Yomitan Village Scenic Spot “Zanpa-misaki”
Cape Zanpa is said to be “the place where the sun sets last on the main island of Okinawa”. Well, Cape Zanpa is located at the westernmost point in the central and northern part of Okinawa, so I think it’s called that, but every time I hear that, I think, “No, Naha Airport is the westernmost point on the main island of Okinawa…”. Zanpamisaki Park is designated as “the National designation Okinawa coast park” and is a scenic spot with “pandanus tectorius”, “Scaevola taccada”, and rugged Ryukyu limestone rocks. The sea on the west side of the park is shallow and is a coral-colony surrounded by coral reefs called “inou”.
Driving west on the peninsular road of Yomitan, the end of the road is the parking lot of Zanpa-misaki Park.
There are a large parking lot that I think can park 150 cars, and there is also a parking lot along the road in front of the park, and there is also a big parking lot in the adjacent “Cape Zanpa-misaki relaxation Square”, so based on my experience, it does not happen that you come by car and there is no parking lot.
…May be.
Yomitan Village has US military bases such as Tori Station, and Americans often come here, so signs like this have long been written in both Japanese and English.
When you walk into the park from the parking lot, you can see a bus stopped.
It’s a sort of the famous landmark, called “Zanpa-misaki Kinjo Parlor”.
“Thanks to you, the 54th anniversary!! Since 1969”
The phrase is written on the bus, and I was a little surprised by its history.
The parlor has a table with five parasols lining up, to keep visitors cooler.
In today’s tourist destinations in Okinawa,
・Shaved ice 350 yen
・American dog 300 yen
・Hot coffee 250 yen
・Hamburger 550 yen
This is a surprisingly inexpensive price.
There is a lighthouse on the left front of Kinjo Parlor.
And walking a little on the promenade leading to the right side,
There is the “Taiki’s Sculpture/泰期像”.
He was the first person dispatched to China as a tribute envoy by royal order in the latter half of the 14th century during the Ryukyu Kingdom era,
and he is called the “god of commerce”, because he was the catalyst for the great trading era of the Ryukyus.
A carpet of green leaves spreads out.
Healed me so much~.
At the top of the hill is a place of worship called “Nishi no Kaminoya/Western god’ house.” which is believed to bring blessings for safe sailing and good luck in warfare.
There is also a pair of places of worship called “Higashi no kaminoya/Eastern god’ house.” about 900 meters east along the sea.
Zanpa-misaki lighthouse floating in the sea of green plants.
Good vibes, isn’t it.
“Kotei Bushi Poetry Monument“.
It is a monument of the Ryukyuan classical music “Koteibushi”.
大北の牡牛や
なじち葉ど
好ちゅる
わした若者
や
花ど好ちゅる
It means “Let’s live like the vitality of Ryukyu pine, which never withers all year round”.
It’s an Okinawan dialect, so it’s too hard to translate it.
Zanpa-misaki Park is designated as “the National designation Okinawa coast park”.
Coastal vegetation representative of the subtropics can be seen, and there is raised coral reef coastal vegetation on the northwest side of the cape.
Well, the point is that the rare subtropical plants and raised coral reefs are wonderful.
Zanpa-misaki lighthouse.
The only shade in this park is the shade of this lighthouse.
Well, except for the five umbrellas at Kinjo Parlor.
So there are many people in the shade of the lighthouse.
Entrance fee to the lighthouse: ¥300 for adults (junior high school students and older)
Visiting hours:
[March to September]
Saturdays and Sundays 9:30-17:30
Weekdays 9:30-16:30
[October to February]
9:30-16:30
Contact: Zanpa-misaki Branch TEL: 098-958-3041
Mmm… the observatory of this lighthouse is so small that 30 people cannot climb it at the same time.
Zanpa-misaki Lighthouse is surrounded by rugged Ryukyu limestone rocks.
Beyond that, cliffs with a height of 30m continue for 2km.
This rocky stretch…
Everybody go deep inside.
Chinese, Taiwanese, Koreans, Japanese, Western tourists, and locals alike, all go onto the rocky terrain.
Well, I know, Everybody probably want to see the cliffs and the sea, but the rocky area is more popular than the lighthouse side…
The last time we came here as a group of 6, I remember feeling nervous that someone might get lost because some of us were trying to go deeper into the rocky area even though it was getting darker and darker at sunset.
This mother and boy were also going deeper and deeper into the rocky area if I left them alone.
I send a message to them said “We about to go to the next place.”.
It’s hard to tell from the picture, but at this moment, the rocky area was the most crowded.
No, not just today, Everytime like this when I come here…
…and we are always like this too…