Tower of Nagomi

A Village Lookout on Taketomi Island

The Tower of Nagomi (なごみの塔, Nagomi-no-to) is a reinforced-concrete lookout tower built in 1953 in Akayama Park at the centre of the western village of Taketomi Island, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 27, 2006. Residents of the western village, Innota, built it as a broadcasting platform for village announcements (Taketomi Island Visitor Center Yugafukan).

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as reinforced concrete, 4.5 metres high, with an area of 51 square metres; registration number 47-0016, owned by the Taketomijima Innota-kai and managed by Taketomi Town. The Agency's own description gives the tower's height as 4 metres, so the record is not consistent on this point.

Built to Carry the Village's Voice

According to Yugafukan, after the war Taketomi was crowded with people returning from Taiwan and mainland Japan, at one point more than 2,000. In 1949 the western villagers, wanting to replace their worn-out broadcasting platform, took over the hill of Akayama, by then a rubbish dump, turned it into a park and built the tower in it.

The name Nagomi expresses the wish that everyone in the village live together in harmony (Yugafukan). Once modern sound equipment arrived the tower lost its broadcasting role and became a much-loved viewpoint over the island.

Why It Was Registered

The Tower of Nagomi was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it is loved by the islanders and has become a symbol of Taketomi.

What to Look For

According to the Agency, the Tower of Nagomi stands on stone walls built on top of a 6-metre hill. A lookout platform sits on a column 0.6 metres thick, reached by a stair of 8 steps. The hill and walls lift the small tower high enough to look over the village roofs on this flat island.

Yugafukan notes that the park also holds a star-watching stone, a stone horse and a drum stone. The tower is best understood as the centrepiece of a park the villagers made for themselves.

Visiting the Tower of Nagomi

The Tower of Nagomi stands in Akayama Park and can be seen from outside. According to the Kinki Nippon Tourist travel guide, climbing has been prohibited since 2016 because of deterioration. It is about a 15-minute walk from Taketomi Higashi Port (same guide).