
Category: Society

As you drive down Yanbaru or the southern part of … Continued

Beniimo (Purple yam)
Beniimo is a type of sweet potato that is popular … 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

Cornerstone of Peace
In 1995, 50 years after the end of the Battle … Continued

Divorce Rate and Unemployment
Nothing is less reliable than official statistics in Okinawa. … Continued

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

Finger-whistling
When the kachāshī dance starts, anyone there would instantly begin … 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

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

The High Commissioner
In colonies and trusteeships, the man in charge of rule … Continued

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

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

Immigrants
Many Okinawan immigrants left Okinawa for Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, … Continued

JAHANA Noboru
The eldest son of Jahana Katsutaro, Jahana Noboru was born … Continued

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

Kanzashi (Ornamental Hairpin)
At the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom (before the abolition … Continued

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

Kibinago (Silver-stripe Round Herring)
Kibinago, the silver-stripe round herring, is called sururu in Okinawa. … Continued

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

Kuba (Chinese Fan Tree)
It has become harder in city areas like Naha, but … 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

Medaka (Rice Fish)
As its English name indicates, medaka (rice fish) is a … 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

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

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

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

Obaa, Anmaa, Nēnē
The women of Okinawa are powerful. Whether or not this … 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

Okinawa Prefectural Archives
Tell a taxi driver “please take me to the Prefectural … 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

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

Pōpō (Okinawan Crêpe)
With its outside wooden walls painted a pale, faint blue, … Continued

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

The Ryukyuken
Just as there are uchinānchu humans—in other words, Okinawans—there are … Continued

Ryukyu Wild Boar
An outstanding beast among the land animals of Okinawa—Ryukyu wild … Continued

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

Sashiba (Grey-faced Buzzard)
I don’t know who started it; sashiba are sometimes called … Continued

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

Sea Grapes (N’kyafu)
Sea grapes’ classical Japanese name is kubiredzuta. In the Miyako … Continued

SENAGA Kamejiro
(1907~2001) Senaga Kamejiro, who was nicknamed “Kame-san (Mr. Turtle)” by … Continued

Senkaku Islands
The Senkaku Islands is a group of islands located north-northwest … Continued

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

Tanetori Festival (Seeds Picking Festival)
Tanetori is an agricultural event in which rice seeds are … Continued

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

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

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

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

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

Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival
In December 1996, the guerilla attack on the official residence … Continued

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

Yonaguni Horse
At a meadow on top of a sheer cliff, the … Continued