Unten Tunnel celebrates being 96 years old!

The Unten Tunnel is located in Unten district in Nakijin Village and celebrated being 96 years old this month. The memorial ceremony was held on October 11.

The age of 96 is a very important number in Okinawa as well as mainland Japan.

In Okinawa, we especially celebrate a senior at the age of 96 known as “Kajimaya”.

Kajimaya means windmill in Okinawan dialect. When someone reaches the age of 96, he or she will feel like a child again and celebrate with a parade in their local village. It is a special celebration!

The Unten Tunnel was dug with hand tools in 1924.

The tunnel made transportation much more convenient and it increased village life and ease of travel.

The Unten tunnel is located very close to the Unten port. This port was very important in Ryukyu history and is still a crucial port for accessing Izena and Iheya island.

The Unten tunnel is short in length and very narrow, so when you visit you can feel nostalgic and imagine what it was like during that time.

15:44 19 Mar , 2024