Nishitou

History of Taketomi Island

It does not understand well from about what time a man come to live in Taketomijima. However, it is thought that a person who took marine products and was living around the 12th century from the 11th century has resided permanently, and there was from the KAIJI beach shell mound considered to be the oldest from the remains which come out.
From the ruins of Niisato-mura, earthenware, the China pottery, etc. which will be considered to be a thing around the 14th century from the 12th century are discovered. At this time, it is thought that agriculture had started. The colony was made from the 15th century to the 16th century by the central part of an island.

Taketomijima has the legend of having been made by six kings who have moved from other islands. It also believes in six kings as "God of MUYAMA (six mountains)" now. It does not know clearly about what time six kings (a tribe's merit) have migrated to the island, respectively. However, each part fellows did the intense struggle for power, respectively, and though it was opposed to each other, they began to follow the way to coexistence gradually. Moreover, it is said that it came to perform a TANEDORI festival at these days. The situation is left behind also as tradition of a TANEDORI festival.

It became in the second half of the 15th century, and the Ryukyu dynasty came to conquer Yaeyama with the NAKASONE-TOIMYA who unified Miyako. Each part fellows including OYAKEAKAHACHI had fought for the islands in Yaeyama at the time. OYAKEAKAHACHI will be most opposed to strength and the Ryukyu dynasty in influence.
After all, the Ryukyu dynasty is lost in OYAKEAKAHACHI and the Yaeyama islands were henceforth included in the Ryukyu dynasty. At this time, Nishitou which had a talent found out by the captain who tried to pull up to Shuri was taken to Shuri. Then, a name will be known as a technical engineer of a stone.

NISHITOU which demonstrated the talent by the Ryukyu dynasty can give Governor of Yaeyama, and returns to Taketomi about the middle of the 16th century. NISHITOU which returned to Taketomi moves the public office in Yaeyama to the distiller of Taketomijima first. However, it transferred to the stone wall immediately from geographical inconvenience.
Activity of NISHITOU reorganized splendidly the politics of Yaeyama which continued also after that and was confused, and it succeeded in making the public unite.

The domain fief of Satsuma invaded Ryukyu and conquered the Ryukyu dynasty in 1609. Yaeyama also serves as the colony of the domain fief of Satsuma and it comes to reign over Yaeyama doubly from the domain fief of Satsuma and the Ryukyu dynasty henceforth.
The imposition of the "NINTOU tax" known as severest taxation system on the world history started in 1637. By serious oppression, other politics also emigrated residents compulsorily for new land cultivation, and, as a result, residents were wiped out of malaria. Moreover, according to the tsunami calamity of Meiwa in 1771, about 10,000 persons pass away and the population of Yaeyama decreases from 30,000 persons to 1/3.

The Ryukyu dynasty became Okinawa Prefecture, when it becomes the Meiji government and establishment of prefectural system was performed. However, with origin, the administrative organ in Yaeyama was left as it was until the NINTOU tax was also abolished in 1903.

The Ryukyu dynasty became Okinawa Prefecture, when it becomes the Meiji government and establishment of prefectural system was performed. The poll tax was abolished at last in 1903, administrative reform also progressed after that, Taketomi-mura was born in 1914, and modernization progressed also in respect of society, education, and culture. Although population swelled, it went up and after the Second World War temporarily got confused, it is promoted to Taketomi-city and Taketomi-village will enter a new time in 1948.