Category: Culture

Abasā is the Okinawan name for the porcupine fish. While … Continued

A word meaning “evening,” akōkurō draws out an image of … Continued

May 4th on the lunar calendar is called yukkanufī (literally, … Continued

The god who created Okinawa. In the second volume of … Continued

It’s not only birds and flowers which hail the coming … Continued

I first went to Okinawa in the autumn of 1991. … Continued

In 1991, I was working on my two movies based … Continued

A type of textile typical to Okinawa. Tough, stiff, and … Continued

My first visit to Okinawa was immediately after the reversion … Continued

Beniimo is a type of sweet potato that is popular … Continued

Bingata is a quintessential element within traditional Okinawan female dances. … Continued

There is a boxing gym called Winner Gym in Shuri, … Continued

Sometimes I get obsessed with a word, and like some … Continued

The ample foam rising above the teacup, the savory fragrance … Continued

Unlike Spanish bullfighting, in Okinawa, two bulls push each other … Continued

Stir-fry¹; one of the all-star Okinawan daily dishes. Tôfu is … Continued

“Chi” is “yellow”, and “dēkuni” is “radish” in the Okinawan … Continued

The chimu is the liver. However in Okinawa, the chimu … Continued

During the Okinawan music boom in the early 1990s, there … Continued

Coastal hog fennel. Also called button siler in Japanese, given … Continued

Miyako Island was the first place I saw a coconut … Continued

Rachel Carson classified the seashore into three types: (1) a … Continued

The crystal clear waters surrounding Okinawa, home to an abundance … Continued

Eisā (July Eisā) is an event celebrating Kyūbon, especially popular … Continued

Mō (毛) means “wild field” in the Okinawan language. It … Continued

When the kachāshī dance starts, anyone there would instantly begin … Continued

The Ryukyu archipelago has walked history on a different path … Continued

I was chatting with a Chinese friend of mine who … Continued

The first time anyone sees any member of the giant … Continued

If I had to name one vegetable to represent Okinawa, … Continued

There has long been a widespread and heavily biased perspective, … Continued

In the Beginning, there was a gusuku; like the one … Continued

Tarama Island is located right in-between Miyako and Ishigaki Islands. … Continued

Tattoo. Spelled “needle thrust” in Japanese, hajichi carves designs in … Continued

Hama-ori is an event for gathering shellfish on the shores. … Continued

When the wind blows, the leaves of the happiness tree … Continued

On the Fourth Month of the Fifth day1 by the … Continued

Farmers are called harusā in Okinawa. An Okinawan language, out … Continued

You’ll find the spice hihachi, which is not unlike black … Continued

Exhausted after the sports day, a bowl of hījā (goat) … Continued

Originating from the Chinese word for a folding screen, hinpun … Continued

Hinukan (god of fire) is usually enshrined near the kitchen … Continued

The song of kukkaru (ruddy kingfisher) brings the nagashi (rainy … Continued

Iha Fuyu (1876-1947) was one of the founders of Okinawan … Continued

Imaiyu coming from ima (now) - iyu (fish), stands for … Continued

At the time of this writing (1998), it’ll be twenty … Continued

Ishigantō is an amulet placed on house walls to ward … Continued

The Izaihō is a divine ritual that takes place on … Continued

After World War II, there was strong demand for jazz … Continued

In Okinawa, there is a well-known folk song about fireflies … Continued

Spring water profitable for humans. A general term for springwater … Continued

Sitting in a circle surrounding a big one shō1 bottle … Continued

Kagiyadefū is regularly played and danced at the opening of … Continued

In general, a building where the noro (priestess) performs religious … Continued

To get senile. Okinawa is an island with a reputation … Continued

The year 1995 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end … Continued

At the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom (before the abolition … Continued

Okinawa Prefecture was once the Ryukyu Kingdom. It enjoyed a … Continued

In traditional Ryukyu songs, “嘉例吉” is often sung as kareyoshi, … Continued

A man from Shuri once told me that he didn’t … Continued

Kibinago, the silver-stripe round herring, is called sururu in Okinawa. … Continued

A kind of trickster believed to be found in every … Continued

Kippan are sweets made from Okinawan citrus fruit specialties like … Continued

Kokusai Dōri in Naha is a street with a unique … Continued

It has become harder in city areas like Naha, but … Continued

Kūbu means konbu (kelp). It is one of the main … Continued

An island situated 6 km to the east of the … Continued

Kyūyō is the official history document compiled during the Ryukyu … Continued

Latin Americans are known for their love of music and … Continued

Okinawa is the only prefecture in Japan without a railway.　However, … Continued

In Okinawa, mango means summer. It grows on an evergreen … Continued

Many different types of martial arts are practiced in Okinawa … Continued

On a corner along the building of the Public Market … Continued

Mīnishi is written with the characters 新北風—new north wind—and as … Continued

A minyō-sakaba is a pub where you can see live … Continued

Miruku is a god worshipped widely in Okinawa and has … Continued

The history of Miyako jōfu textiles goes back four centuries. … Continued

Okinawan rice cakes used to be made by stone-grinding watered … Continued

Okinawan rock first started by copying American and British rock. … Continued

Muscovado is the go-to tea snack in any ordinary household. … Continued

People are suffering from the heat all over Japan, yet … Continued

Mainland Japanese. People from mainland Japan are called yamatonchū (Yamato … Continued

A Russian scholar of Japan and the Orient (1892-1937). In … Continued

The Okinawan language can be very roughly divided into three … Continued

A world different from ours, where the gods live, an … Continued

My obaa (grandma) is a noro, and our family’s house … Continued

Potato. In Okinawa, sweet potatoes are just called potatoes, nmu. … Continued

N’tama Girū was a gentleman thief named Girū, who lived … Continued

“Nuchi du takara” means “your life is a treasure,” and … Continued

Okinawa Bunko is a series of mini encyclopedias about Okinawan … Continued

Movies shot in Okinawa, movies set in Okinawa, movies about … Continued

That descending glissando guitar riff from the Ventures spread the … Continued

Onari or unai means “sisters.” We might say that the … Continued

They are said to be the two greatest female poets … Continued

Beer produced in Okinawa. It owns a one and only … Continued

A type of fabric. Albeit the fact that it is … Continued

Okinawan wares can be roughly divided into two, Jō-yachi and … Continued

The Okinawan traditional eisā dance has gained nationwide popularity over … Continued

There is a saying, “In Okinawa, no part of the … Continued

Every year when the old date for the Bon Festival … Continued

With its outside wooden walls painted a pale, faint blue, … Continued

In Okinawa, typhoon and drought are two natural phenomena that … Continued

There is no formal name for the Naha public market. … Continued

In 1990, Rinken Band’s cassette album Arigato (Maruteru Recordings) was … Continued

An assumption says that what was simply called “uta”—song or … Continued

A while back, ayu-fish different from those of mainland Japan … Continued

Also called “Okinawan glass,” this glassware is lightly colored with … Continued

In Okinawa, lacquerware is called nuimun. 　The three most common … Continued

Rock created by the coral reefs that rose from the … Continued

Countless varieties of butterflies can be found on Okinawa Island … Continued

Called “Uchinā-sugai” in the regional dialect. We used to see … Continued

It is said that it used to be a dugout … Continued

(1682~1761) The most prominent statesman representing the early-modern Ryukyu Kingdom. … Continued

They say that long ago bandits and highwaymen began to … Continued

The reason why salt is called māsu in the Okinawan … Continued

Rampant plants are believed to have the power to drive … Continued

Living in such a hot climate, Okinawan people have been … Continued

“Senpai1, my dog is gone...” 　In the dead of the night, … Continued

I don’t know who started it; sashiba are sometimes called … Continued

Made of flour, sugar, egg, and milk — pretty round … Continued

Sea grapes’ classical Japanese name is kubiredzuta. In the Miyako … Continued

Seji is spiritual power. People close to gods are called … Continued

“Hello,” “Nice to meet you” and hand your business card—a … Continued

A dialect for winter melon, probably deriving from shibu-uri (渋瓜) … Continued

On the day to celebrate the new season1 in the … Continued

Shikina-en also known as Shichinanu udwun reduced to ashes in … Continued

Everyone knows a banana. That scentless, lightly flavored, thick-skinned, fat, … Continued

“We had shīmī yesterday.”　“I guess you're having shīmī bento today … Continued

Shishi-mai—the lion dance is a folk performing art traditionally handed … Continued

As its name suggests, the castle is located in Shuri … Continued

Okinawa soba, much like Japanese soba and Chinese noodles, attracts … Continued

Some hot springs are called “Hell of XXX”.1 A heaven-like … Continued

“I’m off~”　With two candies in his pocket, Ojii1 goes to … Continued

The young rabbitfish is called suku in Okinawa. In mainland … Continued

Tachigan, tonbara, twungan, tachise—called by various names on various islands, … Continued

The history of this dish begins in an eatery located … Continued

Tanetori is an agricultural event in which rice seeds are … Continued

Tēgē is an Okinawan word used to describe the character … Continued

When I was in junior high school, there was one … Continued

Teruya Rinsuke (1929-2005), nicknamed Terurin, was a beloved mandan1 comic … Continued

The Thirty-six Families of Kume are the Chinese people, and … Continued

In Okinawan, we call the sun tida or teda. There … Continued

Tōkachi (August 8th on the lunar calendar) is an event … Continued

A 40~50 minutes boat ride to the west from the … Continued

In the Amami Islands, people pray to their ancestors at … Continued

We often hear people say, “It’s hectic during the Bon1 … Continued

Following the Pacific War, there was a place among the … Continued

When me and my wife found out we were having … Continued

Kikkoubaka, the turtleback tomb, was named after its exterior shape … Continued

In accordance with the Chinese zodiac, we call every twelfth … Continued

Twunji-bīsa (winter solstice chill) is the seasonal wind that blows … Continued

I first heard this word when I was in high … Continued

An Okinawan. Uchinā is Okinawa, chu is person. It seems … Continued

Praying to Gods and Buddhas. In Okinawa, it does not … Continued

An ingredient appreciated by drinkers. It is said to be … Continued

Wīchōbā is the Okinawan term for fennel. Okinawans consume many … Continued

In Okinawan parlance, pottery is called yachimun. And those who … Continued

If the Yūki-tsumugi is the acme of silk textile, then … Continued

“About yamakunibū...”　“What is that?”　“You know, the thing hung in a … Continued