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Okinawa

From Openwaterpedia
Steven Munatones completed a 29 km circumnavigation swim around Yonaguni Island in Okinawa in 7 hours 8 minutes in October 1994, televised on NHK-TV in Japan

Okinawa Island (Japanese: 沖縄本島) is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands (Nansei) of Japan. It is roughly 640 km (400 miles) south of the rest of Japan, roughly the same distance off the coast of China, and 300 miles north of Taiwan. Okinawa hosts the majority of the US troops stationed in Japan.

The island's population is known as one of the longest living people in the world with 34 centenarians per 100,000 people.

Okinawa Prefecture (Japanese: 沖縄県) is the southernmost prefecture of Japan. It comprises hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km (620 miles) long. The Ryukyus extend southwest from Kyushu (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan. The Okinawa Prefecture encompasses the southern two thirds of that chain. Naha, Okinawa's capital, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island.

Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands (琉球諸島) are a chain of volcanic Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni Island being the southernmost. The largest of the islands is Okinawa. The islands have a subtropical climate with mild winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very high, and is affected by the rainy season and typhoons. Except the outlying Daitō Islands, the island chain has two major geologic boundaries, the Tokara Strait between the Tokara and Amami Islands, and the Kerama Gap between the Okinawa and Miyako Islands. The islands beyond the Tokara Strait are characterized by their coral reefs.

Open Water Swimming in Japan

There are several ocean swimming competitions throughout Okinawa Prefecture. There are a few marathon swims including:

  • 500m, 1 km, 2 km, 4 km relay and 4 km solo Okinawa Nakijin Kourijima Open Water Swim Race] in Okinawa Prefecture
  • 500m, 1.5 km, 3 km and 5 km Shonan Swim Series Race in Katase Enoshima, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 500m, 2.5 km, 5 km Ishigakijima Open Water Swim, Okinawa
  • 500m and 4.5 km Tanabe Ogigahama Open Water Swim in Wakayama Prefecture
  • 500m, 1 km, 2 km, 4 km and 6 km Shonan Swim Series Race in Zaimokuza beach, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 500m, 1 km Okinawa Nakijin Kourijima Open Water Swim in Kourijima, Okinawa Prefecture
  • 500m and 2.5 km Shizuoka Ocha Open Water Swim in Shizuoka prefecture
  • 500m, 1 km, 2 km Minami Izu Yumigahama Open Water Swim in Yumigahama, Shizuoka
  • 500m, 800m, 1 km, 2 km Oiso Koyuruginohama Roughwater Swim in Oiso, Kanagawa, Prefecture
  • 500m, 1 km and 2 km Yokosuka Open Water Swim in Yokosuke, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 500m and 2.5 km Yakushima open water Swim
  • 500m, 1 km and 2 km Chiba Futtsu Open Water Swim in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture
  • 500m, 1 km, 2 km and 800m Kamakura Roughwater swim in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture
  • 1.6 km Tokyo Bay Open Water Swim 1-mile championship
  • 1 km, 2 km and 4.5 km Hayama Open Water Swim in Hayama Beach, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 1 km and 2.5 km Chigasaki-Eboshi Open Water Swim in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 500m, 1 km and 2.5 km Iwa-kaigan Open Water Swim
  • 500m, 1 km and 4.5 km Niijima Open Water Swim in Tokyo
  • 500m, 1 km, 2 km and 4 km Aichi open water swim race
  • 500m, 1 km, 2 km Fukuoka Genkai Munakata City Open Water Swim
  • 500m, 1 km, 2 km, 4 km NAC Big Swim in Toya in Lake Toya, Hokkaido
  • 500m, 1 km and 2 km Udon ken sanuki Open Water Swim in Sanuki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • 3 km Lake Inawashiro crossing swim race in Lake Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture
  • 2 km Sado open water swimming in Sado island, Niigata prefecture
  • Miura Suika Open Water Swim in Miura Beach, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Osaka Sennan open water swim race in Osaka Prefecture
  • 500m and 3.8 km Lake Biwa Open Water Swim in Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture
  • 3.2 km Himeji Ieshima Open Water Swim in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture
  • 10 km Shonan Open Water Swim (Zushi to Enoshima) in Kanagawa Prefecture
  • World Heritage Kumano Kodo Open Water Swim in Mie Prefecture
  • Wakasaji Open Water Swim in Wakasaji, Fukui Prefecture
  • 3.84 km Onjuku open swim race
  • Kumamoto Amakusa Open Water Swim in Kumamoto Prefecture
  • Atami open water swim Japan grand prix in Atami Beach, Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Minami Izu Yumigahama Open Water Swim International masters in Yumigahama, Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Setouchi Open Water Swim in Seto Shibukawa
  • Minami Boso open water swim race in Minami Boso, Chiba Prefecture
  • 6 km Shonan Swim Series Race Katase Enoshima, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Susaki Open Water Swim Splash in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture
  • Okinawa World heritage Seifutaki Open Water Swim in Okinawa Prefecture
  • 6 km Shonan Swim Series Race in Zaimokuza beach, Kanagawa prefecture

External links

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