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==History & Geography==
==History & Geography==
It is not fully known at what time Naha emerged as a settlement and a port, but it was already burgeoning by the 1420s, when [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] united [[Okinawa Island]], founding the Kingdom of Ryûkyû and establishing the [[first Sho dynasty|first Shô dynasty]].<ref>Uezato. p57.</ref> In the previous century, increased piracy activity around Korea, along with revolts by [[Fang Guozhen]]<!--方國珍--> and [[Zhang Shicheng]]<!--張士誠-->, caused Japanese merchants to take a different route to China, passing through the Ryukyus and making their way to [[Fuzhou]], rather than traveling to [[Ningpo]] via [[Hakata]], a more direct route.<ref>Uezato. p58.</ref>
It is not fully known at what time Naha emerged as a settlement and a port, but it is presumed to have formed as a matter of course in the late 14th century when Chinese and Japanese ships (among others) found the site a convenient waystation.<ref>Uezato. p73.</ref> The port was already burgeoning by the 1420s, when [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] united [[Okinawa Island]], founding the Kingdom of Ryûkyû and establishing the [[first Sho dynasty|first Shô dynasty]].<ref>Uezato. p57.</ref> In the previous century, increased piracy activity around Korea, along with revolts by [[Fang Guozhen]]<!--方國珍--> and [[Zhang Shicheng]]<!--張士誠-->, caused Japanese merchants to take a different route to China, passing through the Ryukyus and making their way to [[Fuzhou]], rather than traveling to [[Ningpo]] via [[Hakata]], a more direct route.<ref>Uezato. p58.</ref>
In addition to serving as the chief port for the kingdom, Naha was a major transshipment port, one of the most major trading hubs in the entire Southeast & East Asia region, during its height in the 15th-16th centuries. Many Japanese merchants operating within the ''[[shuinsen]]'' system made port here or even maintained homes and families in Naha. The port served as a transshipment point for a great many goods, including metals, aromatic woods, silks, porcelains, ivory, and the like, as well as for silver. Though the kingdom itself did not send its own trading ships anywhere in Southeast Asia after [[1570]] (the final trading mission to Siam), the government did hire or contract Japanese merchants (and presumably others) to perform both mercantile and diplomatic duties on behalf of the kingdom. To name just two examples, [[Taira Nobushige]] of Hakata traveled to Korea in [[1471]] as an envoy of the Kingdom of Ryûkyû, and [[Kawasaki Rihee]]<!--川崎利兵衛--> of Sakai set sail for Southeast Asia in [[1598]] to engage in trade on behalf of the kingdom.<ref>Uezato. p71.</ref>
Trade declined dramatically in the 17th century, due to heavy restrictions imposed by Satsuma, the imposition of maritime restrictions (''[[kaikin]]'') in Japan (which brought a severe decline in Japanese maritime activity), and a variety of factors concerning trade relations with Southeast Asia. But Naha remained the chief port city, and along with Shuri, the chief economic, cultural, and political center in the Ryukyus, from that time through today. Major efforts to dredge the harbor and revitalize the port were undertaken in [[1717]]. It is said 70,000 men were involved in the effort, and a stone still stands today in honor and memory of the event.<ref>Hokama Masaaki 外間政明。”''Nahakō no seiritsu to sono kinō iji''” 那覇港の成立とその機能維持。''Shimatati'' しまたてぃ 13. Okinawa Shimatate Kyōkai 沖縄しまたて協会。July 2000. pp5-7.</ref>
Following the fall of the kingdom in the 1870s and its annexation as Okinawa prefecture, Naha absorbed Shuri and became the prefectural capital. The city suffered considerably in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, but was rebuilt during the American Occupation, its port facilities not only restored, but modernized as well.
==Geography==
==Geography==
Throughout most of the time of the Kingdom, Naha consisted of six neighborhoods or districts, all but two of them located on a small island called Ukishima, which sat in the harbor, separated by only a very short distance from the "mainland" of Okinawa Island. Kumemura was located in the southern part of this island, closest to the "mainland," facing the neighborhood of Izumisaki across the harbor, while the neighborhoods of Higashi and Nishi were located to the west. Wakasamachi, occupied the northern or northeastern section of the island, and finally, the port of [[Tomari]] was located just across the way, to the east of Ukishima, on the Okinawan "mainland." The [[Chokotei|Chôkôtei]], a narrow, kilometer-long earthen embankment built in [[1452]], connected Tomari and Ukishima.<ref>Uezato. p61.</ref>
Throughout most of the time of the Kingdom, Naha consisted of six neighborhoods or districts, all but two of them located on a small island called Ukishima, which sat in the harbor, separated by only a very short distance from the "mainland" of Okinawa Island. Kumemura was located in the southern part of this island, closest to the "mainland," facing the neighborhood of Izumisaki across the harbor, while the neighborhoods of Higashi and Nishi were located to the west. Wakasamachi, occupied the northern or northeastern section of the island, and finally, the port of [[Tomari]] was located just across the way, to the east of Ukishima, on the Okinawan "mainland." The [[Chokotei|Chôkôtei]], a narrow, kilometer-long earthen embankment built in [[1452]], connected Tomari and Ukishima.<ref>Uezato. p61.</ref>
While Chinese (and some Koreans) formed distinctly separate neighborhoods for themselves, including, most prominently, the walled-in district of Kumemura, Japanese<ref>Though there were doubtless many people of genuine Japanese ethnicity/descent living in Naha in the 15th-17th centuries, records from that time likely include in the term ''wajin'' (倭人) people who simply adopted Japanese identities or customs, and ''[[wako|wakô]]'', maritime smugglers and raiders of a variety of ethnicities/origins who came to be known throughout East and Southeast Asia as "Japanese" (''wa'') pirates (''kô'').</ref> lived alongside Ryukyuans throughout the other four districts.<ref>Uezato. p60.</ref>
The body of water separating Ukishima from the Okinawan "mainland" was at some point filled in, uniting the city more fully into a single section of land.
::''Main Article: [[Kumemura]]''
Kumemura was the chief center of Confucian learning in the kingdom, and was home to a number of Chinese-style Confucian and Taoist temples. Government officials and administrators were almost exclusively drawn from the residents of Kumemura, and small numbers of the top students/scholars from Kumemura enjoyed the opportunity to study in Fuzhou and [[Beijing]]. Though the community was quite walled off initially, by the 17th century, the embankments or walls between Kumemura and the other districts of Naha had disappeared.
While Chinese (and some Koreans) formed distinctly separate neighborhoods for themselves, including, most prominently, the walled-in district of Kumemura, Japanese<ref>Though there were doubtless many people of genuine Japanese ethnicity/descent living in Naha in the 15th-17th centuries, records from that time likely include in the term ''wajin'' (倭人) people who simply adopted Japanese identities or customs, and ''[[wako|wakô]]'', maritime smugglers and raiders of a variety of ethnicities/origins who came to be known throughout East and Southeast Asia as "Japanese" (''wa'') pirates (''kô'').</ref> lived alongside Ryukyuans throughout the other four districts.<ref>Uezato. p60.</ref> The majority of Japanese coming to Ryûkyû in the 16th century are believed to have come from the [[Kansai region]], especially the port city of [[Sakai]], including many monks or lay monks associated with [[Daitokuji]]. Japanese coming to Ryûkyû in the 17th century were chiefly, as might be expected, from [[Satsuma han]].
A number of important economic and diplomatic institutions were located in the main port areas of Higashi and Nishi. The ''[[Oyamise]]'' (O: ''weemishi'') was the chief governmental trading center, and later came to serve as a kind of city hall or municipal affairs office as well. Markets were often held in the open space before the ''Oyamise'', which was quite close to the temples, and to the [[Tenshikan]], a mansion for visiting [[Chinese investiture envoys]] which is said to have rivaled [[Shuri Castle]] itself.
A number of important economic and diplomatic institutions were located in the main port areas of Higashi and Nishi. The ''[[Oyamise]]'' (O: ''weemishi'') was the chief governmental trading center, and later came to serve as a kind of city hall or municipal affairs office as well. Markets were often held in the open space before the ''Oyamise'', which was quite close to the temples, and to the [[Tenshikan]], a mansion for visiting [[Chinese investiture envoys]] which is said to have rivaled [[Shuri Castle]] itself.
The entrance to the port, to the west of Ukishima, was guarded by a pair of fortresses built on spits of land extending out towards the sea. These two fortresses, [[Mie gusuku]] and [[Yarazamori gusuku]], had a large chain strung out between them across the water, which could rather effectively block ships from entering the harbor. The fortresses were quite successful in repelling ''wakô'' raids on several occasions, but proved ultimately useless against the [[1609]] [[invasion of Ryukyu|invasion of Ryûkyû]] by forces from [[Satsuma han]], who simply made landfall elsewhere and approached [[Shuri]] by land.<ref>Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai Capture a King: Okinawa 1609. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2009. pp29, 41, 46.</ref> In any case, beyond the two fortresses was ''[[Omono gusuku]]'' (O: ''umun gushiku''), a warehouse where goods to be sent overseas were kept.
The entrance to the port, to the west of Ukishima, was guarded by a pair of fortresses built in the early 1550s on spits of land extending out towards the sea. These two fortresses, [[Mie gusuku]] and [[Yarazamori gusuku]], had a large chain strung out between them across the water, which could rather effectively block ships from entering the harbor. The fortresses were quite successful in repelling ''wakô'' raids on several occasions, but proved ultimately useless against the [[1609]] [[invasion of Ryukyu|invasion of Ryûkyû]] by forces from [[Satsuma han]], who simply made landfall elsewhere and approached [[Shuri]] by land.<ref>Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai Capture a King: Okinawa 1609. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2009. pp29, 41, 46.</ref> In any case, beyond the two fortresses was ''[[Omono gusuku]]'' (O: ''umun gushiku''), a warehouse where goods to be sent overseas were kept.
Wakasamachi, which according to oral tradition was founded by Japanese, lay to the north of Kumemura. Here were located temples to [[Ebisu]] and [[Jizo|Jizô]], established by Japanese monks, and the [[Naminoue Shrine]]. [[Zen]] monks from Japan also founded the temple [[Koganji|Kôganji]], which was the site of the chief Japanese cemetery in the city. Wakasamachi Ôdôri ran through the district from northeast to southwest, intersecting with Kume Ôdôri near the center of Ukishima, and connecting directly into the Chôkôtei on its eastern end. While Chinese envoys stayed in residences set aside for them in Higashi/Nishi, Wakasa was home to a residence set aside for those from the [[Tokara Islands]]; traders and those coming to give [[tribute]] from [[Yaeyama]], [[Miyako]], [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and other outlying islands within the Ryûkyû Kingdom generally made port in Tomari, and lodged there.<ref>Uezato. p62.</ref>
Wakasamachi, which according to oral tradition was founded by Japanese, lay to the north of Kumemura. Here were located temples to [[Ebisu]] and [[Jizo|Jizô]], established by Japanese monks, and the [[Naminoue Shrine]]. [[Zen]] monks from Japan also founded the temple [[Koganji|Kôganji]], which was the site of the chief Japanese cemetery in the city. Wakasamachi Ôdôri ran through the district from northeast to southwest, intersecting with Kume Ôdôri near the center of Ukishima, and connecting directly into the Chôkôtei on its eastern end. While Chinese envoys stayed in residences set aside for them in Higashi/Nishi, Wakasa was home to a residence set aside for those from the [[Tokara Islands]].
::''Main article: [[Tomari]]''
Traders and those coming to give [[tribute]] from [[Yaeyama]], [[Miyako]], [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and other outlying islands within the Ryûkyû Kingdom generally made port in Tomari, and lodged there.<ref>Uezato. p62.</ref>
==References==
==References==
*Uezato Takashi. "The Formation of the Port City of Naha in Ryukyu and the World of Maritime Asia: From the Perspective of a Japanese Network." ''[[Acta Asiatica]]'' 95 (2008). pp57-77.
*Uezato Takashi. "The Formation of the Port City of Naha in Ryukyu and the World of Maritime Asia: From the Perspective of a Japanese Network." ''[[Acta Asiatica]]'' 95 (2008). pp57-77.
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[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Cities and Towns]]