Blog Entries for meg

Beniimo

meg

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Beniimo (sometimes spelled benimo, beni-imo; sometimes referred to as ube) is a variety of sweet potato with a distinctive purple color. Sweet in taste, the potato is an integral part of Okinawan diet and culture, with its history on the island dating back more than 400 years.

Before the introduction of beniimo in 1605, famine commonly swept through villages on Okinawa. The island�s crops were subjected to a variety of natural torments ranging from the torrents of rain and [...]

Yachimun no Sato (Village of Potters)

meg

Yachimun no Sato is a cooperative village of artisans located in Yomitan. The village centers around three large kilns, though more than 40 studios and smaller kilns are scattered throughout the area.

After the Battle of Okinawa, Naha City lay in ruins. But slowly, the capital rebuilt. As the area�s economy stabilized and the population density increased, residents grew tired of the smoke that was being spewed into the air by the traditional kilns in the Tsuboya pottery district. Rather tha [...]

Eisa

meg

Eisa is a lively, high-spirited dance that has become one of Okinawa�s most notable performance arts. Eisa dances are traditionally associated with Obon celebrations but can also be seen throughout the year at locations such as Okinawa World and Ryukyu Mura.

For hundreds of years, eisa dances were reserved solely for Obon, the festival during which Okinawans honor deceased ancestors. During the festival, those offering prayers often recited incantations of a poem called "Iro Iro no Esa Omor [...]

Obon

meg

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Obon is a three-day holiday set aside each summer to honor deceased ancestors. During this period, family members celebrate the return of ancestral spirits by gathering together, feasting, and praying.

Some label the events of Obon as ancestor worship. But �worship,� in the sense that many Westerners think of the term and associate it with Christian rites, is something of a misnomer pertaining to this three-day holiday. A more appropriate term for Obon rituals might be ancestor ve [...]

Kinjo-cho Stone Road

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Kinjo-cho Stone Road (Kinjo-cho Ishidatami Michi) is a two-meter wide, 300-meter long path paved with large blocks of Ryukyuan limestone. It is located in Shuri, Okinawa, to the south of Shuri Castle.

Kinjo-cho is one of several ishidatami on Okinawa. Others include Hijigabira in Shuri, Okoku Stone Road in Sashiki and Yamada Stone Road in Onna.

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Katsuren Castle

meg

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Katusuren Castle is located on the Katsuren Peninsula on the eastern coast of Okinawa. Today, the ruins of the castle are an educational attraction, hosting tourists, schoolchildren, amateur historians, and curious passersby.

Excavations and historical research show that Katsuren Castle was constructed during the 12th century. During its first two centuries of existence, successive occupants (which were primarily local chieftains known as aji) increasingly fortified its wal [...]

Tama-u-Dun

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Tama-u-dun (also Tamaudun) is a limestone mausoleum that houses the remains of members of the Sho En dynasty of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. It is located in Shuri, roughly 200 meters from the Shureimon.

Tama-u-dun was built in 1501 (Koji 14) by order of King Sho Shin, who wanted to the remains of his father (King Sho En) closer to Shuri Castle. As successive generations passed away, their remains were also placed here.

The total area of the site of Tama-u-dun spans 2,442 square m [...]

Fukushu-en

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Fukushu-en (Fukushu Garden) is a Chinese-style garden located in Naha City. It was constructed to celebrate the city�s historical ties to China�s Fujian province and current relationship with the city of Fuzhou.

In 1981, Naha City (the capital of Okinawa Prefecture) and Fuzhou City, China (the capital of the Fujian province, with which Okinawa traded a great deal) cemented their historical ties by becoming modern-day sister cities. To mark the 10th anniversary of this tie, as well [...]

Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate

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Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate (Sonohyan Utaki Ishimon) is located in Shuri Castle Park, roughly 50 meters to the rear of the Shureimon.

For centuries, prior to departing the grounds of Shuri Castle, the King of the Ryukyus stopped at Sonohyan Utaki to pray. In 1519, King Sho Shin ordered a gate to be constructed in front of this sacred grove of trees and commissioned a man named Nishito to accomplish the task. Nishito hailed from Taketomi Island, and his skills as a stonemason [...]

Hakugin-do Shrine

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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 i [...]

Naminoue Shrine

meg

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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 [...]

Shiraume-no-To

meg

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 [...]

Gokaku-ji

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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 Bettelhei [...]

Kozakura-no-To

meg

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 [...]

Chatan

meg

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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.

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.

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0kinawa Convention Center

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The 0kinawa 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 0kinawa.

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Tsuboya

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Tsuboya is a district in Naha, 0kinawa famed for its collection of potters. Homo sapiens on Okinawa first began using vessels made of earthen materials more than 6,600 years ago.

In 1682, the Ryukyu royal government issued a decree that 0kinawa Honto�s three pottery districts (Wakuta, Takaraguchi, and Chibana) be consolidated to better provide for the demand of the citizenry and of foreign merchants. In addition items such as bowls, pots, and bottles, crafters also produced [...]

Nakijin Castle Ruins

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The ruins of Nakijin Castle are located on the Motobu Peninsula in the northern part of 0kinawa, Japan. The castle was built in the 13th century.

Today, only ruins of the castle remain. Standing at an elevation of 100 meters, the nine walls are comprised of large pieces of limestone and range in height from three to eight meters. The main gate was located on the western face of the castle, and after entering it.

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Zakimi Castle

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The ruins of Zakimi Gusuku (Zakimi Castle) are located in Yomitn Village, in the central portion of 0kinawa.

Construction of the castle began in 1416 and lasted until 1422. The owner, Gosamaru, had previously lived at Yamada Gusuku, a castle above five miles to the northeast, closer to the warring lords of Hokuzan (Northern Kingdom)

Zakimi
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Tomori Stone Lion (Sh�s�)

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The Tomori Stone Lion (also, Tomimori Stone Lion and Tumui Stone Lion) is a stone sh�s� located in present-day Kochinda Town (Yaese Village) on the southern portion of Okinawa. It is the oldest village sh�s� on Okinawa.

This sh�s� was constructed in 1689 to defend the village of Tomimori from fire. Two stories exist about the reason for its construction. The first and most prevalent is that the village was continuously plagued by fires and sought the wisdom of a man from Kume Village. Based [...]