthplace of postwar Okinawa's reconstruction."
After that, U.S. military facilities expanded in the surrounding area, and foreign-style housing and dining districts also developed.
Even today, English signs and remnants of American culture naturally blend into the town.
A Town of Blending Cultures
Ishikawa is a place where various cultures mix.
There are traditional Okinawan villages, base culture, and also migrants.
In the Akebono district, there are cafes and shops renovated from old U.S. military housing scattered about, creating a unique atmosphere.
Uruma City promotes itself as a "City of Bullfighting," and tournaments are still held at the Ishikawa bullring today. There are many local festivals, Eisa performances, and free festivals, keeping music and performing arts close to daily life.
Because it is not overly polished as a tourist destination, the scent of the land still remains.
The mountains and the sea are close by.
Old shopping streets still remain.
It is a bit cluttered, a bit worn out, but strangely charming.
Six years after moving here, I feel that my love for this local area has already grown.
Ishikawa is a town that you grow to love the more you live in it.
Continued →Okinawa Migration (3)
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