Category: History
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_okinawasen_thumbnail-1-1024x1024.jpg)
The Battle of Okinawa
It began on March 26th 1945, when the United States … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/culture_bukubukucha-1024x668.jpeg)
Bukubukū-cha (Bukubuku Tea)
The ample foam rising above the teacup, the savory fragrance … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/culture_chinasadao-1-683x1024.jpg)
CHINA Sadao
During the Okinawan music boom in the early 1990s, there … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_cornerstoneofpeace_thumbnail-1024x1024.jpg)
Cornerstone of Peace
In 1995, 50 years after the end of the Battle … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/culture_manzamou-1-1024x683.jpg)
Field Party (Mō-ashibi)
Mō (毛) means “wild field” in the Okinawan language. It … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/culture_folkmusiclabels-1024x768.jpg)
Folk Music Labels
The Ryukyu archipelago has walked history on a different path … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/society_kinmonclub-1.jpg)
Golden Gate Club
The American study abroad program by the Government Aid and … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/culture_tarama-1-1024x683.jpeg)
Hachigatsu Odori in Tarama
Tarama Island is located right in-between Miyako and Ishigaki Islands. … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_highcommissioner_thumbnail.jpg)
The High Commissioner
In colonies and trusteeships, the man in charge of rule … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/謝花昇-1024x683.jpg)
JAHANA Noboru
The eldest son of Jahana Katsutaro, Jahana Noboru was born … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/history_kankarasanshin-1-768x1024.jpeg)
Kankarā Sanshin
The year 1995 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/culture_kanzashi-768x1024.jpeg)
Kanzashi (Ornamental Hairpin)
At the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom (before the abolition … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/nature_keramajika-1-1024x683.jpg)
Kerama Deer
My father's home island is a small island called Geruma. … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/nature_kuba_1-1-1024x999.jpeg)
Kuba (Chinese Fan Tree)
It has become harder in city areas like Naha, but … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/food_kubu-1-768x1024.jpeg)
Kūbu (Konbu kelp)
Kūbu means konbu (kelp). It is one of the main … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/food_latinamericandishes-1-1024x683.jpg)
Latin American Dishes
Latin Americans are known for their love of music and … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_rippoin_thumbnail.jpg)
Legislature
The legislative branch of the Ryukyu Islands government was called … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/transport_lightrailway-1-1024x683.jpeg)
Light Railway
Okinawa is the only prefecture in Japan without a railway. However, … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/battleofokinawa_shuudanjiketsu_thumbnail-1-1024x1024.jpg)
Mass Suicides
Mass deaths that occurred on the violent battlefields during the … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/battleofokinawa_memorialday_thumbnail-1-1024x1024.jpg)
Memorial Day
This is the story of when a certain minister of … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/nature_mibae-1024x683.jpg)
Mibae (Fruit Flies)
“Do you know mibae (fruit flies)?” If you ask the … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/society_gunsagyo_thumbnail-1.jpg)
Military Labour
Working in the military bases is called “military labor” in … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/nature_minatogawajin-1024x682.jpeg)
Minatogawa Man
Homo sapiens of about 18,000 years ago. The first fossiled … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/culture_miyako_thumbnail-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
Miyako Jōfu
The history of Miyako jōfu textiles goes back four centuries. … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_nevsky_2-1.jpg)
Nicolai Aleksandrovich Nevsky
A Russian scholar of Japan and the Orient (1892-1937). In … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/culture_onnanabe-1-768x1024.jpeg)
ONNA Nabe and YOSHIYA Chiru
They are said to be the two greatest female poets … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/clothes_ooshimatumugi-683x1024.jpg)
Ōshima Tsumugi
A type of fabric. Albeit the fact that it is … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_otamasahide_thumbnail-1-1024x1024.jpg)
ŌTA Masahide
“Is Okinawa part of Japan?” shouted (then) Okinawa Governor Ōta … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/culture_panariyaki-1-683x1024.jpeg)
Panari Earthenware
Okinawan wares can be roughly divided into two, Jō-yachi and … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/nature_pineapple-1-1024x768.jpeg)
Pineapples
Every year when the old date for the Bon Festival … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/culture_amagoi_1-1-576x1024.jpg)
Praying for Rain
In Okinawa, typhoon and drought are two natural phenomena that … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/culture_rinkenband-1-1024x636.jpeg)
Rinken Band
In 1990, Rinken Band’s cassette album Arigato (Maruteru Recordings) was … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/culture_ryuka-1-768x1024.jpeg)
Ryūka (Okinawan Poetry)
An assumption says that what was simply called “uta”—song or … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/nature_ryukyuayu-1.jpg)
Ryukyu Ayu-fish
A while back, ayu-fish different from those of mainland Japan … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_ryukyushobun_thumbnail-1.jpg)
Ryukyu Disposition
The expression “Ryukyu Disposition”' has two different senses. In a … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/nature_ryukyuken-1-589x1024.jpeg)
The Ryukyuken
Just as there are unchināchu humans—in other words, Okinawans—there are … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/culture_sakurazaka-1-768x1024.jpeg)
Sakurazaka
They say that long ago bandits and highwaymen began to … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_satsumashinnyu_thumbnail-1.jpg)
Satsuma Invasion
In 1609, the Ryukyu Kingdom was invaded by the Shimazu … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/politics_senagakamejiro-683x1024.jpeg)
SENAGA Kamejiro
(1907~2001) Senaga Kamejiro, who was nicknamed “Kame-san (Mr. Turtle)” by … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/culture_shikinaen-1-1024x683.jpeg)
Shikina-en
Shikina-en also known as Shichinanu udwun reduced to ashes in … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/culture_shishimai-1-672x1024.jpeg)
Shishi-mai (Lion Dance)
Shishi-mai—the lion dance is a folk performing art traditionally handed … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/history_shuricastle_thumbnail-1024x1024.jpg)
Shuri Castle
As its name suggests, the castle is located in Shuri … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/nature_sotetsu_1-1-1024x768.jpeg)
Sotetsu (Sago Palm)
Some hot springs are called “Hell of XXX”.1 A heaven-like … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/community_southwestairline-1024x576.jpeg)
Southwest Air Lines
In a connecting bus at the Haneda Airport, some young … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/history_senka-1.jpg)
Spoils of War
There was a time when the people of Okinawa took … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/community_kumesanjurokusei-1024x682.jpg)
Thirty-six Families of Kume
The Thirty-six Families of Kume are the Chinese people, and … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/history_translationhouse-1-1024x768.jpg)
Translation Houses
Following the Pacific War, there was a place among the … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/history_fuhatsudan-1-1024x684.jpg)
Unexploded Ordinance
In the summer, I like to go to outlying islands. … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/afterreversion_militarybases_thumbnail-1-1024x1024.jpg)
U.S. Military Bases
Tu nu yū kara Yamatu nu yū From the Chinese era … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/history_wartimemalaria-1-695x1024.jpg)
War-time Malaria
As the organized resistance by the Japanese military was about … Continued
![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/culture_yaeyamajohu_thumbnail-1024x1024.jpg)
Yaeyama Jōfu
If the Yūki-tsumugi is the acme of silk textile, then … Continued