Shimuku-gama
シムクガマShimuku-gama26°24′ N 127°44′ EMemorial1 April 1945
Shimuku-gama in Hanza, Yomitan, is the cave where about 1,000 villagers sheltered when US forces landed on 1 April 1945, and around a thousand came out alive after two older men who had lived in Hawaii persuaded them to surrender. It is a natural cave that can flood after rain, and the local museum leads guided walks there.
As American air raids and naval shelling intensified in March 1945, about 1,000 people from Hanza moved into this limestone cave, which has two mouths and runs for some 2,570 m. On 1 April the Americans landed on the Yomitan coast and a unit with tanks reached the cave. When soldiers approached the entrance with rifles raised, the crowd inside panicked and pushed deeper into the dark because they believed they were about to be killed.
Two men from the village had lived in Hawaii and come home. Higa Heiji was 72 and Higa Heizo 63, and they calmed the crowd in their own language, telling them Americans do not kill people, and then led them out to surrender. Around a thousand lives were saved. Hanza later placed a memorial inside the cave, the Kyumei Dokutsu no Hi or monument to the cave that saved lives, to thank them.
About 60 people sheltered in the smaller Agari-shimuku-gama nearby, and they all came out safely when the call reached them too. Shards of their pottery still lie on that cave's floor. Chibichiri-gama, where 83 people died the next day, lies less than 1 km to the northwest on the village's war-site map, and the Yuntanza Museum's walks visit both.
Visiting with care
Shimuku-gama is a natural limestone cave about 2,570 m long, and it remains a memorial site for the people of Hanza.
- The cave is reached on foot along farm paths in Hanza
- Check the weather before you go, because the village warns that the cave can flood
- The memorial stone to the two men who saved the shelterers stands inside the cave mouth
- Yuntanza Museum runs guided walks to Shimuku-gama and Chibichiri-gama
- The people of Hanza raised the memorial inside the cave to thank the two men who led them out; treat it as their shrine
- Pottery shards from the people who sheltered here still lie in nearby Agari-shimuku-gama; leave them where they are
- Speak quietly and take your rubbish with you
Worth knowing
- Join a Yuntanza Museum walk, which visits Shimuku-gama and Chibichiri-gama by village minibus; places on the June 2026 walk were limited to 25.
- Bring a torch and shoes with grip if you go alone, and stay near the entrance.
- Skip it after heavy rain; the village warns the cave can flood.
FAQ
Quick answers about Shimuku-gamaよくある質問
What happened at Shimuku-gama?
About 1,000 people from Hanza sheltered in Shimuku-gama when US forces landed in Yomitan on 1 April 1945. Higa Heiji and Higa Heizo had come home from Hawaii, and they persuaded the shelterers to surrender, so around a thousand lives were saved.
Can you visit Shimuku-gama?
Yes, with care. Shimuku-gama is a natural cave in Yomitan with a memorial stone inside its mouth, and the village warns that it can flood after rain. The Yuntanza Museum runs guided walks there.
How should you behave at Shimuku-gama?
At Shimuku-gama: The people of Hanza raised the memorial inside the cave to thank the two men who led them out; treat it as their shrine. Pottery shards from the people who sheltered here still lie in nearby Agari-shimuku-gama; leave them where they are. Speak quietly and take your rubbish with you.
Within 6 km
See nearby見る
Within 6 km
Eat and drink nearby食
Within 6 km
Culture nearby文化
Book it
Line up the trip around Shimuku-gama
Some of these links pay us a commission. It costs you nothing and keeps the guide independent.