- Ishigaki, Okinawa
Infobox City Japan
Name= Ishigaki City
JapaneseName= 石垣市
Map
Region=Kyūshū (Ryukyu Islands )
Prefecture= Okinawa (Yaeyama)
District=
Area_km2= 229.00
PopDate= January 2008
Population= 46,489
Density_km2= 203
Coords=
LatitudeDegrees= 24
LatitudeMinutes= 20
LatitudeSeconds=
LongtitudeDegrees= 124
LongtitudeMinutes= 9
LongtitudeSeconds=
Tree=Yaeyama kokutan (Diospyros ferrea)
Flower= Sakishima tsutsuji (Rhododendron amanoi Ohwi)
Bird=Crested Serpent Eagle
Butterfly= Rice Paper butterfly
Fish= Hamafuefuki (Lethrinus nebulosus)
Others= Shell:Black-lip oyster (Pinctada margaritifera)
Symbol
SymbolDescription= Flag
Mayor=Nagateru Ōhama
CityHallPostalCode=907-8501
CityHallAddress= 14 Misakichō, Ishigaki-shi, Okinawa-ken
CityHallPhone= 0980-82-9911
CityHallLink= [http://www.city.ishigaki.okinawa.jp/ Ishigaki City]Ishigaki (石垣島 "-jima" Yaeyama and Okinawan: "Ishigachi") is an island west of
Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group. It is also the name of the main and only city (石垣市, "-shi") on the islands. The city functions as the business and transport center of the archipelago.Ishigaki Airport is the largest airport in the Yaeyamas and Japan's largest third-class airport.Ishigaki Island, like the rest of Okinawa, takes cultural influences from both Japan and China due to its location between China and mainland Japan.
As of 2008, the city has an estimated
population of 46,489 and the density of 203 persons per km². The total area is 229.00 km².Ishigaki was originally founded in 1908 as Yaeyama Village, an amalgamation of the Ishigaki, Ōhama, and Miyara
magiri . In 1914 it was renamed to Ishigaki Village, and grew to become Ishigaki Town in 1926. It became a city onJuly 10 ,1947 .Japan administers the disputed
Senkaku Islands as a part of Ishigaki City.Ishigaki boasts world-class kitesurfing, and ranks as the favorite kitesurfing destination of numerous professional Japanese kitesurfers.
A
tsunami of record height occurred on Ishigaki island in 1771.Ishigaki Airport serves the island.External links
* [http://www.city.ishigaki.okinawa.jp/en/ Ishigaki official website]
* [http://wikitravel.org/en/Ishigaki Wikitravel: Ishigaki]
* [http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/books/japanese/kuniyoshi/index.htm "A Boy and Ishigakijima Special Attack Base"] - review of book by Minoru Kuniyoshi about his wartime experiences on Ishigaki
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