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Tomari was one of the chief ports on the island, along with [[Makiminato]], as early as the 13th-14th centuries. During the time when the kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] was ruled from [[Urasoe]] (i.e. up until the 1410s or 1420s), Tomari was home to a number of government offices and warehouses.

Tomari was one of the chief ports on the island, along with [[Makiminato]], as early as the 13th-14th centuries. During the time when the kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] was ruled from [[Urasoe]] (i.e. up until the 1410s or 1420s), Tomari was home to a number of government offices and warehouses.

King [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] (r. 1422-1439) made Naha the chief site for receiving foreign ships, and the port city quickly came to eclipse both Tomari and Makiminato as the kingdom's central port. However, ships from [[Yaeyama]], [[Miyako]], [[Amami Islands|Amami]], and other outlying islands within the kingdom, including those bringing [[tribute]], continued to make port at Tomari. The ''[[Tomari satonushi]]'', the chief administrator for the district, was also in charge of receiving and managing the tribute from Amami. His office was known as ''Tumai udun''; the district also contained warehouses for storing the tribute goods, known as ''Ôshimakura''.<ref>Uezato. pp62-63.</ref>

King [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] (r. 1422-1439) made Naha the chief site for receiving foreign ships, and the port city quickly came to eclipse both Tomari and Makiminato as the kingdom's central port. However, ships from [[Yaeyama]], [[Miyako]], [[Amami Islands|Amami]], and other outlying islands within the kingdom, including those bringing [[tribute]], continued to make port at Tomari. The ''[[Tomari satonushi]]'' or ''Tomari kashira-dori'', the chief administrator for the district, was also in charge of receiving and managing the tribute from Amami. His office was known as ''Tumai udun''; the district also contained warehouses for storing the tribute goods, known as ''Ôshimakura''.<ref>Uezato. pp62-63.</ref>

In the 19th century, when European and American ships began to call at Ryûkyû, Ryukyuan and [[Satsuma han]] authorities did not wish to allow these ships into Naha Harbor; thus the water off of Tomari were employed as an anchorage, and foreigners who came ashore thus did so in Tomari, and not in Naha proper. A monument still stands today at the [[Tomari International Cemetery]] marking that [[Commodore Perry]] came ashore near that spot in [[1853]].

In the 19th century, when European and American ships began to call at Ryûkyû, Ryukyuan and [[Satsuma han]] authorities did not wish to allow these ships into Naha Harbor; thus the water off of Tomari were employed as an anchorage, and foreigners who came ashore thus did so in Tomari, and not in Naha proper. A monument still stands today at the [[Tomari International Cemetery]] marking that [[Commodore Perry]] came ashore near that spot in [[1853]].