#trinklet

Paper stars 🙅 paper guitar 🙆

Sure, I’m not an anthropology expert, but as one of the many people in the world who are personally invested in the preservation and continuation of this beautiful culture*, I am making a personal masterpost of everything I’ve distinguished over the years as ‘not-Japanese, definitely Okinawan’. 

*my claim-to-care is that I am married to someone who is half-okinawan, who had their early infancy in their ancestral village with their Okinawan grandparents, aunt and uncle. I meet regularly with my mother-in-law (the Okinawan side of the family) to learn about her language and culture so I can pass this on to our children someday. I also love both my husband and my mother in law to bits, and honestly my own white-bread heritage just makes me appreciate the diversity and richness of Okinawa even more =P

Here are the basics:

Brief cultural overview Some Facts and Details The Official Wikipedia on the Ryukyu Kingdom A more in-depth look into the History of the Ryukyu Islands

Is Okinawa Japanese? No, but yes. Locals on the island can understand Japanese mainland-dialect if that’s the only language you’ve learned, but Okinawan people are as much Japanese as Hawai’ian people are American. Some are, some aren’t, but there is a noticeable difference. 

For starters, the average native Okinawan has darker skin than a Japanese person, as the Ryukyu islands are decidedly tropical. They don’t really have a ‘summer’ or a ‘winter’ like the rest of Japan does - for Okinawa, it’s more of a ‘wet season’, and ‘dry season’. Typhoons are really common in the summery ‘wet’ season, interspersed with muggy days and inescapable heat. The ‘winter’ barely dips below 10 degrees Celsius, so if you’re used to the snow you can easily go for a swim in the crystal-clear coral reefs in December. 

Cultural quirks differ depending on what part of the Islands you visit. In Naha, and right amongst the mainland, you’ll find a mixture of American and Japanese influences mixed in with Chinese and Okinawan history. The Chinese influence has been around a lot longer than the other ones, going back well into the ancient Ryukyuan kingdom, but Okinawans seem to take most of it well into their stride. One example can be found in Naha - the impact of Chinese culture is present in preserved castle and temple sights - simultaneous with the presence of American-style ice cream shops and Japanese bits and pieces. But what’s the original stuff?

Well, Okinawa is well-known for developing Karate. It is said that ‘little is known about it because little was written’, but that is locally known to be untrue. An unpopular fact is that when Japan forcibly took control of the Ryukyu islands, they attempted to erase its cultural history by destroying written works and elders that taught by oral tradition. This was to assist in total assimilation to Japanese culture, but in its brutality it only cemented Okinawan national pride.  Nevertheless, this knowledge was lost. 

The Okinawan Purple Yam is a unique foodstuff that is loved by pretty much everyone who comes across it. Okinawans are famously long-lived, despite the lack of technological enhancements to health care in the Ryukyu islands. This longevity is partially attributed to genetics, but also a very healthy diet made of lots of seafood, vegetables, and little meat. Okinawan ‘sweets’ contain very little sugar; the sugar that is present is a unique form of Brown sugar native to the island. Paired with a culture that promotes rigorous exercise throughout life, you will find many people, 70+ years of age, easily performing martial arts routines and traditional dances as a hobby. 

Okinawans had a unique language, with variations across their islands. The most common one was Uchinaaguchi, which (to a Japanese speaker) sounds like the English equivalent of someone with a heavy American Southern accent. 

Here is some information on the religious beliefs of the Ryukyuans. It’s a bit more varied now, but this link is a good insight into a general overview. The Sanshin - a three-stringed banjo - was developed in Okinawa, pre-dating the Japanese Shamisen, which is regularly the instrument of choice for Okinawan music. This is because it is a beautiful instrument that is usually decorated according to the local area it was made in (with variations on the wood, or snakeskin cover depending on what’s popular in the region) and easy to learn. It doesn’t sound too bad, either! Okinawa traditional dress is also quite colourful and unique! The most famous is known as the Bingata style of decoration, which is detailed and bright. Logical with the hot, tropical climate of the islands, Okinawan traditional dress is light and made from breathable fabrics with little layering (as opposed to Japanese silk Kimonos, which are like being wrapped in a quilt after you assemble the whole outfit!). This resulted in older generations of Okinawans wearing their kimono all day, every day, as this was easily washable and versatile clothing. My husband’s grandmother famously tied her basho-fu kimono in less than a minute, and never wore anything else, even when western-style clothing became popular with her children. 

Personally, I find Okinawan local culture a lot friendlier and welcoming to foreigners than mainland Japan, which ties introductions and meetings in long, layered customs that make outsiders feel...well...excluded. Famously, Japanese in-laws to western people are distinctly aloof to their foreign family members, a behaviour that seems alien to my Okinawan relatives who happily greet anyone that comes to their island. The very second I showed an interest in my mother-in-law’s history I was flooded with resources and enthusiasm, and most importantly a wealth of patience for my slow progress. 

I’m still learning a lot, and will personally visit my husband’s ancestral home in a few months to gather more information, but until then feel free to add anything else that you know, or ask me questions! : )

When I came home today I saw a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey and some Handcuffs on my bed.

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"That's funny, I thought I locked the front door already."

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"I heard something large scamper inside, but the dog is still waiting to be let in."

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I was walking through the house in the middle of the night when I passed the mirror in the living room. I refuse to look at it, but despite it being pitch black something flashed in the reflection.

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I just realized that I'm the only one in the office. I would go home, but I just saw a creature with too many hands walk into my boss' office. 

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