Creation of Miyako Island

At the beginning of the world, the King of Heaven ordered Yagumi, a god, to create islands in the world. So, after being left to do his work, Yagumi set out to follow the King's orders. On Earth, he looked and looked for a stone column for his plan and creation. Finally, he found the stone that he was searching for and with his incredible strength, he threw it into the sea and called it the Miyako Islands. The King was very satisfied with Yagumi's work, so he then called the god Kui Tsunu and the goddess Kui Tama to go down to the Miyako Islands to populate them. Kui Tsunu and Kui Tama descended onto the Harimizu Shrine where they still reside to watch and protect the islands.

In fact, the island's name, "Miyako" first came into record in 1317 in Chinese manuscripts.

Head Tax Stone

The Head Tax Stone stands at 4 ft. 7 in.

In 1609, the Satsuma clan of Kyushu invaded Okinawa and the people of Okinawa experienced a period of suffering under the new rule. Any man and women aged 15-50 of Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island had to pay heavy tax for the new ruler. Due to the severity of this, a legend was born that anyone taller than the height of the Head Tax Stone had to pay the tax.

In 1902, after a petition was sent to the Meiji Government and the Parliament, the decision was made. Finally in 1903, the law of taxation ended due to a movement that was started by several citizens. Until then, the islanders had suffered tremendously under this tax for about 300 years.

Tidal Disaster

In 1771, a big tidal wave called "Meiwa" flooded Miyako Island and killed over 2,500 people.

Miyako to the Rescue

In 1873, the German ship, Robertson, was shipwrecked in Miyako Island after a typhoon. Fortunately, the German crew was saved by the people of Ueno village, in Miyako Island. The Germans were very grateful for the hospitality of the islanders, so the German emperor sent a monument as tribute to Ueno village.

Miyako's Return

After World War II, Okinawa, including the Miyako Islands, became governed under the United States for 28 years. In 1972, Okinawa was finally returned to Japan after persuasion from the Japanese government.