Ao no Yukuru Kan Visitor Center was added to Your Favorites!
Keramashoto NP, Okinawa
Claim this place to tell your story your way.
One ship model in the center has a real Zamami backstory: Ryukyu tribute ships and Chinese investiture vessels once waited for favorable winds at Ago no Ura harbor, while a hilltop beacon signaled their approach to Naha.
Look up: leaping bonito decorate the eaves in honor of Zamami’s once-important fishing trade. Its dried “Kerama-bushi” was prized at Naha’s market, but the local fishery eventually ended as successors dwindled.
The center’s VR dive was filmed with a 12K, 360-degree underwater system its makers described as the world’s only one. Visitors can turn their gaze through the reef as if they were underwater themselves.
An exhibit featuring parrotfish teeth explains a surprising source of beach sand: as the fish scrape algae-covered coral, they grind and pass tiny carbonate fragments. Some of that reef sediment can help supply white beaches.
The center’s island-life story follows the seasons and moon phases—a living calendar in Zamami. The village says monthly rites still follow the old lunar calendar, including autumn’s Umi Ugan, a prayer for the sea.
A miniature sabani in the center’s upstairs gallery represents a traditional wooden fishing boat. Since 2000, sabani crews have raced from Furuzamami Beach toward Naha Harbor, carrying this seafaring craft into the present.
The landscaping uses Zamami-sourced soil and plants to avoid bringing in organisms from elsewhere. Even coral fragments sorted from local excavated soil were washed and reused as garden mulch.
The land-hermit-crab replica was painted part by part because its body colors vary across sections; makers even reproduced its delicate patches of hair. It doubles as a clue for spotting the real crab outdoors.
The first-floor entrance curtain was woven by Uruma artisan Chika Miyara after she visited Zamami. Using Ryukyu indigo and the traditional teibana flower-weaving technique, she named it “Moon Road” for moonlight reflected on the sea.
The red-and-white roof uses specially developed Chura tiles modeled on Ryukyu roofing. Their baked-on white glaze imitates plaster, while the bonded tiles are designed to stand up to strong winds.
The center’s turtle-and-coral emblem has a slightly uneven eye by design. Its creators wanted the turtle to look not only endearing, but also like a strong wild animal.
“Ao” means blue, for the Kerama sea; “Yukuru” captures the hope that visitors will relax and take their time on the island. The name is a little reminder to enjoy the center at an unhurried pace.
