Category: Language

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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