Kunigami

Forest covers about 84% of the village, and the spine of mountains led by Yonaha-dake splits it between the East China Sea and the Pacific. Rivers run off both sides, the Hiji and the Benoki among them on the west and the Aha on the east. The village bird is the Yanbaru kuina, which locals call agachi or yamaduï.

Most of life gathers along Route 58 on the west coast, around the village office at Hentona and the resort and roadside station at Okuma. The east coast, through Oku, Aha and Ada, is a hilly, empty road with village co-op stores and long gaps between them.

This is the far end of any Yanbaru ride. The loop round the north, up the west coast to Cape Hedo and back down the east side, is the big day in the region, and food planning matters, so stock up at Yuiyui Kunigami at Okuma before the run north.