| Nishihara (西原町, Nishihara-chō, Okinawan: ニシバル, romanized: Nishibaru) is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. In the Okinawan language, nishi means "north" (in standard Japanese, however, it means "west"), as Nishihara was north of the historical Ryukyuan capital of Shuri.
As of October 2016, the town had an estimated population of 34,463 and a density of 2,200 persons per km². The total area is 15.84 square kilometres (6.12 sq mi).Situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of the city hall of Naha, Nishihara is surrounded by the cities, towns, and villages of Naha, Urasoe, Ginowan, Haebaru, Yonabaru, and Nakagusuku.Because both the University of the Ryukyus and the Okinawa Christian Junior College are located in Nishihara, and the Okinawa International University is located nearby, Nishihara's municipal slogan is "Education Town". |
