Category: Community

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spoils of War
There was a time when the people of Okinawa took … Continued

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

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

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