Osato [village] - Osato

Japanese: 大里[村] - おおさと

A village in Osato County in central Saitama Prefecture. Population 7,360 (1995). Bordering Kumagaya City to the north and Higashimatsuyama City to the west, it occupies lowlands on the south bank of the Arakawa River. Since the Arakawa River was diverted in the early modern period, it has frequently been hit by floods and has suffered great damage. Swamps such as Kiri-sho and Kagami-ga-fuchi, which were created during floods, remain to this day. It has long been a rice paddy area, and remnants of the jori system can be seen. Land consolidation began in 1902, and land improvement work was completed throughout the area in 1955. Rice is the main crop, but sericulture was thriving before World War II.

Ozato [village]

A village in Shimajiri County, Okinawa Prefecture, located inland in the southern part of Okinawa Island (main island). Population 11,175 (1995). The Ozato Plateau, made of new limestone and running north to south on the east side, is a small undulating terrain. In the 14th century, Wang Yingzi, who based himself in Ozato Castle, traded with Ming China through Maten Port and developed Ozato, but was later destroyed by Sho Hashi, who unified the Ryukyu Islands. Before World War II, it was a purely agricultural village in one of the prefecture's leading sugar cane-producing regions. The villages of Inamine and Taira are known for their large numbers of immigrants to North and South America, especially Brazil.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

埼玉県中央部，大里郡の村。人口7360(1995)。北は熊谷市，西は東松山市に接し，荒川南岸の低地を占める。近世初期の荒川の瀬替え以来しばしば水害に見舞われ，大きな被害を受けてきた。現在も洪水の際につくられた〈切れ所〉〈鏡ヶ淵〉などの沼が残る。古くからの水田地域で，条里制遺構が残されている。1902年には耕地整理が着手され，55年に全域の土地改良が完成した。米作が主だが，第2次世界大戦前には養蚕が盛んだった。

おおざと【大里[村]】

沖縄県，沖縄島(本島)南部の内陸地にある島尻郡の村。人口1万1175(1995)。東側に南北に走る新期石灰岩の大里台地があるほかは小起伏の地形からなる。14世紀に大里城を拠点とした汪英紫は馬天港により対明貿易を行い，大里を発展させたが，後に琉球を統一した尚巴志（しようはし）に滅ぼされた。第2次世界大戦前は県下有数のサトウキビ作地帯の純農村であった。稲嶺と平良（たいら）の両村落は南北アメリカ，とくにブラジルへの移民が多いことで知られる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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