Category Archives: History

The Floor Plan of Houses in Old Okinawa

Posted on October 2, 2014 by loochoo77

Last updated 10/13/14 My curiosity about the old Okinawan house began with a drawing that my Dad made about 2 to 3 years before he passed away. While visiting him at his house, out of the blue, he took my … Continue reading →

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Rare U.S. Photos of Civilians from the Battle of Okinawa

Posted on October 2, 2014 by loochoo77

The following photos of civilians caught up in the turmoil of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 are from the late Lieutenant Reinhart T. Kowallis’s collection. Most were taken by the Lieutenant, but some may have been taken by other … Continue reading →

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Must Read: George Feifer’s ‘Okinawa: 66 Years Later’

Posted on October 1, 2014 by loochoo77

Last updated 10/3/14 George Feifer’s article appeared in the February 2012 issue of Collier’s. Here are some excerpts: Starting with elementary facts about the largest land-sea-air battle in history may make sense because they’re so little known. Or approximation of … Continue reading →

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Literature, Maui, Uchinaguchi, Kina, ‘Map It!,’ Comfort Women, Must-See, McDonalds

Posted on September 30, 2014 by loochoo77

Last updated 10/1/14 Umushirikutu Ryota Shimabukuro, “Event introducing Okinawan literature held at US Library of Congress” (Ryukyu Shimpo, 9/14/14): On September 9, an event introducing Okinawan literature titled “Living Spirit” was held at the US Library of Congress in Washington … Continue reading →

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Rare Ryukyu Documents

Posted on September 29, 2014 by loochoo77

From Ryukyu Shimpo: “Chinese classic documents from the Ryukyu Kingdom era published” (4/1/14): The curator of the Uruma City Library Atsushi Enokawa, who took part in the project, said, “We took 20 years to research documents lost during the Battle … Continue reading →

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Okinawan and Mainland Japanese DNA Similar

Posted on September 29, 2014 by loochoo77

Ryukyu Shimpo (9/17/14) reported that “Modern people living in the Ryukyu Islands are genetically more closely related to those in the main islands of Japan than people in Taiwan or mainland China, a research team has found.” The following are … Continue reading →

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Choko Takayama: A VIP and a Family Friend

Posted on September 27, 2014 by loochoo77

My meeting with Choko Takayama was an amazing happening. Three years ago, a friend working at the Okinawan Festival at Kapiolani Park wasn’t feeling well so she was told to rest in the VIP tent. There, she talked with Mr. … Continue reading →

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‘Residual Sovereignty in Practice: Japanese Law and Government in the US-Adminstered Okinawa, 1952-1972’ – Lecture on 9/30/14 at 3pm – UH-Manoa, Moore 319

Posted on September 21, 2014 by loochoo77

Forwarded by Rodney Inefuku on 9/21/14

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Okinawan Festival 2014: Good Food, Good Friends, Good Fun

Posted on September 17, 2014 by loochoo77

Hi Folks! Finally getting around to talking about my own experience at the Okinawan Festival. Wife and I met daughter and her boyfriend at KCC. We’all took the bus shuttle to Kapiolani Park. First thing, we went look’n for food. … Continue reading →

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110 Titles Added to University of Hawaii and University of Ryukyus Digital Archives

Posted on September 13, 2014 by loochoo77

Announcement forwarded by Rodney Inefuku 9/13/14 The University of Hawaii at Manoa Library and the University of the Ryukyus Library are pleased to announce the availability of the digital archives site for the Sakamaki/Hawley Collection.Over hundred items of 218 digitized … Continue reading →

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Are the Taira in Okinawa Descendants of the Heike?

Posted on September 10, 2014 by loochoo77

By Rodney Inefuku Electrical and Computer Engineer, retired Facebook Last updated 9/11/14 In Okinawa: History of an Island People,1 George Kerr writes about the feud between the Taira Clan and the Minamoto family in Japan during the 9th century (pages 47-49). … Continue reading →

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‘Typhoon of Steel’ – All-Okinawan MIS Unit in Battle of Okinawa

Posted on September 1, 2014 by loochoo77

Typhoon of Steel, a 19-minute video released on 7 May 2013, was directed by Gena S. Hamamoto with support from the Center for Ethno Communications of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and many other sources that are listed at … Continue reading →

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Okinawan Women, Karate, Ta-Taki, etc.

Posted on September 1, 2014 by loochoo77

Umushirikutu “Okinawa women score high as business leaders,” Japan Update, 8/27/14: A survey by Teikoku Databank Fukuoka says Kyushu and Okinawa areas are strongest in female leadership in Japan, scoring 8.5% of the presidencies. The national average is 7.4% female … Continue reading →

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Okinawan Festival 2014 – Photos

Posted on August 31, 2014 by loochoo77

Last updated 8/31/14 These photos were shot between 2:50pm and 3:40pm on Saturday, 8/30/14, at the annual Okinawan Festival in Kapiolani Park, Honolulu. Thus, they capture only a brief 50-minute slice of the 2-day event. Still, they capture some of … Continue reading →

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2014 Okinawan Festival Program (Honolulu) Aug. 30-31

Posted on August 17, 2014 by loochoo77

(See photos from the 2014 festival.) Source: Okinawan Festival Program, sponsored by the Hawaii United Okinawa Association. Accessed 8/17/14. This schedule is subject to change. Visit the festival’s official website. Saturday, 8/30/14 9:00am – RYUKYU SOKYOKU KOYO KAI HAWAII SHIBU … Continue reading →

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Okinawans in the Philippines

Posted on August 8, 2014 by loochoo77

In the Mintal district of Davao in the Philippines, there’s a Japanese cemetary, and in the cemetary is the Monument of Okinawa. Every year, a memorial service is held at the monument, which was “built by the Okinawa prefectural government … Continue reading →

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Himeyuri: A Story of Angels in the Battle of Okinawa

Posted on August 3, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 2/4/16 The Ryukyu Shimpo ran a story on 18 July 2014, “Himeyuri Peace Museum Marks Its 25th Anniversary,” and it was about the success of the museum in attracting visitors. Curious, I searched YouTube for a video that might … Continue reading →

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Working List of Okinawan Surnames

Posted on July 27, 2014 by loochoo77

This post has been moved to “Surnames“: A – J K – R S – Z  

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Proof That the Ryukyus Were an Independent Kingdom at the Time of Annexation

Posted on July 21, 2014 by loochoo77

Many writers assume that the Ryukyus were an independent kingdom in 1879 when it was forcibly annexed by Japan. Prior to annexation, or “Ryukyu Shobun,” they operated as an independent kingdom, entering into tributary relationships with the Ming and Qing … Continue reading →

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In the Early-20th Century, Ryukyu Clothing Banned in Schools

Posted on July 19, 2014 by loochoo77

The following photos and quoted caption are from Valerie H. Barske’s “‘Dancing Through’ Historical Trauma: Okinawan Performance in Post-Imperial Japan” (Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, Issue 24, June 2010).

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USAF Sabre Crashed into Miyamori Elementary School in 1959

Posted on July 19, 2014 by loochoo77

On 30 June 1959, a United States Air Force F-100 Super Sabre crashed into Miyamori Elementary School and the adjoining neighborhood, “killing 11 students and six other people in the neighborhood and injuring 210 others, including 156 students…. The pilot, … Continue reading →

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Video: ‘Okinawa 1950s to 1960s’

Posted on June 24, 2014 by loochoo77

This video, comprising still photos, was created and uploaded to YouTube by Donn Cuson (aka “Desert Donn”) on 5/12/13. The images are among the best I’ve seen from this period. I especially like the Okinawa minyo in the soundtrack. I … Continue reading →

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Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone: Master of Okinawan Dance

Posted on June 23, 2014 by loochoo77

Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone is a 2012 U.S. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellow. Following are some excerpts from the NEA site: Born in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, in 1933, into a family that appreciated classical Okinawan music and … Continue reading →

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Kokusai Dori; Ishikawa Woodblock; ‘Okinawa: The Last Battle’

Posted on June 21, 2014 by loochoo77

Umushirikutu See Ishikawa Toraji’s woodblock print, ‘Ryukyu Market,’ (琉球の市場 Ryukyu no ichiba) c. 1935. * * * Read Okinawa: The Last Battle (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1948), the work of combat historians of the 1st Information and Historical Service, Tenth … Continue reading →

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‘The Targeted Village’ – A Lightning Rod for Okinawans’ Discontent

Posted on June 12, 2014 by loochoo77

The Targeted Village (標的の村) is a 91-minute documentary based on Chie Mikami’s 2012 award-winning TV program produced for an Okinawa station. Mikami, 48, is a newscaster at Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting. The village, Takae, is in northern Okinawa. At issue is … Continue reading →

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OkiNinjaKitty’s YouTube Videos on Okinawa

Posted on June 12, 2014 by loochoo77

“Poem of Sorrow – Yomitan Village Okinawa, Japan,” uploaded to YouTube by OkiNinjaKitty on 5/29/14.

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Junko Fisher: Ryukyu Dance and Music Lessons in NYC, Summer 2014

Posted on June 9, 2014 by loochoo77

For details, see Susan Miyagi Hamaker’s “Ryukyu Dance and Music Lessons with Junko Fisher,” Japan Culture NYC, 6/3/14.

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767 Children Killed in 1944 When Tsushima Maru Torpedoed

Posted on June 4, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 10/11/14, 5/31/15, 6/6/15, 1/5/17 In my Google Alerts this morning, I found an item from the Ryukyu Shimpo about a WWII memorial service held at Tinian, in the southeast of Okinawa “one of the three principal islands of the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Images | 4 Comments

‘The Power of the Sanshin’ – Exhibit Ends 5/11/14

Posted on May 2, 2014 by loochoo77

From Japan Update 5/1/14: This exhibit at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum ends on 11 May 2014. Here’s more from the article: The sanshin program takes visitors through how the sanshin has changed its form from the Chinese three-string instrument, which … Continue reading →

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Japan’s First Paleolithic Discoveries in Okinawa

Posted on April 29, 2014 by loochoo77

Japan Daily Press (2/17/14) reported that “tools made from shells have been discovered at the Sakitari-do cave in Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture.” Archaeologists “also discovered in the same geological rock … a human tooth and a foot bone.” Carbon dating indicates … Continue reading →

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