【Designated by the City：Natural Monument (Flora)】Plant Communities of Tobitori Utaki Sacred Site

As a protruding coral reef, this is a natural, educational garden of great importance where we can compare and learn the forestation layer structures with other regions. Further, this location has been carefully protected since long ago as an important habitation (nesting) for wild birds, and for protecting the surrounding farms from wind, and also as a sacred site.
According to the history book, “Miyakojima Kiji-Shitsugi,” edited in the middle of the 18th century, a few centuries before, this area was called the Nisume-Magiri. The head of this Magiri was Tobitori-jiji, known in his youth as Matobugane, and he was reputed to be “courageous as a tiger, and fast like a flying bird,” and that is the reason for his name. He was challenged to an archery match at the shores of Shirakawahama by Okimezore-tono, but was defeated, pierced in the eyes under a devious plot. The settlement and the Nisume-jo castle was broken after losing its master, but later, enshrined the Tobitori-jiji and called it the Tobitori Utaki.

According to the history book “Yoseikyuki,” the Nisume-jo castle at that time measured 163.8m in length and 83.7m in width, and the gate faced the southwest.