Cape Manzamo, Okinawa | Japan is Nippon

A seaside cape in Onna praised by a Ryukyu king as a field where 10,000 could sit. An elephant-trunk rock juts into the East China Sea, glowing at sunset.

The flat grassy plateau on top of Cape Manzamo with a fenced walking path along the cliff edge — Photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rugged coral limestone cliffs and a sea cave at Cape Manzamo — Photo: そらみみ (Soramimi), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The king's "field for ten thousand to sit"

Cape Manzamo is a headland on the west coast of Onna Village, in the central part of Okinawa's main island. The story goes that its name dates from 1726, when Sho Kei, king of the Ryukyu Kingdom (the independent kingdom that once ruled Okinawa), visited and praised it as a mō big enough for ten thousand people to sit on. Mō is the Okinawan word for a field or meadow.

The top of the cape is covered in natural turf, which, together with the community of plants growing on the limestone, is designated a natural monument of Okinawa Prefecture. There is also a stone inscribed with a poem by Onna Nabi, a female poet of the Ryukyu Kingdom, making this a place closely tied to Ryukyuan song and culture.

Elephant Trunk Rock and the sea cliffs

The tip of the cape is a cliff of Ryukyu limestone about 20m high. It was formed when a coral reef was pushed up out of the sea, and it is known for a rock shaped like an elephant's trunk.

At the foot of the cliff, waves smash white against the rocks, and on a clear day the blue sea stretches all the way to the horizon. A walking path runs along the clifftop so you can take in the view as you go.

The visitor building and when to go

In October 2020 a visitor facility, the Manzamo Area Revitalisation Facility, opened at the entrance to the cape. It has souvenir shops on the ground floor and places to eat on the first floor, and you can look out over the sea from its free observation deck and wooden deck. Entering the Manzamo walking path costs a small viewing fee for everyone of primary school age and up.

The walking path is open until sunset. The cape faces the sea to the west, so sunset is an especially good time to visit.

Getting there

It is about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by car from Naha Airport, or about 20 minutes from the Yaka interchange on the Okinawa Expressway. There is a free car park. By local bus, get off at Onnason Yakuba-mae (Onna Village Office) and walk about 15 minutes.

Tips

The path is only open until sunset, so if you want to watch the sun go down, arrive early and get onto the path in good time.
In bad weather such as typhoons the facilities may close. Okinawa gets a lot of typhoons, so check the official website if the weather looks doubtful.
The observation deck in the entrance building is free. If you're short of time, just looking out to sea from there gives you a good feel for the place.