【Designated by the City：Natural Monument (Flora)】Ako Embracing an Old Tomb.

In the southern part of the Uechi Settlement, there stands Nnakaya Utaki, a sacred site. In the Utaki, there is a tree embracing an old tomb considered to be around 500 years old. The tree is approximately 2.5 m in diameter, 8 m in height, 13 m in width north to south, and 17 m east to west. It is a giant tree shaped like an umbrella, which could double in size as the branches and leaves can develop if there are no typhoons for several years. Elders in the area say that the divine name for the old tomb is the God of Husband and Wife of Yamansa.

According to a history book titled “Miyako Shiden,” Meguromori-Tuyumya built Utaki sites in various places to stabilize people’s minds, and Mahuntono of Shirakawa became the first ruler of Shimoji. “Miyako Kyuki,” another history book, says his residence was located in Minamizato, Uechi. The people under the protection of the god enshrined in Nnakaya Utaki mainly consist of descendants of the ruling class families whose first names include the letter “恵” (blessing) or “玄” (profundity). This may be the reason why the local elders believe that the prominent figure entombed there could have been in the rank of chieftain.
Because of the similarity in structure and stone conditions, the old tomb is considered to have been created in the same period as the Dolmen of Yonaha.Based on the story of Shirakawa, the tree would be 430 years old, and on the story of a prominent figure of the war-torn era of Miyako, it would be approximately 600 years old.