Category: History
The Battle of Okinawa
It began on March 26th 1945, when the United States … Continued
Bukubukū-cha (Bukubuku Tea)
The ample foam rising above the teacup, the savory fragrance … Continued
CHINA Sadao
During the Okinawan music boom in the early 1990s, there … Continued
Cornerstone of Peace
In 1995, 50 years after the end of the Battle … Continued
Field Party (Mō-ashibi)
Mō (毛) means “wild field” in the Okinawan language. It … Continued
Folk Music Labels
The Ryukyu archipelago has walked history on a different path … Continued
Golden Gate Club
The American study abroad program by the Government Aid and … Continued
Hachigatsu Odori in Tarama
Tarama Island is located right in-between Miyako and Ishigaki Islands. … Continued
The High Commissioner
In colonies and trusteeships, the man in charge of rule … Continued
JAHANA Noboru
The eldest son of Jahana Katsutaro, Jahana Noboru was born … Continued
Kankarā Sanshin
The year 1995 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end … Continued
Kanzashi (Ornamental Hairpin)
At the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom (before the abolition … Continued
Kerama Deer
My father's home island is a small island called Geruma. … Continued
Kuba (Chinese Fan Tree)
It has become harder in city areas like Naha, but … Continued
Kūbu (Konbu kelp)
Kūbu means konbu (kelp). It is one of the main … Continued
Latin American Dishes
Latin Americans are known for their love of music and … Continued
Legislature
The legislative branch of the Ryukyu Islands government was called … Continued
Light Railway
Okinawa is the only prefecture in Japan without a railway. However, … Continued
Martial Arts
Many different types of martial arts are practiced in Okinawa … Continued
Mass Suicides
Mass deaths that occurred on the violent battlefields during the … Continued
Memorial Day
This is the story of when a certain minister of … Continued
Mibae (Fruit Flies)
“Do you know mibae (fruit flies)?” If you ask the … Continued
Military Labour
Working in the military bases is called “military labor” in … Continued
Minatogawa Man
Homo sapiens of about 18,000 years ago. The first fossiled … Continued
Miyako Jōfu
The history of Miyako jōfu textiles goes back four centuries. … Continued
Nicolai Aleksandrovich Nevsky
A Russian scholar of Japan and the Orient (1892-1937). In … Continued
ONNA Nabe and YOSHIYA Chiru
They are said to be the two greatest female poets … Continued
Ōshima Tsumugi
A type of fabric. Albeit the fact that it is … Continued
ŌTA Masahide
“Is Okinawa part of Japan?” shouted (then) Okinawa Governor Ōta … Continued
Panari Earthenware
Okinawan wares can be roughly divided into two, Jō-yachi and … Continued
Pineapples
Every year when the old date for the Bon Festival … Continued
Praying for Rain
In Okinawa, typhoon and drought are two natural phenomena that … Continued
Rinken Band
In 1990, Rinken Band’s cassette album Arigato (Maruteru Recordings) was … Continued
Ryūka (Okinawan Poetry)
An assumption says that what was simply called “uta”—song or … Continued
Ryukyu Ayu-fish
A while back, ayu-fish different from those of mainland Japan … Continued
Ryukyu Disposition
The expression “Ryukyu Disposition”' has two different senses. In a … Continued
Ryukyu Glassware
Also called “Okinawan glass,” this glassware is lightly colored with … Continued
The Ryukyuken
Just as there are uchinānchu humans—in other words, Okinawans—there are … Continued
Sakurazaka
They say that long ago bandits and highwaymen began to … Continued
Satsuma Invasion
In 1609, the Ryukyu Kingdom was invaded by the Shimazu … Continued
SENAGA Kamejiro
(1907~2001) Senaga Kamejiro, who was nicknamed “Kame-san (Mr. Turtle)” by … Continued
Shikina-en
Shikina-en also known as Shichinanu udwun reduced to ashes in … Continued
Shishi-mai (Lion Dance)
Shishi-mai—the lion dance is a folk performing art traditionally handed … Continued
Shuri Castle
As its name suggests, the castle is located in Shuri … Continued
Sotetsu (Sago Palm)
Some hot springs are called “Hell of XXX”.1 A heaven-like … Continued
Southwest Air Lines
In a connecting bus at the Haneda Airport, some young … Continued
Spoils of War
There was a time when the people of Okinawa took … Continued
Thirty-six Families of Kume
The Thirty-six Families of Kume are the Chinese people, and … Continued
Translation Houses
Following the Pacific War, there was a place among the … Continued
Unexploded Ordinance
In the summer, I like to go to outlying islands. … Continued
U.S. Military Bases
Tu nu yū kara Yamatu nu yū From the Chinese era … Continued
War-time Malaria
As the organized resistance by the Japanese military was about … Continued
Yaeyama Jōfu
If the Yūki-tsumugi is the acme of silk textile, then … Continued