Okinawa's Tricky Place Names: How to Read Chatan, Nakijin & Bin
Look at a map of Okinawa and you'll find place names that defy the instincts you bring from mainland Japan. Many take old Ryukyuan words or ancient land names and write them straight into kanji, so the readings hold the islands' history and character. Let's trace some of the most notable tricky place names.
Okinawan place names often can't be read by either the on or kun readings of the kanji. Learn the words and land origins behind them and they become far easier to remember.
Here we cover names you'll often meet while traveling, as well as ones locals know as especially hard to read.
Names That Look Readable but Aren't
Chatan (北谷)Chatan
You may be tempted to read it "Kitadani," but the correct reading is "Chatan." It is home to American Village (Mihama), a shopping district built on land returned from U.S. military facilities, and a popular town for watching the sunset.
Source:北谷町公式ホームページ
Nakijin (今帰仁)Nakijin
It is not "Imakijin" but "Nakijin." Here stand the Nakijin Castle ruins, once the seat of the king of Hokuzan (the Northern Kingdom), and a component of the World Heritage "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu."
Source:今帰仁村公式ホームページ
Iriomote (西表)Iriomote
It is not "Nishiomote" but "Iriomote." In Okinawa, west is sometimes read "iri" and east "agari," and this is the prime example. The island is also a World Natural Heritage site, home to the Iriomote cat.
Source:竹富町公式ホームページ
Haebaru (南風原)Haebaru
It is not "Minamikazehara" but "Haebaru." "Hae" (南風) refers to a wind blowing from the south. It is also known as the only municipality in Okinawa Prefecture that does not face the sea.
Source:南風原町公式ホームページ
Kyan (喜屋武)Kyan
Three characters, read simply "Kyan." Cape Kyan, near the southern tip of Okinawa Island, is a scenic spot of cliffs and open sea. The reading is also seen as a surname.
Source:糸満市公式ホームページ
Bin (保栄茂)Bin
Three characters, yet read simply "Bin." It is famous as one of the hardest place names to read in all of Okinawa. The city's own name, Tomigusuku (豊見城), has a twist to it as well.
Source:豊見城市公式ホームページ
FAQ
Why does Okinawa have so many tricky place names?
Because many were formed by writing Ryukyuan words (shimakutuba) or old land names into kanji. The kanji readings drift from the actual pronunciation, so they are hard to read at first sight.
How is the character for "castle" (城) read in place names?
In Okinawa it is often read "gusuku." Tamagusuku (玉城) and Tomigusuku (豊見城) are prime examples—a word that shifted from the meaning of "shiro" (castle).
What do "iri" and "agari" mean?
They are Okinawan ways of marking direction: "iri" for the west where the sun sets, "agari" for the east where it rises. Traces remain in Iriomote (西表) and in place names in Higashi Village.
Any tips for memorizing tricky place names?
Rather than rote-learning the readings alone, the quickest route is to learn them together with the land's origin and the meaning of the words. Terms tied to terrain and nature—capes, castles, winds—make good clues.