【Designated by the City：Tangible Cultural Properties (Structure)】Former Nishinaka Cooperative Sugar Refinery Site

At the Former Nishinaka Cooperative Sugar Refinery Site, you can find the “Former Nishinaka Cooperative Sugar Refinery Chimney,” which represents Miyako Island’s key industry, the sugar refinery business. For the rarity of being a remain of sugar refinery factories in Okinawa from the early Showa Era, the site was nationally designated as a tangible cultural property in June 2013. What remains today are the one of two chimneys and an adjacent water tank for cooling the boiler. Also, fallen bricks that were scattered around the area were gathered in one place and buried under the ground when the surrounding area was prepared for farming use. The Nishinaka Cooperative Sugar Refinery was established in 1942 and operated 2 or 3 times before it was forcefully requisitioned by the former Imperial Japanese Army at which time operation was forced to cease, and it never resumed its operation again after the war. Around 1960, the chimneys, that were severely damaged during the war, were to be demolished to ensure safety of the community; however, the factory was decided to be preserved in commemoration of Seiichiro Nakamura, who made great efforts for the construction of the factory, and this is how the factory still stands today. It is an important site for understanding the history of sugar refinery business in Miyako Island.