Ukinju-Hainju

Ukinju-Hainju is a pair of springs that well up near the coast of Tamagusuku Hyakuna. The western spring is called Ukinju, the eastern one Hainju. Facing Ukinju spreads a rice paddy known as Mifuda, where a landscape binding together water, rice, and prayer survives to this day. There are no showy attractions here, but the quiet sight of the sky reflected in the flooded paddy conveys the roots of everyday life in Nanjo.

These two springs are said to be the birthplace of rice cultivation in the Ryukyu Islands. It has long been told that the way of life of drawing water into paddies and growing rice spread outward from this place. This is not established historical fact. At the same time, in the Mifuda paddy facing Ukinju, the Weda Ugan rice-planting ritual is still performed on the first Day of the Horse in the first month of the lunar calendar. The ritual has been passed down as an intangible folk cultural property of Nanjo City, and Ukinju-Hainju is also counted among the places of prayer on the Agariumai pilgrimage route.

Ukinju-Hainju is not a facility built for sightseeing but a living place where rituals are still observed. There is no dedicated parking; the city asks visitors to use paid parking areas nearby. Please avoid parking without permission. Take care not to sully the water of the springs or the paddy, and if preparations for a ritual are under way, keep a quiet, respectful distance.

Watching the sky mirrored on the surface of the paddy, you sense, quietly, what waters the life of Nanjo has been built upon. Combine your visit with a stroll along the coast, and spend some time in touch with the origins of daily life here.