Taketomi Island

One of the islands in the Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, located 6.3 km southwest of Ishigaki Island. It is a low-lying island made of Ryukyu limestone with an area of ​​5.42 square kilometers. It belongs to Taketomi Town, and in the past, the Yaeyama government's brewery was established here, leaving many historical landscapes and ruins. It has a unique ancient town appearance with stone walls and red-tiled roof houses connected by white sand roads, and it has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings as an agricultural settlement. In recent years, it has become a mecca for Yaeyama tourism, and is famous for star sand (which has now almost disappeared), folk crafts such as Minsa weaving, and the Seed-Gathering Festival (a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property). It belongs to Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park. There is a ferry service from Ishigaki Port on Ishigaki Island. Population 325 (2009).

[Shigekazu Mezaki]

"Otsuka Katsuhisa, 'The Island of Utsugumi - Otsuka Katsuhisa Photo Collection' (2005, Ryukyu Shimposha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

沖縄県八重山列島(やえやまれっとう)の1島、石垣島の南西6.3キロメートルの海上に位置する島。面積5.42平方キロメートルの琉球(りゅうきゅう)石灰岩からなる低島。竹富町に属し、古くは八重山の行政府の蔵元が設置されたこともあり、歴史的な景観・遺跡を多く残す。石垣と赤瓦(あかがわら)屋根の住居が白砂の道で結ばれる独特の古都のたたずまいをみせ、農村集落として重要伝統的建造物群保存地区に選定されている。近年は八重山観光のメッカとなり、星砂（現在はほとんど消失）や民芸品ミンサー織、種子取祭(たねとりまつり)（国指定重要無形民俗文化財）などが有名。西表石垣国立公園(いりおもていしがきこくりつこうえん)に属する。石垣島石垣港から船がある。人口325（2009）。

［目崎茂和］

『大塚勝久著『うつぐみの竹富島――大塚勝久写真集』（2005・琉球新報社）』

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