Located 57 km in the North-west of Okinawa Island, Aguni Island is one of few places in Okinawa in which well-preserved yashikirin (premises forest) of fukugi (Garcinia subelliptica) trees can still be seen. This study analyses the physical characteristics of yashikirin in the villages of Higashi and Nishi on Aguni by measuring the actual size of the trees. It finds that the number of fukugi trees in these villages is approximately 9,800 and that the trees have been deliberately planted along the specific sides of premises to respond to the climate of the island, particularly during the winter months. It also suggests that the historical development of the village may be traced by the distibution of larger (older) fukugi trees.
