Hedo no misaki

  • Japanese: 辺戸岬 (Hedo no misaki)

Hedo no misaki, or Cape Hedo, is the northernmost point on Okinawa Island. On a particularly clear day, Yoronjima is visible from Hedo.

Hedo is believed to have been a notable stopping-off point in the progression of southern migration into Okinawa Island in the ancient and medieval periods. Both deities such as Aoriyae and Amamiku and legendary/historical figures such as Minamoto no Tametomo are said to have come into Okinawa from the north via Hedo no misaki.

Legends also tell that the people of Hedo themselves came originally from Okinoerabujima, traveling south through Yoronjima and Iheyajima before settling at Hedo.

References

  • Gregory Smits, Maritime Ryukyu, University of Hawaii Press (2019), 32-33, 96-98, 109.