Higashi, village in Kunigami district, Okinawa prefecture, Japan
Higashi is a village in Okinawa Prefecture located in the northern part of the island and made up of six administrative wards. The landscape features dense forests, open green spaces, and modest homes surrounded by lush vegetation, making it stand apart from busier areas of Okinawa.
The village was part of the larger Okinawa region with its own distinctive traditions. Since the late twentieth century, it has developed as a center for ecological tourism, with conservation efforts leading to the Hirugi Forest's designation as a natural monument and later its inclusion in a national park.
The name Higashi refers to its eastern location within Okinawa's northern reaches. The community keeps alive traditional crafts such as Bingata, a cloth dyeing technique using natural inks, which visitors can learn and practice through workshops offered locally.
The best way to explore is through guided tours that combine beaches, forests, and farms, offering forest walks, river kayaking, and mangrove exploration. Accommodation ranges from farm stays to quiet villas, many offering local meals and opportunities to learn traditional practices.
The village is home to the Hirugi Forest, the largest mangrove forest on the island, where rare hirugi trees grow in Gesashi Bay. Visitors can also see ancient trees here, including a giant magnolia and a large heritiera tree, both several centuries old and carefully protected by locals.
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