Hakugin-do Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Itoman City, Okinawa.

Itoman has long been associated with fishermen. Even today, residents of this southern city refer to themselves as uminchu, or “people of the sea” in the local dialect. So, appropriately enough, the legend of Hakugin-do begins with a fisherman.

Centuries ago, a fisherman (named Bidun in some versions of the story) was down on his luck and needed to borrow money. He turned to a samurai from Satsuma (an area in mainland Japan) named Kodama Saemon. But the fisherman was unable to repay the loan at the required time, and fearing the samurai’s wrath, hid in a nearby cave. Angry at the fisherman’s disappearance, the samurai scoured the town looking him. When the samurai finally found him in the cave and was ready to take the fisherman’s life, the uminchu quoted an old proverb: “When angry, do not strike. If you must strike, do not do so in anger.” Assuaged by the fisherman’s words, the samurai put down his sword and spared the man’s life. He granted another grace period to the fisherman.

When the samurai returned to his home, he found his wife in their darkened bedroom, asleep with another man. Angry, the samurai again reached for his sword, but the fisherman’s words immediately sprang to mind. He dropped his sword, and the clatter awoke the slumbering duo. The individual sleeping next to the samurai’s wife had been his mother. The old woman had dressed as a man and slept with her daughter-in-law to protect her while the samurai had been away. It was then that the samurai fully realized the wisdom of the words the fisherman had spoken.

The samurai soon returned to Okinawa to thank the fisherman and cancel the debt. But the fisherman had already collected the money and refused the pardon. The two finally agreed to stow the money in the cave in which the fisherman had hidden from the samurai. That cave of legend is said to have been located where Hakugin-do is today.

Hakugin-do has long been visited by fisherman offering prayers for a bountiful harvest and the wives that prayed for their safety. On the day of the Itoman hârę (dragon boat races), the winning team parades to Hakugin-do following victory. The shrine is also mobbed by throngs during the New Year holiday as well as the lunar New Year.

To get to Hakugin-do Shrine, head south on Highway 58. After passing over Meiji Bridge (just before the airport exit), Highway 58 becomes Highway 331. Continue along 331 to Itoman. Signs for the Itoman Rotary will appear. The shrine is located on the left, about a half of a kilometer before the rotary. Its entrance is marked by a large torii.

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Naminoue Shrine (Naminoue-gu) is a Shinto shrine located on a bluff overlooking the East China Sea in Naminoue, not far from present-day Naha Port.

The exact date of Naminoue’s construction is not known, but it was built during the reign of King Sho Kinpuku (1449–53). At the time, Japan was introducing Shinto to Okinawa and working to push out the local, mystic religion. Thus, the Ryukyu king ordered the construction of the Eight Shrines of Ryukyu, most of which were paired with a Buddhist temple. (Over the course of time, the Japanese have merged aspects of Shinto and Buddhism into their belief system. From the former they took ceremonies and prayers related to life, while the latter gave them ceremonies and rites associated with death.) The Eight Shrines were Naminoue-gu (with Gokoku-ji), Okiū (with Rinkai-ji), Shikina-gu (with Jin'ō-ji), Futenma-gu (with Jingū-ji), Sueyoshi-gu (with Henshō-ji), Asato Hachiman-gu (with Jintoku-ji), Ameku-gu (with Seigen-ji), and Kin-gu (with Kin Kannon-ji).

Each of the Eight Shrines was supported by the patronage of the royal family. When the Ryukyu government was overtaken by Japan in 1879, the shrines lost their funding. This, combined with a lack of a firm base of parishioners providing support, caused most of the eight shrines to collapse within a few years. Naminoue, however, was ranked kanpei shōsha in 1890 and thus received financial support from the Meiji government and survived into the 20th century.

In 1924, the Japanese Imperial government officially declared Naminoue to be the center for religious affairs on Okinawa. At the time, "the principal objects of veneration were symbols of four kings of Ryukyu (Shunten, Sho En, Sho Nei, and Sho Tai) and of Tametomo." The latter was supposedly Shunten's father, a descendant of the Minamoto family, which was founded by Emperor Seiwa. So, in establishing such objects of veneration, the Imperial government "hoped to encourage Okinawans to think of their own royal house as a branch of the imperial house of Japan"—a large task following assimilation.

Naminoue Shrine has been rebuilt on several occasions, notably after a fire in 1633 and after the Battle of Okinawa. The current incarnation was built in December 1993.

Approaching Naminoue, guests first pass under a large torii. At shrines, these large gate-like structures act as a border between the outside world and the sacred world of the temple. On the walk uphill, guests pass dozens of toro. These freestanding lanterns were each purchased for the shrine by individuals, families, or corporations; the name of the donor is inscribed on the lantern. At the end of the row of toro is a small parking lot and a multipurpose building. Guests must then pass under another torii. (At New Year’s, this torii often has a stoplight placed atop it to control the flow of human traffic passing to the shrine.)

Just past the torii and to the left is a temizu, or washing station. Practitioners of Shinto believe that by cleansing the body, one cleanses the soul. Using a cup on the end of a rod, guests wash their hands and sometimes their mouths. Directly to the left are two small shrines that are specific to Naminoue. One is Ukishima Jinja and the other is Yomochi Jinja. (Ukishima is the former name of the Naminoue area. Yomochi Jinja is a shrine to Saiyon, the man who brought sugarcane and potatoes to Okinawa.)

The foremost building of the shrine is the haiden. This is where the most common ceremonies (such as purification ceremonies, or harae) and worship occur. Under the eve is a large rectangular offering box into which people throw money (heihakuryo). Those offering prayers to the kami (spirit) throw money into the box, bow twice, clap twice (loudly), pray, bow once, and walk away. The area beyond the offering box is off-limits to all except those involved in ceremonies. Before crossing the threshold to this portion of the haiden, guests must wait as a priest waves the haraigushi (a stick with strips of paper attached) above their heads to drive away evil spirits.

Located directly behind the haiden is the honden. This building is believed to be the home of the kami of Naminoue Shrine. (Most shrines are the home of certain kami. Originally, Naminoue was considered the home of Kumano Gongen. Today, the shrine is primarily dedicated to the kami Izanami.) Considered the most sacred space at Naminoue, the honden is used for the year’s most important ceremonies. As a general rule, it is off limits to laymen not participating in such ceremonies.

Behind the honden is a small limestone outcropping, the original utaki of Naminoue Shrine. Utaki are sacred religious sites to which, Okinawans believe, deities descend and communicate with the living. This utaki, which sits high on a bluff and looks over Naminoue Beach and the East China Sea, remains behind lock and key, inaccessible to most. Long ago, residents believed that it was the terminus of a bridge that connected Okinawa Honto to a mystical island called Nirai-Kanari, where ancestors lived.

To the right of the honden is the shamusho, or shine management office. Here, ceremonies are scheduled and the daily affairs of the shrine are managed by a cadre of kannushi (priests) and miko (young female assistants generally of high-school age). Here, guests can also purchase various amulets (omamori) said to bring love, success, fertility, good fortune, and so on. Omikuji (paper fortunes) are available in English and Japanese. Literature about Shinto is also available in English.

To get to Naminoue Shrine, head south on Highway 58 from Camp Foster toward Naha. After passing Tomari Port, follow the signs for Naminoue Shrine.

Naminoue Photos

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Shiraume-no-To is a monument dedicated to the 22 girls of the No. 2 Okinawa Prefectural Girls’ High School while serving as nurses during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Shiraume translates to mean “white plum blossom” or “white apricot blossom” and was the insignia of the school.

As American generals targeted Okinawa in the Pacific island-hopping campaign of World War II, Japanese military leaders had a grave understanding that each day the tiny island could hold out was another day that the invasion of mainland Japan was delayed. In order to wage a war of attrition against the invading forces, the Japanese military mobilized the civilian population of Okinawa in the war effort. Many Okinawan males over the age of 16 were forced to serve in a corps of homeland defenders. Similarly, female students were conscripted and organized into student corps and given minor training in first aid and medical care.

The Shiraume Student Corps was comprised of the 56 seniors of the No. 2 Okinawa Prefectural Girls’ High School. They served with a unit of the Imperial Japanese Army, primarily in a cave on the southern portion of Okinawa. By some accounts, they were the first student corps to be formed, having been created on March 6, 1945.

The girls served in deplorable conditions similar to those described by the Himeyuri alumnae. One Shiraume survivor vividly remembered being forced to feed cyanide to wounded Japanese soldiers.

After the First Field Hospital was disbanded on June 6, the girls moved south to serve in the Kuniyoshi Cave. Many of them perished on June 22, when American forces bombed the bi-level cave. (The first level was destroyed, but the second level still exists.)

In 2000, the surviving alumnae of the Shiraume Student Corps published a 326-page account of their experiences in the caves during the battle. It included maps of the caves in which they worked, photos of the schoolmates they lost in the battle, and timelines. Additionally, the story of four of the survivors was told in a 2003 documentary by Masayuki Hayashi. In the film, several of the survivors return to the hospital-cave for the first time since 1945.

Shiraume-no-To, built in 1947, is a secluded monument that is virtually unknown compared to the monument and museum established by the Himeyuri Alumnae Association.

Gokaku Temple (Gokaku-ji) is a Buddhist temple located next to Naminoue Shrine in Naminoue.

Founded in 1367 and supported by King Satto and the royal family, Gokaku-ji aligned with the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Previously leveled by several fires, as well as the intense barrage of artillery during the Battle of Okinawa, the temple has been rebuilt on several occasions.

Gokaku-ji is perhaps most famously known as the home of English missionary and medical doctor Dr. Bernard Bettelheim for more than eight years (1846–54).

When Commodore Mathew Perry departed from Okinawa in July 1854, he took with him a large, metal bell that had hung in Gokuku-ji. Cast in 1456 by Imperial Official Master Metalworker Fujiwara Kunimitsu for King Sho Tai, the bell's epitaph read: "May the sound of this bell shatter illusory dreams, perfect the souls of mankind, and enable the King and his subjects to live so virtuously that barbarians will find no occasion to invade the kingdom." Perry later gave the bell to the U.S. Naval Academy, which rang it whenever Navy scored a point in Army-Navy games. The bell was returned to Okinawa nearly 130 years later.

To get to Gokoku-ji, head south on Highway 58 and follow the signs to Naminoue Shrine. Upon reaching the shrine, face its torii and make a 90 degree right turn. This is Gokaku-ji.

Kozakura-no-To is a large monument in Asahigaoka Park (Asahigaoka Koen), only a few yards from Gokoku-ji (Gokoku Temple) and Naminoue-gu (Naminoue Shrine) in Naminoue. It is dedicated to the children killed aboard the S.S. Tsushima Maru, an evacuation ship sunk during World War II.

The S.S. Tsushima Maru left Naha on August 21, 1944, carrying 1,418 passengers, including 775 children. Late on August 22, while near the Tokara Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, the ship was sunk by a torpedo fired from an U.S. Navy submarine. The U.S. government did not acknowledge the sinking of the ship until World War II had concluded.

In 1950, the families of those who perished aboard the ship formed an association. They raised funds and constructed Kozakura-no-To in Asahigaoka Park in 1954. The names of the students are listed by school on a large, tiered monument, and the trees next to the monument are sometimes adorned with cranes of peace (tsuru) folded by schoolchildren from throughout Okinawa. Each year on August 22, a memorial service is held at the monument.

Not far from Kozakura-no-To is the S.S. Tsushima Maru Museum, which opened on August 22, 2004. Exhibits—which include a reconstructed schoolroom, recorded testimony of families, and belongings of some of those aboard the ship—spread across the museum’s two stories.

To get to Kozakura-no-To, head south on Highway 58 and follow the signs to Naminoue Shrine. Face the shrine’s torii and turn right 90 degrees. This is Gokaku-ji. Kozakura-no-To is to the right of the temple and back, in the adjacent park.

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Chatan Town is located in the central portion of Okinawa, bordered by Kadena Town to the north, Ginowan City to the south, and Okinawa City, Kitanakagusuku Village, and Futenma to the east. Chatan is particularly well known to Americans on the island, as the presence of three bases (Kadena Air Base, Camp Lester, and Camp Foster) within the town’s borders gives it a very western feel.

The kanji for Chatan translates to mean “northern valley,” and humans are thought to have lived in the area for more than 5,000 years. Remains of a small castle (gusuku) built on a hill not far from Camp Foster’s Spot Gate are still discernable, and excavations throughout the town have yielded artifacts from this and previous millennia.

Chatan can be broken down into four main parts, the northernmost of which is Sunabe. Located on the East China Sea, Sunabe includes the small communities of Minato, Hamagawa, and Miyagi. Running along the coast is a large seawall known to many simply as Sunabe Seawall. Since many of the homes and businesses in Sunabe were constructed on reclaimed land, the wall was built to protect them from dangerous ocean swells caused by typhoons. A large number of Americans live in Sunabe due to its close proximity to the bases. Thus, there have been numerous restaurants, cafes, and izakayas opened in the area.

Additionally, Sunabe is particularly well known among scuba divers and surfers. Neophyte divers often complete their entry-level certifications in the area, as there are several points of easy access along the seawall. As a general rule, currents around the seawall are minor, and conditions at Sunabe dive sites are often favorable when other dive locations on the island are not. Surfers can often be seen in shoulder seasons and just before typhoons, when the ocean waters are more turbulent and good waves are present.

Just south of Sunabe is Mihama. This seaside commercial park developed when the former military base known as Camp Kuwae was returned to Okinawa Prefecture by the U.S. military in the 1980s. Chatan Town quickly developed plans to reclaim part of the coastline and construct a large commercial zone that became known as American Village. Today, American Village is the central portion of Mihama. Designed to mimic a seaside park in coastal southern California, the area is popular with local residents and tourists alike, who come to shop in its boutiques, eat in its restaurants, and enjoy its entertainment venues (such as a bowling alley, movie theater, and Ferris wheel). The Village is particularly lively on weekends, when street performers take over the boardwalk in front of the Ferris wheel and showcase their skills during various performances, the subjects of which range from break-dancing and BMX stunt riding to using diabolos and singing. Just behind the village are the luxurious Beach Tower Hotel and Sunset Beach, and to the south is Chatan Sports Field, where the Chunichi Dragons, a Japanese professional baseball team, hold their spring training each year.

Just south of Mihama is Kitamae, a community that includes the hamlets of (north to south) Hamby, Araha, and Iha. Stretching over what used to be Hamby Air Field (an auxiliary American airfield built after World War II and returned to the town in 1981), this settlement is better known today for its high concentration of restaurants and izakaya. Hamby is home to the Hamby Free Zone, which is most vibrant on weekend nights, when local vendors join the area’s cadre of businesses and put up stalls along portions of the main thoroughfare. The street takes on the atmosphere of a nighttime flea market, with residents milling about looking for good deals and enjoying an evening outside. The more southerly Araha is best known for Araha Beach and “Pirate Ship Park.” The large wooden ship play-structure is actually a replica of the Indian Oak, a British ship that wrecked off the coast of Chatan in 1840. (The crew was cared for by the Okinawans, who also helped them build another boat in which to return to Britain.)

The final portion of Chatan is a small, landlocked area bordered by Kadena Air Base to the north, Camp Foster to the south, Highway 58 to the west, and Highway 330 to the east. It includes the communities of Kuwae, Yoshihara, Yamauchi, Omura, Yagibaru, Minamitobaru, Ihei, Tamagami, Kamisedo, Simoseido, and Zukeran. Less commercialized and more community-oriented, this portion of Chatan contains many of the city’s residences and schools, as well as landmarks such as Yoshihachi Sushi Bar, Chatan Town Office, and Chatan Community Center.

Chatan Photos

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The Okinawa Convention Center is major civic center used for local and international events and is located in the western portion of Ginowan City.

The Convention Center was designed by architect Yukio Otani and opened to the public in September 1987. Composed of three adjoining buildings designed to represent the sky, sea, and caves of Okinawa, the complex houses an exhibition hall, theater, and convention facility. It is easily recognizable to residents because of its high, arched green roof.

Numerous events are hosted at the Center every year, such as auto shows, ikebana shows, and international conventions. The center has hosted the Worldwide Uchinanchu Conference twice, as well as the Asia Music Pageant. It is also one of the two primary home courts for the Ryukyu Golden Kings, Okinawa’s only professional sports team and one of the newest teams in the Japan Basketball League.

Not far from the Convention Center are the ever-popular and amenity-rich Tropical Beach, a marina, and several resort hotels.

To get to the Okinawa Convention Center, exit Camp Foster’s Kitamae (Commissary) Gate and turn left. Turn right at the first light. Follow the signs for the Convention Center, continuing straight for several kilometers and passing San-A on the right. The Center will be on the right, and its entrance is marked by a large torii.

Ginowan Photos

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The Tomori Stone Lion is a stone shîsâ located in present-day Kochinda Town (Yaese Village) on the southern portion of Okinawa. This shîsâ was constructed in the 1600s to defend the village of Tomori from, according to legend, a dragon that lived in the hill on which the statue sits.

The Tomori Stone Lion is recognizable to Americans from a photo taken during the Battle of Okinawa in which soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 7th Division are hunkered down around the statue, taking fire from Japanese forces.

The shîsâ is 5’2” (1.57 meters) tall. Most American visitors are surprised to see it surrounded by a grove of trees, as in the photo, it is standing atop a hill, surrounded by no foliage. Close examination of the statue reveals bullet holes sustained during the Battle of Okinawa.

The Tomori Stone Lion is located in a semi-maintained park, not far from Cape Kyan. Visitors can reach it by heading south on Highway 58 from Camp Foster. The road eventually becomes Highway 331 and winds around the southern tip of the island. After passing Himeyuri-no-To and Peace Prayer Park, turn left onto Route 507. Make another left on Route 52 (15). The statue will be in a park, on the right. Follow the signs.

This monument is dedicated to the young boys who served during the Battle of Okinawa alongside General Ushijima and his army as members of the Blood and Iron Corps (or Tekketsu Kinnotai). Nearly 1,500 strong, the unit included a large contingent from the Okinawa Normal School in Shuri, which was activated on March 31, 1945, one day before the American invasion of Okinawa.

Many of these young men, most of whom were of middle school age, had received minor military training at school (this did not include any sort of arms training), and had been taught that it was their duty to fight the enemy for the cause of their emperor. Though some served in light duty capacities, such as messengers and laborers, others were sent to the front lines, sometimes armed with little more than sticks. Casualties ensued.

As the battle neared its conclusion around June 19, 1945, many of the young men who remained in the Blood and Iron Corps were encouraged to take their own lives rather than surrender to American forces. Of the Normal School recruits, some 226 of 386 lost their lives in the battle. The surviving alumna raised money for the Kenji-no-To monument, which is located in the western portion of Peace Prayer Park. Among the survivors was Masahide Ota, a man who went on to become governor of Okinawa Prefecture.

To get to Kenji-no-To, head south on Highway 58 from Camp Foster. Near the airport, the road becomes Highway 331. Follow 331 south and east through Itoman and past Himeyuri-no-To. Kenji-no-To is located just before Peace Prayer Park and is denoted by road signs in English and Japanese.

Konpaku-no-To is a war memorial located on Highway 331 about one-half kilometer east of Himeyuri-no-To in Komesu Village (located on the far southern portion of Okinawa). Konpaku translates to mean "soul."

After the Battle of Okinawa, Occupation authorities ordered the citizens of Mawashi Village to relocate to Komesu, a village on the southern tip of the island, now incorporated into present-day Itoman City. As the southern portion of the island saw heavy fighting, the citizens found thousands of remains scattered about their new village. The head of the village, Kinjo Washin, began a campaign to collect these remains, most of which were unidentifiable. Villagers requested permission from the U.S. Occupation authorities to build a tomb for the remains, and after permission was granted, and some 35,000 remains were buried in a mass grave that was marked by a concrete and coral mound bearing the word "konpaku."

In 1979, amidst a movement to make the area around present-day Peace Prayer Park into the island's central war memorial (dozens of smaller, community memorials and graves were scattered about the island), most of the remains were relocated to the cemetery on Mabuni Hill. However, one bone was left at Konpaku-no-To. Today, small crowds still gather to mourn the dead and offer prayers and flowers, often as an addendum to the Irei-no-Hi activities held every June at Peace Prayer Park.

If the Okinawan diet is the marvel of fad-chasing, image-obsessed America consumers for the moment, there's little hope that our young nation will achieve the longevity for which Okinawans are so famous. While certain foods are key to the prefecture's high number of octa and nonagenarians, attitude and lifestyle choices are equally as important, and in few places can the holy trinity of theOkinawan elixir be seen quite like in Makishi Public Market, located in the Heiwadori on Kokusai Street.

It's easy to write the market off as a tourist attraction. On any given day, there are swarms of camera-bearing outsiders swarming the alleys for deals and the perfect Okinawan omiyage (souvenir). But equally as numerous, especially when you venture into the bowels of the marketplace, are aging Okinawans who come to this machigwa (local market) buy a few fresh items (likely what they can't grow or catch on their own) and catch up with acquaintances.

Some call Makishi "Okinawa's kitchen," a moniker that's right on the money. In this maze of covered alleys, an alert consumer can find almost anything needed to create a traditional Okinawan meal. The inner sanctum is home to a vibrant fish and meat market whose vendors politely hawk their goods to passersby. Parrotfish, octopus, squid, blowfish, shrimp, snapper, yellowfin tuna, and a dozen other varieties of seafood abound, artfully displayed on ice or in cases. Across the building are the pork vendors, who offer up every portion of the pig except the oink, say locals. You'll find mimi (ear), intestines, feet, hocks, and even chiraga (face flesh). Shoppers are also sure to pass an entire pig head or two, the smiling carcasses likely bearing sunglasses.

Poultry, goat, and beef are available as well, though are not nearly as plentiful as pork. Vendors can also be found with wide selections of pickled vegetables, tofu, and fish cakes. Just outside are vegetable vendors, nearly all of whom grow what they sell. Goya, or bitter melon, is a common sight, as are daikon (radishes), fruits, kabocha (a gourd sort of like a pumpkin), and fresh flowers. Sata andagi (Okinawan donuts) are available in abundance, as are chinsuko (Okinawan cookies) and products made from beniimo (purple Okinawan sweet potato). Eye-catching irabu (smoked sea snake) and jars of habu sake reel in tourists to the many stalls.

Perhaps the best kept secret of Makishi is the second floor, which houses a cluster of restaurants, some of which will even cook fish purchased at the market below. Staples such as goya champuru and Okinawan soba are also available. Many of the aging, wrinkled faces here and on the first floor have been working in the market for decades.

More than 400 storefronts exist in Makishi, selling everything from sanshin and star sand to used military surplus clothing and cheap blankets. Though businesses are legitimate now, the area began as a black market alley after World War II. Slowly, as Okinawa recovered from the devastation of the Battle of Okinawa, the core of shops expanded one by one.

Today, the Makishi Public Market is an Okinawa icon, the largest market on the island. And while it may be a portal to the stomachs of Okinawans, it's also a community lifeblood. Economically, it brings in hundreds of thousands of tourist dollars annually. But emotionally, it's a way for residents who have long patronized the markets to continue the traditions of the Okinawa of yesteryear, to connect with a rural past that is rapidly yielding to mega tourist resorts and shopping malls. And it's this sense of charm and island energy that keep people-tourists and locals alike-coming back.

Early History

Archeological evidence gleaned from illustrated ceramics fragments suggests that dance has been a part of daily life for thousands of years. Many early dances, such as those of Native Americans, derived from ceremonial and ritualistic purposes. Ancient Egyptian and Indian dances often had religious purposes, while those of ancient Greece were more celebratoryin nature. While Okinawa has several folk dances related to religious ceremonies, it developed its classical dances in a not-so-traditional way.

Already an established entrepôt by the time the Ryukyu Kingdom unified in 1429, Okinawa enjoyed trade with many nations, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Siam, and Java. With the influx of luxurious trade goods came entourages of visiting economic and diplomatic dignitaries that often stayed for months at a time and required constant attention and entertainment. Consequently, the Ryukyu court frequently held elaborate banquets involving fine foods and staged performances of ukwanshin (crown ship dances) and kumiudui (classical plays). For the purposes of the latter, the court appointed dance magistrates, or odori bugyo. The odori bugyo drew on the songs and dances used by locals during religious festivals and combined them with the cultural influences of China and Japan, thereby creating a terpsichorean art form that was distinctly Okinawan.

Classical Okinawan Dances

Among the classical Okinawan dances are men's dances, women's dances, boy's dances, and elderly people's dances. Each of these dances had highly choreographed routines and accompaniment from musicians playing the sanshin (stringed, plucked instrument), koto (zither), fue (flute), taiko (drum), and Chinese fiddle.

Men's dances, or nisai odori, are often characterized by dancers' attire-a white headband (shiru saji) and a solid black kimono worn hiked up with black and white leggings. These dances had a vigorously masculine nature and frequently incorporated karate movements.

Boy's dances, or wakashu odori, were often performed by boys about fifteen years old, just before their coming of age ceremony. Dancers wore bright red kimono and made flowing, yet still masculine, movements. Unfortunately, when Ryukyuan culture was forced to assimilate into the Japanese culture, the coming of age ceremony was done away with, and so the wakashu odori also disappeared. Today, only a few boy's dances-such as kutibushi and binuchibushi-survive.

Elderly people's dances, or rojin odori, were usually the first dances performed at the ukwanshin. Intended to represent ancestors dancing, the rojin odori were also performed to bring good wishes to guests.

Women's dances, or onna odori, were performed by males dressed in bright bingata kimono and red tabi socks. Onna odori usually depicted a reserved young woman expressing her passionate love for a man. Among the more famous onna odori are amakawa, nufwa bushi, and tsikuten.

From Classical to Pop

Following 1868 Meiji Restoration and consequential disintegration of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the court-sponsored dancers lacked financial support and thus took their talents to new commercial theaters popping up in Naha. In these theaters, commoners were able to see the classical dances, which had previously only been performed for royalty and high-ranking diplomats.

However, performances of the refined, precise movements of the classical dances evoked less than notable responses from the commoners. The dancers responded by developing zo odori, or popular dances. Zo odori reflected the daily activities of farmers, fishermen, and laborers in the community. The restrained and stylized movements of classical dances were thrown out, and dancers adopted vibrant and lively movements the conveyed a sense of freedom and happiness. These folk dances, or minzoku buyo, were performed at religious ceremonies and rituals that have been passed down since ancient times. Such dances included eisa and shishimai.

After summer rains bring unrelenting heat and humidity to prefectures throughout Japan, donning a heavy kimono for social occasions becomes a dreaded thought and task. In lieu of the layers of fabric required for traditional kimono, many in Japan opt to wear yukata during the nation's stifling summers.

As opposed to the heavy silk or synthetic fabrics used to make kimono, yukata arewoven from lightweight cotton and are not lined. Though traditional yukata feature indigo designs, modern conventions place almost no limit on the colors available. Young females can often be found sporting bright yellow or rosy pink varieties (with matching accessories, of course), while children can be seen attired in yukata emblazoned with popular characters such as Hello Kitty. Older individuals usually opt for more reserved designs, but the footwear of choice for all wearers are elevated wooden sandals called geta.

The word yukata comes from yu, meaning bath, and katabira, meaning under clothing. Originally, these summer duds were used exclusively by nobility following a bath. As time wore on and bathhouses became more commonplace, yukata became a part of the traditional attire at onsen and sentō. Today, most ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) still provide one for walking between the bathhouse and other buildings, though such varieties often feature only a simple sash for closure, as opposed to the more ornate obi belts used to secure the yukata of festival-goers.

On Okinawa, sightings of yukata-clad nihonjin (whose garments often feature local bingata designs) can most easily be had during the annual Orion Beer Festival each August. In other parts of Japan, yukata are common attire for fireworks displays, Obon events, and shrine matsuri.

Want a yukata of your own or one to give as a gift? Fine yukata are available at Mitsukoshi Department Store on Kokusai Street. For more economical versions, head to your local San-A or Jusco.