Faraway places attract people
In Okinawa, there are songs of a different scale, cuisine soft to your tongue,
words that resonate in your ears, a sea full of light,
customs that connect us to the distant past.
And an even more profound history of the Ryukyu kingdom.
Take yourself there, if you can.
If not now, send out your mind entrusting yourself to these keywords.
Send your longing heart to the islands.
May “Amakuma Ryukyu” be that port of entry.
Editor's Pick
Ryukyu Ayu-fish
A while back, ayu-fish different from those of mainland Japan … Continued
Tanetori Festival (Seeds Picking Festival)
Tanetori is an agricultural event in which rice seeds are … Continued
Kuba (Chinese Fan Tree)
It has become harder in city areas like Naha, but … Continued
Pōpō (Okinawan Crêpe)
With its outside wooden walls painted a pale, faint blue, … Continued
Bukubukū-cha (Bukubuku Tea)
The ample foam rising above the teacup, the savory fragrance … Continued
Coral Reef
Rachel Carson classified the seashore into three types: (1) a … Continued
Sashiba (Grey-faced Buzzard)
I don’t know who started it; sashiba are sometimes called … Continued
Tsuki nu kaisha
When me and my wife found out we were having … Continued
Hījā (Goat)
Exhausted after the sports day, a bowl of hījā (goat) … Continued
Kūbu (Konbu kelp)
Kūbu means konbu (kelp). It is one of the main … Continued
Shichi (Arrival of the new season)
On the day to celebrate the new season1 in the … Continued
Naha Otsunahiki Festival
People are suffering from the heat all over Japan, yet … Continued
Shishi-mai (Lion Dance)
Shishi-mai—the lion dance is a folk performing art traditionally handed … Continued
Panari Earthenware
Okinawan wares can be roughly divided into two, Jō-yachi and … Continued
Hachigatsu Odori in Tarama
Tarama Island is located right in-between Miyako and Ishigaki Islands. … Continued
Coconut Crab (Yashigani)
Miyako Island was the first place I saw a coconut … Continued
Medaka (Rice Fish)
As its English name indicates, medaka (rice fish) is a … Continued
Sotetsu (Sago Palm)
Some hot springs are called “Hell of XXX”.1 A heaven-like … Continued
The Ryukyuken
Just as there are unchināchu humans—in other words, Okinawans—there are … Continued
Happiness Tree
When the wind blows, the leaves of the happiness tree … Continued
Kankarā Sanshin
The year 1995 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end … Continued
Shikina-en
Shikina-en also known as Shichinanu udwun reduced to ashes in … Continued
Ryūka (Okinawan Poetry)
An assumption says that what was simply called “uta”—song or … Continued
ONNA Nabe and YOSHIYA Chiru
They are said to be the two greatest female poets … Continued
Light Railway
Okinawa is the only prefecture in Japan without a railway. … Continued
Suzu-Ishi (Ringing Stones)
A rounded stone, with a size that would fit nicely … Continued
Latin American Dishes
Latin Americans are known for their love of music and … Continued
Field Party (Mō-ashibi)
Mō (毛) means “wild field” in the Okinawan language. It … Continued
Flying foxes
I first learned of flying foxes when I was asked … Continued
Mibae (Fruit Flies)
“Do you know mibae (fruit flies)?” If you ask the … Continued
Sanpin-cha (Jasmine tea)
Living in such a hot climate, Okinawan people have been … Continued
Kanzashi (Ornamental Hairpin)
At the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom (before the abolition … Continued
Tōri-Ike (Passage Pond)
A 40~50 minutes boat ride to the west from the … Continued
Shima Banana (Island Banana)
Everyone knows a banana. That scentless, lightly flavored, thick-skinned, fat, … Continued
Minatogawa Man
Homo sapiens of about 18,000 years ago. The first fossiled … Continued
Kani hanriru
To get senile. Okinawa is an island with a reputation … Continued
Tōtoganashi
In the Amami Islands, people pray to their ancestors at … Continued
Beniimo (Purple yam)
Beniimo is a type of sweet potato that is popular … Continued
Kibinago (Silver-stripe Round Herring)
Kibinago, the silver-stripe round herring, is called sururu in Okinawa. … Continued
War-time Malaria
As the organized resistance by the Japanese military was about … Continued
Yamakunibū
“About yamakunibū…” … Continued
Kerama Deer
My father's home island is a small island called Geruma. … Continued
Spoils of War
There was a time when the people of Okinawa took … Continued
Golden Gate Club
The American study abroad program by the Government Aid and … Continued
Kami Asagi
In general, a building where the noro (priestess) performs religious … Continued
The Ruddy Kingfisher
In Kijoka—known as the village of bashōfu fabric—in Ogimi there … Continued
Minyō-sakaba
A minyō-sakaba is a pub where you can see live … Continued
Ryukyu Murasaki
Countless varieties of butterflies can be found on Okinawa Island … Continued
Southwest Air Lines
In a connecting bus at the Haneda Airport, some young … Continued
Tōkachi and Kajimayā
Tōkachi (August 8 on the lunar calendar) is an event … Continued
Unexploded Ordinance
In the summer, I like to go to outlying islands. … Continued
Yonagunisan
Yonagunisan (Attacus atlas ryukyuensis) is one of the biggest moths … Continued
Ōshima Tsumugi
A type of fabric. Albeit the fact that it is … Continued
Ryukyu Wild Boar
An outstanding beast among the land animals of Okinawa—Ryukyu wild … Continued
Shīmī (Qingming Festival)
“We had shīmī yesterday.” … Continued
Okinawa Bunko (Okinawa Library)
Okinawa Bunko is a series of mini encyclopedias about Okinawan … Continued
SENAGA Kamejiro
(1907~2001) Senaga Kamejiro, who was nicknamed “Kame-san (Mr. Turtle)” by … Continued
Amami Rabbit
February 23rd 1995, Amami rabbits, Amami jay, and others—both special … Continued
Artificially-Lighted Chrysanthemum
As you drive down Yanbaru or the southern part of … Continued
Thirty-six Families of Kume
The Thirty-six Families of Kume are the Chinese people, and … Continued
JAHANA Noboru
The eldest son of Jahana Katsutaro, Jahana Noboru was born … Continued
Sakurazaka
They say that long ago bandits and highwaymen began to … Continued
Giant Clams
The first time anyone sees any member of the giant … Continued
Praying for Rain
In Okinawa, typhoon and drought are two natural phenomena that … Continued
Hinukan (god of fire)
Hinukan (god of fire) is usually enshrined near the kitchen … Continued
Twunji-bīsa
Twunji-bīsa (winter solstice chill) is the seasonal wind that blows … Continued
Kasutera-kamaboko
A man from Shuri once told me that he didn’t … Continued
Finger-whistling
When the kachāshī starts, anyone there would instantly begin whistling … Continued
Folk Music Labels
The Ryukyu archipelago has walked history on a different path … Continued
CHINA Sadao
During the Okinawan music boom in the early 1990s, there … Continued
Shell Ginger
“Hello,” “Nice to meet you” and hand your business card—a … Continued
Harusā and Uminchu
Farmers are called harusā in Okinawa. An Okinawan language, out … Continued
Sātā-andagī
Made of flour, sugar, egg, and milk — pretty round … Continued
Nuchi du takara
“Nuchi du takara” means “your life is a treasure,” and … Continued
Okinawa Prefectural Archives
Tell a taxi driver “please take me to the Prefectural … Continued
Yaeyama Jōfu
If the Yūki-tsumugi is the acme of silk textile, then … Continued
Ryukyu Lacquerware
In Okinawa, lacquerware is called nuimun. The three most common … Continued
Cornerstone of Peace
In 1995, 50 years after the end of the Battle … Continued
Shuri Castle
As its name suggests, the castle is located in Shuri … Continued
Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival
In December 1996, the guerilla attack on the official residence … Continued
Kudaka Island
An island situated 6 km to the east of the … Continued
Nifēdēbiru
The Okinawan language can be very roughly divided into three … Continued
Okinawan Cinema
Movies shot in Okinawa, movies set in Okinawa, movies about … Continued
Ōkuni Rindō
A multi-purpose forestry road located in the northern part of … Continued
Legislature
The legislative branch of the Ryukyu Islands government was called … Continued
Miyako Jōfu
The history of Miyako jōfu textiles goes back four centuries. … Continued
The Shadai Party
More properly the Okinawa Shakai Taishū-tō (Okinawa Social Mass Party), … Continued
Okinawan Rock
That descending glissando guitar riff from the Ventures spread the … Continued
The Battle of Okinawa
It began on March 26th 1945, when the United States … Continued
Sugarcane Field
“I’m off~” … Continued
Subtropics
Generally speaking, the Ryukyu Archipelago is considered to be subtropical—anettai. … Continued
Rising Sun
Just before dawn, the sky is a shade darker. On … Continued
Martial Arts
Many different types of martial arts are practiced in Okinawa … Continued
Ryukyu Disposition
The expression “Ryukyu Disposition”' has two different senses. In a … Continued
Senkaku Islands
The Senkaku Islands is a group of islands located north-northwest … Continued
Bull Fighting
Unlike Spanish bullfighting, in Okinawa, two bulls push each other … Continued
Divorce Rate and Unemployment
Nothing is less reliable than official statistics in Okinawa. … Continued
Nicolai Aleksandrovich Nevsky
A Russian scholar of Japan and the Orient (1892-1937). In … Continued
Turtleback Tombs
Kikkoubaka, the turtleback tomb, was named after its exterior shape … Continued
Kagiyadefū
Kagiyadefū is regularly played and danced at the opening of … Continued
Oikomi Ryō
A fishing technique unique to Okinawa for which the fisherman … Continued
Okinawan Society in Hawaii
It is well-known that the people of Hawaii are from … Continued
Memorial Day
This is the story of when a certain minister of … Continued
Immigrants
Many Okinawan immigrants left Okinawa for Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, … Continued
Public Market
There is no formal name for the Naha public market. … Continued
ŌTA Masahide
“Is Okinawa part of Japan?” shouted (then) Okinawa Governor Ōta … Continued
Iriomote Yamaneko
The Iriomote yamaneko is a small wild cat found only … Continued
Uchinānchu
An Okinawan. Uchinā is Okinawa, chu is person. It seems … Continued
Niraikanai
A world different from ours, where the gods live, an … Continued
Medicinal Herbs
On a corner along the building of the Public Market … Continued
Ryukyu Glassware
Also called “Okinawan glass,” this glassware is lightly colored with … Continued