Received from Anonymous 5/28/18: I’ve been trying to trace Taira family in Okinawa. My grandparents migrated in late 1800 or early 1900 to Hawaii, settling first in Kaneohe than in Kalihi. If you have any info, I’d appreciate. Growing up in Kalihi, I now live in California. We used to attend the Haneji picnics.
Note: A big mahalo to my nephew, Derek Mukai, for this information. -Jim
Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii is delighted to present “The Dawn of Ryukyu” on July 24, 2018, at the Hawaii Okinawa Center. This special event can be enjoyed by all ages and will feature a medley of Okinawan performing arts to tell the story of ancient Okinawa.
Time
Performance Begins at 7:00 PM
Doors open at 6:30 PM
Early Entry for Preferred and VIP Guests at 6:00 PM
Tickets
General Admission – $35 presale, $40 at the door
Preferred – $50
Preferred Seating includes early entrance at 6:00 PM, and preferred seating on a first come, first serve basis.
Reserved VIP – $100
Reserved VIP include early entrance at 6:00 PM, reserved seating, and an okashi gift box. In addition, with the purchase of each pair of tickets, a parking pass will be provided.
Join the Okinawa Peace Appeal group on Facebook. Administrators are Shizuko Takasugi, Noriko Oyama, and Hideko Otake; moderator, John Decker. Their mission:
Okinawa Peace Appeal is a group of people concerned with Okinawan injustice. We organize events such as meetings in New York or Washington DC to voice our objections to the onging US Military occupation of the island and the forceful impostion of that occupation by the governenments of Japan and the US. This ongoing occupation of Okinawa since 1945 has resulted in thousands of violent and property crimes against the people of Okinawa by the military occupiers. Rape, murder and sexual assault against women has been particularly heinous among these crimes. As a result, Okinawa has been oppressed, suppressed, their voice has been marginalized, and a colonial mentality has been imposed on the people. In particular, we voice our strong opposition to the new US Marine Base being built in Henoko, Okinawa. We join in solidarity with other peace activists as we maintain our focus on the role the US bases in Okinawa play in a state of permanent war by the US.
Besides a very active publishing schedule, they provide English translations of information written in Japanese.
OPA Administrators and Moderator.
Ryukyu Shimpo (2/25/18): On February 24 in New York, once the demonstration has reached the front of Trump Tower, Okinawa Peace Appeal members call for Yamashiro’s acquittal and speak out against the Henoko base.
I returned recently from a delegation of U.S. military veterans to Okinawa, to witness the devastation from the ongoing U.S. military occupation since 1945 — with construction of yet another military monstrosity in rural Henoko, despite the resistance by Okinawans for over 20 years via elections, lawsuits and non-violent civil disobedience.
Veterans for Peace members joined in the latter only to be dragged away with other local Okinawan elders by riot police from Japan.
PIXABAY – “What amazed me aside from the persistence of Okinawans demanding human rights, democracy and mutual respect for decades, are the indifferent justifications by Japan and the U.S. — from political representatives to entire communities,” writes Pete Shimazaki Doktor, co-founder of HOA (Hawaii Okinawa Alliance).
The earliest human remains in Japan (from the Yamashita site in Okinawa) date to about 30,000 years ago and are thought to be ancestors of the Jomon people, whose pottery appeared throughout the Japanese archipelago as far north as Siberia by about 13,000 years ago. New migrants, called the Yayoi people, arrived in Japan from the Korean peninsula about 2,000 years ago causing admixture of the two populations (19,23) but appearing not to have had a major genetic influence in outlying regions such as Okinawa or Hokkaido (21,22). Continue reading →
“Alfredo Casero // Shima Uta en Japón,” YouTube, uploaded by aeroder flax on 6/18/15.
Alfredo Casero, an Argentine musician, actor and comedian, recorded “Shima Uta” in 2002, the first single from his album, Casaerius. His cover of the song written and recorded by Miyazawa Kazufumi in 1993, who was with the band “The Boom” at the time, became a huge hit in Argentina, where it was chosen as the anthem for the national football team to represent the country at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. In this video, both Casero and Miyazawa share the stage at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan (Wikipedia).
Casero, Miyazawa, and Japanese-Argentine folk singer Claudia Oshiro performed “Shima Uta” at the 53rd Kōhaku Uta Gassen on New Year’s Eve 2002.I’m not sure if this photo and the one below are from that particular performance.
Casero, Miyazawa, and Oshiro receiving a rousing ovation.
Here is an idea for perpetuating Uchinaaguchi in Okinawa. Try to have Hogen (Uchinaaguchi) coffee shops in every town in Okinawa where anyone who wants to speak, learn, or practice it is welcome. The purpose is to create an environment for speaking the language. These coffee shops are identified by a special sign (perhaps a yellow flower symbol) to be placed outside so people passing by will know.
All who come to these Hogen coffee shops try to speak Uchinaaguchi to each other. Bring the ojisans and obasans, so we can hear their stories of the old days. If customers (first time) cannot understand Uchinaaguchi, then Japanese is spoken, but they are encouraged to listen, learn, and speak Uchinaaguchi. When they leave, they are encouraged to return to continue their learning. “It’s all love” is the attitude there.
Those who speak fluent Uchinaaguchi wear a particular colored sleeveless jackets (or t-shirt) to identify them as experts. They are offered free coffee, tea, juice, or soft drinks. They circulate from table to table to speak or teach Uchinaaguchi. They don’t work there. They can come and go as they please. Their sole purpose is to help perpetuate the language. Continue reading →
Okinawan New Year Celebration/ Lunar New Year January 28th
This year, the lunar New Year falls on Saturday, January 28th, which begins the year of the Rooster! Come join us for traditional Okinawan dances, music, lots of food and fun!
Jikoen Hall 6:00pm.
$20 adults
$10 children 4-12yrs, and seniors 80years and older
More information will be available very soon for the conference! If you are interested, want to register, or have any questions, please email ukwanshinevents@gmail.com
3rd LooChoo Identity Conference March 17-19
Save the dates! March 17-19, 2017, for the 3rd LooChoo Identity Conference to be held on O`ahu, Hawai`i. This conference brings together Shimanchu from all over and all ages, to share, discuss and discover a deeper understanding of Ryukyuan Identity through lively presentations and discussions. Come and meet others who are looking to become more connected with their roots. Continue reading →
Hope you all can find time between Christmas shopping to stop over at the East-West Center gallery this Sunday to listen to me talk and sing. The event is titled “Mimi-gusui: Life Sustenance Through the Ears” and will be from 2-3 pm this coming Sunday, December 11. Here is the link to the event/location.
Norman Kaneshiro, singing and playing the sanshin.
I will be performing traditional Okinawan songs that help to remind us of important values our culture teaches us that can help guide us through troubled and uncertain times. Hope to see you there. -Norman Kaneshiro
The next time I visit Okinawa, I am taking Robert Walker’s Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands along with me. If anything, because in the back of the book, tucked in a cover, is a large beautiful folded map of the various island groups that make up the Ryukyu islands, including a detailed full map of the main island of Okinawa. On this folded map are also detailed maps of of Naha city, the Motobu peninsula, and the southern part of the main island of Okinawa.
Robert Walker lived in Okinawa for 15 years, and during that time he visited every island from Kyushu to Yonaguni island (Yonagumijima) off the coast of Taiwan. He toured each island to see what the island was like, what life was like, and met many of the people who lived on the island. His observations and experiences are documented in this book. He talks about things that everybody knows about — and things that you may not know about. This is a very comprehensive and interesting book.
For instance, I always thought that Okinawa should look into the possibility of raising cattle to produce premium beef similar to Kobe beef. Via personal correspondence, I shared this thought with Mr. Walker, saying that the islands were perfectly suited for it. Mr. Walker wrote back and said that Okinawa already does that. “Look in my book. It’s called Ishigaki beef.”
Mr. Walker’s book begins with the Osumi Islands up north, just below Kyushu, and works all the way down to Yonaguni Island, Takara Islands, Amami Islands, main island of Okinawa, Miyako Islands (which Ishigaki Island is a part of), Yaeyama Islands (which Yonaguni island is a part of). No island is left out unless it happens to be only as large as your front yard. It even includes the islands east of Okinawa and west of Okinawa, the Kerama Islands and the Daito Islands.
There is a wonderful abundance of beautiful maps inside the book. For instance, in the beginning, there is an overall map of the Satsunan Islands. And then a more localized map of the Osumi Islands with a detailed discussion of each island in the group with beautiful photos accompanying the discussion.
Localized maps of the Tokara Islands and the Amami Islands are followed by discussions of each island in the respective group with many accompanying photos. This goes on for each group mentioned above. There are many maps like these throughout the book and many photos accompanying the discussion of each section.
You can tell that this was indeed Robert Walker’s labor of love. I sincerely believe that anyone who is planning to visit Okinawa should get a copy of his book. It might make you curious enough to go visit an island other than Okinawa and Yaeyama Islands. I found Amami-Oshima and Yakushima to be interesting and might even try to visit them someday.
Here is a very moving video about a giant Japanese cedar tree, the Jomon Sugi, on Yakushima just south of Kyushu.
If you are interested in getting Robert Walker’s Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, I believe it is available in the bookstore at the Okinawan Center in Waipio. If you cannot get there, the book is available on Amazon.com. If you happen to be in the Little Tokyo area of LA, or Japantown in San Francisco, Seattle, or NYC, or Shinjuku, Tokyo, or even Singapore, you might want to check out the Kinokuniya bookstores. Or you can wait for the next Honolulu Okinawan Festival. Robert Walker will surely be there to autograph it.
Joyce Chinen, Director, UH Mānoa Center for Okinawan Studies and Professor of Sociology, UH West O‘ahu
Sunday, October 2, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Illustrated talk: “Okinawans in Hawai‘i” by Joyce Chinen, Director UH Mānoa Center for Okinawan Studies and Professor of Sociology, UH West O‘ahu.
Free and open to the public; no reservations; general seating.
East-West Center Gallery
John A. Burns Hall
1601 East-West Road (corner Dole St. & East-West Rd.)
Admission: Free
Ever wonder why unlike Berkeley and Seattle (which don’t have the Okinawan population that we do), cities that have already voiced their support for Okinawa and its people, our illustrious Honolulu City Council is dragging its feet in putting forth a resolution in support of the Okinawan people in Okinawa?
Perhaps it wants to make sure the resolution is approved by the Japanese Consulate here in Hawaii, first, as they did with the original.
The Japanese Consulate?
Who does the Honolulu City Council represent? Their Honolulu constituents — of which many are of Okinawan stock — or the Japanese Consulate?
As the arm of PM Abe and the Japanese Government, the Japanese Consulate thought the language of the original resolution was “too inflammatory” and would embarrass the Japanese Government.
My immediate question: Why does the Japanese Consulate have a say in this?
Seems to me the Japanese Consul wants the resolution to be so benign that it wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s written on.
CONTACT: HOA (HAWAI`I OKINAWA ALLIANCE); Aiko Yamashiro: 358-0871; aiko.yamashiro@gmail.com
OKINAWAN REPRESENTATIVES APPEAL FOR DEMOCRACY, PEACE, & HUMAN SECURITY
Aiko Yamashiro
Honolulu, September 1, 2016- Community leaders from Okinawa are in Honolulu to appeal for the protection of their island from further US military base expansion that threatens public safety, critical natural resources, several endangered species, and local economy, among other concerns. Okinawans have overwhelmingly rejected more military bases, but the governments of Japan and the USA have ignored them, moving Okinawa to legal battles, civil disobedience and appeal for international support. Movement representatives will present their case in a public forum at the University of Hawai`i-Manoa, Center for Hawaiian Studies (2645 Dole St.) from 5:30-7:30 on Sept. 1st.
Click image to view the original flyer.
Hiroshi ASHITOMI and Nago City Council Member Takuma HIGASHIONNA are from the Henoko region in rural Okinawa Island, the site of the contested naval port construction into pristine Oura Bay, the northernmost habitat of the endangered dugong. Joining these grassroots community leaders is the international director of the Save the Dugong Campaign Center (SDCC) and Meio University professor Hideki YOSHIKAWA, who will be presenting a related resolution at the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress along with Nago Mayor Inamine. At the IUCN, the delegation will express dire concerns about alien species from imported soil to fill in the Oura Bay that experts warn will irreparably contaminate and damage the biodiversity of the fragile region. Continue reading →
Rodney Inefuku’s latest post, “Okinawan and Japanese Boats” (8/6/16), prompted me to google Okinawan boats, and in the process I stumbled on one of the best sites on both Okinawan history and Okinawan karate — Ryukyu Bugei. The owner is Andreas Quast. (See his bio below.)
Quast’s series of articles on early Okinawan trading ships is based on Tobe Yoshihiro’s (戸部良煕) comprehensive 18th-century historical record, Ōshima Hikki (大島筆記), which focuses on interviews with a Ryūkyūan named Shiohira Pēchin. Tobe, a young Confucian scholar and retainer of the Tosa daimyō, lived in Ōshima, a small island off the southern tip of Tosa province in today’s Kōchi Prefecture (高知県). Continue reading →
I was always curious how Okinawans used to travel about Okinawa island during the old days. There was a road built by one of the Okinawan kings, which ran from Naha to Nago city past Nago through Taira village and Nakaoshi village in Haneji, going north to Ogimi (village of the Okinawan centurions) and Kunigami villages in the northern part of the island.
But I imagine most villagers did not wander far from their villages because there were no means of transportation. I believe most villagers spent most of their lives in and close to their villages. To go from Naha and Nago was indeed a far walk. That would easily have taken several days. Continue reading →
Makishi Station (牧志駅) is a railway station for the Okinawa Monorail (Yui Rail) in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located on Kokusai Dori. Source of images, Google maps.
Visitors from Hawaii could view it as a model of stations that are now being built for Oahu’s monorail system.
Street entrances to Mutsumibashidori and Ichiba Hondori shopping arcades where Okieidori meets Kokusaidori (国際通り). To the far right is the Don Quijote Kokusai Street Store. Source of images, Google maps.
Street entrance to Heiwadori, Naha Public Market (Makishi Kosetsu-ichiba), which is to the left of Mutsumibashidori.
Google maps allows us to enter the interior of the Ichiba Hondori arcade, which is filled with a fascinating labyrinth of stall-like shops.
![OkinawaMap6[1]](https://liuchiuan.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/okinawamap61.jpg)
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