Welcome to Okinawa!

PLACES OF INTEREST:
Shuri-jo Castle; Kyukeimon Gate; Monument to the 36 Families of Kume; Miyako-jima Island; and the decorative talisman of Okinawan homes, the Shiisaa

FESTIVALS IN OKINAWA:
Naha Tug-of-War Festival(October 11-13) is the world’s biggest tug-of-war featuring the world’s biggest rope.
Peron Festival(June 1) is the popular dragon boat racing festival which takes place during the warm weather throughout Japan.
Ohara Matsuri(November 3)) is Kagoshima’s biggest annual festival with a mile long dancing procession and more than 600,000 participants.

The island of Okinawa is located some 400 miles south of mainland Japan and is the only island in the archipelago in the subtropical zone. It shares the same latitude as Hawaii, South Florida and the Bahamas and is famous for its year-round warm temperatures, sandy beaches and tropical foliage. Okinawa is one of 161 islands in the prefecture of Okinawa whose total population is about 1.32 million. Naha, the capital of Okinawa and the prefecture, is a popular tourist destination because of its many historical landmarks and proximity to some of the world’s finest beachside resorts.

Located halfway between Japan and China, the Okinawan island chain remained isolated from its neighbors for centuries and began as a series of small, island fishing villages dating back thousands of years. The earliest mention of Okinawa in Chinese historical records was in 607 A.D. when it is believed that the Chinese Emperor Yo (Sui Dynasty) sent an explorer, Shu-Kan, to what was then called the Ryukyus. Ancient Japanese historical records indicate contact between the Imperial Court and Okinawa as early as 608 A.D.

By the 11th century, Okinawa was controlled by local feudal lords who began struggling for domination and built forts (gusuku) throughout the main island. Beginning in the late 12th century, a series of powerful dynasties emerged: the Shunten Dynasty (1187-1405), the Eiso Dynasty (1260-1349) and the Satto Dynasty (1350-1405). The dynasties were termed “Sanzan” or three kingdoms and became the Hokusan (northern kingdom), Chuzan (central kingdom) and Nanzan (southern kingdom). In 1350, Satto became ruler of Chuzan and in 1372, established Naha as a key port-of-call along the trade routes between Japan and China, and Japan and Southeast Asia. Not only did this benefit the small kingdom economically, but it greatly influenced the cultural development of Okinawa. During the late 14th century an Okinawan community was established in China and in 1392 a community of Chinese trading families, known as “the 36 families,” settled in Okinawa.

In 1416 the Chuzan king, Sho Hashi, defeated the Hokuzan and 13 years later the Nanzan, unifying Okinawa for the first time in its history. By this time, Okinawa was a well established trading port and over the years it continued to expand its influence. Then in 1609, Okinawa was conquered by the powerful Japanese samurai clan, the Shimazu. The Shimazu which controlled Kagoshima and much of southern Kyushu (then called Satsuma) conquered Okinawa in order to expand its empire. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry and his fleet of 7 black ships called at Naha and then Tokyo Bay and succeeded in opening up Japan to international trade following a 225 year period of isolationist policy established by the Tokugawa shogunate.

For almost 250 years the Shimazu ruled Okinawa until shortly after the beginning of the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) when the Japanese imperial government defeated the Shimazu Empire in 1877 and established the prefecture of Okinawa in 1879.
By the time the imperial government took control of Okinawa, ports on Japan’s main islands had become well established and the Port of Naha had already declined. The island prefecture remained relatively isolated from the rest of Japan and under strict government control. In 1920, Okinawa was awarded independent prefectorial status which meant that its residents were then able to participate in the local government.

During the Second World War, Okinawa was of great strategic importance to the Allied Campaign and control of the island chain began in October of 1944 when Naha was attacked by U.S. aircraft. The Battle of Okinawa, one of the most costly in the campaign, began on March 26, 1945 and ended on June 23rd after three months of bitter fighting. Following the Japanese surrender to Allied Forces on September 2, 1945, the U.S. established occupational control of Japan which lasted until 1952. However, in 1951, when the San Francisco Peace Treaty was officially recognized, Okinawa legally became a possession of the United States. In 1972, control of Okinawa was returned to Japan; however, the U.S. still maintains a military base in Naha.

Okinawans speak a dialect of Japanese which differs from the Japanese spoken throughout the rest of the country. Some 1,500 years ago the Ryukyuan dialect began to emerge which, over the centuries, became unintelligible to the Japanese. After the prefecture of Okinawa was established in 1879, the national government attempted to make Japanese the standard; however, it wasn’t until the age of radio and television that the local dialect began to change. While Ryukyuan is nearly an extinct language, it is celebrated in the rich music and cultural traditions practiced by the Okinawan people to this day.

Karate, as it is popularly practiced in Japan and the West today, was originally introduced from China to Okinawa during the 14th century. After the Chuzan king, Sho Hashi unified Okinawa in the early 15th century; he banned all weapons in order to discourage any potential insurgency. Then in 1609, the conquering Shimazu Empire did the same. It is commonly believed that because of these successive bans against weapons, karate underwent significant development in Okinawa. The man credited with introducing this ‘modern’ style of karate (Okinawa-te) to Japan was Gichin Funakoshi who, in 1917, was invited by the Japanese Ministry of Education to participate in a physical education exposition. In the years to come, Gichin traveled throughout Japan giving demonstrations and lectures.

From its architecture to its pottery, its song to its dance, its dress to its cuisine, the culture of Okinawa is unique among the Japanese islands. Its subtropical climate enabled the Okinawan people to cultivate a vast array of tropical fruits and vegetables and fish for species not found in the waters to the north. It dictated that certain materials be used in the construction of its homes, castles and places of worship as it did the type of dress worn by its people. Naha, one of Japan’s earliest and most active trading ports with China and Southeast Asia, was where the rich cultural traditions of the rest of Asia first took root in the Japanese island chain.

SHURI-JO CASTLE
Shuri-jo castle, located east of downtown Naha, is the largest of Okinawa’s castles. Originally built during the 14th century, it served as the royal court during the time of the three kingdoms. Throughout the 17 acre compound, there are numerous gates and halls which demonstrate the uniqueness of Okinawan architecture having been influenced by Chinese, Southeast Asian and Japanese design. Seidan Hall is the principal structure of the compound and it is where court business and ceremonies were performed.

KYUKEIMON GATE
Kyukeimon Gate meaning “welcome guests warmly and joyfully” is located at the main entrance to Shuri-jo. It is through this gate that once only the king, court officials and foreign dignitaries passed.

MONUMENT TO THE THIRTY SIX FAMILIES OF KUME
“The 36 Families of Kume” came from China and settled in Naha in 1392. While actively involved in trade between Okinawa and their homeland they also introduced many Chinese customs and traditions to the local community. After the Koshibyo Confucian temple was destroyed in Second World War, descendents of “The 36 Families” erected a statue on the same site commemorating Confucius. The area surrounding the monument and statue features both Chinese style architecture and cuisine.

MIYAKO- JIMA ISLAND
Located 186 miles to the southwest of Okinawa’s main island, are the Miyako Islands. Featuring white sandy beaches, coral reefs, and clear blue water, the Miyako Islands offer some of Japan’s best watersports opportunities. Iriomote-jima Island and Ishigaki-jima Island are also famous for their breathtaking beaches and tropical resorts. The largest beach resort area in Okinawa prefecture extends along the western coast of Okinawa’s main island and is easily accessible from Naha.

SHIISAA
The rooftops of most traditional Okinawan-style homes and castles are adorned with ceramic statues of the ‘shiisaa’ or lion-dog. These statues, representing the Okinawan ‘shiisaa’ deity, serve as talisman meant to ward off evil spirits.

JapanCorner 2005