Kin, Okinawa

Kin 金武町
—  Town  —
Kin Town Office
Location of Kin in Okinawa
Kin
Coordinates: 26°27′22″N 127°55′34″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Okinawa
District	Kunigami
Area
• Total	37.57 km2 (14.51 sq mi)
Population (March 31, 2008)
• Total	11,037
• Density	294/km2 (760/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Chinese fan palm
- Flower	Sakura
Phone number	098-968-2111
Address	1 Aza Kin, Kin-cho, Kunigami-gun 904-1292
Website	Kin official website in Japanese

Kin (金武町, Kin-chō, Kunigami & Okinawan: Chin) is a town located in Kunigami District, Okinawa, Japan.

As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 11,037 and a density of 294 persons per km². The total area is 37.57 km².

Additionally, Kin is home to some of the finest awamori, a Japanese spirit, of the main island of Okinawa. It is also home to Camp Hansen; a U.S. Marine Corps base that supports ground combat, communications, 31st MEU(SOC), 7th Communication Battalion, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3d MEF Headquarters Group, 3 MEF Special Operations Training Group Small Craft Raid Platoon and other battle elements.

Kin is home to the Dragon Brand of awamori, with a beautiful Buddhist shrine built in 1522, and a 270 meter natural cave known as Kin Shonyudo that doubles as both a place of worship and a cellar for aging bottles of the drink. Both locations are popular with the Japanese, but little-known to most Westerners, making their visit a must-do activity for any adventurer.

Historically, Kin is known as an entertainment location for the U.S. Marines stationed there. Although the town encompasses more than the location outside Camp Hansen, it is mostly known by Marines as a place to find a meal, a drink, or a "date." Women under contract (playfully called "buy-me drinkie girls" by the military personnel) inhabit most of the bars in Kin and, while legally fulfilling the role of "bar-hostesses" are also sometimes prostitutes.^{[citation needed]}

Although there have been recent military backlashes in Okinawa, Kin is very welcoming to the military, as they receive income for such things as port use, tourism, prostitution and sex trade, and merchants. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Marines from U.S. 3d Marine Division were able to leave directly out of the ports in Kin via HSV Ferry to deploy to other areas in the Far East rather than flying.

External links

• Kin Shinyo Monument - erected in remembrance of 22nd Shinyo Special Attack Squadron members who died in World War II.