A Hidden Cultural Site within Futenma Air Station

Haitai everyone! M here, to introduce interesting facts about cultural sites in the Futenma Air Station😄.

Today we will touch on an important historical site, surrounded by a quiet forest, called the "Kamiyama Kushinuka Spring".

It is registered as one of the 14 most important archaeological sites in Ginowan City and stands as a vital source for understanding the history of the region👆.

This site that is currently on base, was once a place that supported the daily lives of local people.

The Kamiyama Kushinuka Spring was a Mura-ga (village spring) built by stacking cut stones within a natural cave. In front of this structure was a Kumui (reservoir), which created a structure that was designed to collect water.

The water from this spring was used for daily life and traditional ceremonies✨. According to legend, the water was used as Ubumiji (birth water) for newborns and Wakamiji (young water), drawn on New Year’s Day 😯.

However, it was not typically used for drinking, as the water would often turn cloudy when it rained. Instead, it served primarily as a place for doing laundry or as a spot for men and women to play in the water 🫧.

Upstream lies the source of the spring, known as "Kushinukagashira", and because it produced large volumes of water, it was a very popular spot for collecting water.

📌 Side Note: During the Battle of Okinawa, "Kushinukagashira" served as a shelter where around 100 people took refuge.

After the war, laundry services for American soldiers increased, so the villagers began using Kushinuka as their primary workplace for this new job.

These black-and-white photos, taken in the 1950s, offer a precious glimpse of what Kushinuka looked like before the stonework collapsed.

In fact, the mother of Mr. Tomikawa (from the Kamiyama Hometown Association) used to do laundry work here. When Mr. Tomikawa was a young boy, he often accompanied his mother to help and watch her work. Based on those childhood memories, he even painted an oil painting of the scene!

It’s such an interesting and lovely piece of art, isn't it? 😌

When we first went to the Kamiyama Kushinuka Spring for a cultural property survey in 2024, we discovered a sight that deemed worthy of an 'Akisamiyo!' (OMG). A massive Banyan tree had snapped and fallen, totally barricading the entrance to the spring! 😨

It was practically impossible to conduct the survey in that state 😔.

We were quite taken aback by this unexpected situation, but we were able to clear the fallen tree and finally plan to resume the survey starting this fiscal year! Moving forward, I will be sharing more information, including the discoveries we make during our investigation😄.

Thank you for reading! 👋