Shiokawa Utaki and Row of Fukugi Trees

This historical site is located just east of the urban area on the northern part of Tarama Island, which lies between Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island. The Utaki is a sacred site said to have been built by village commoners where they witnessed a miraculous flying stone come to rest. The beautifully scenic area has been designated as a Prefectural Natural Monument for the rows of fukugi trees that line the approximately 650-meter-long approach to the site and for the surrounding plant colony. The colony, which is densely populated by a variety of trees including yew plum pine, mastwood, and black ebony, serves as a windbreak that protects the Utaki.