Life and society in Okinawa: Dc. 28-31, 2016

During my stay in Okinawa, I saw various aspects of people’s lives and society of Okinawa.

Naha’s Kokusai Dori street is the busiest shopping area in the city and in Okinawa. Pine trees are planted in the sidewalks of the 1.6 km street. Souvenir shops sell traditional crafts as well as interesting goods with new ideas. Restaurants serve local foods and Okinawa music shows.

There is a public market near the street. Tens of meat and fish traders hold their businesses there.

I saw so many Chinese, Taiwanese and foreign tourists in the street and market. Some shops have duty-free corners to attract foreigners. I met many fish traders who spoke native Chinese in the market.

Tourism is a major industry of Okinawa. One of the most rapidly developing areas is increasing foreign tourists. I recognized the trend.

Okinawa is famous for its sugar cane. I saw sugar cane fields in many places. 

They have flowers at the top in the season.
(See also the photo 2nd from the top)

The harvest has just begun.

Many musics are made on the sugar cane. Some of them bring the memory of the war in them.

Many other vegetables are grown in Okinawa. I saw some of them at a farmer’s market in Itoman, southern neighbor of Naha. “Made in Okinawa” was stressed.

They also sold small dishes of sea food in the neighboring fish market.

Shisa, lion-shape decorations, are found everywhere in Okinawa. It is believed to guard people from evil spirits.

Some of them are sculptures and some are painted. They are on the top of the roofs, at the gates of the houses and shops, on the roads and in the showcases of the stores.

I found a paint of Shisa in the market street near Kokusai Dori (See the 3rd photo from the top).

Most new houses are concrete-made to prepare for typhoons. They have water tanks on the floors as Okinawa had water shortage till a decade ago.

Tomb is important in Okinawa as they keep the tradition of ancestor worship. I saw many big and decorated tombs along the roads. The relatives gather at a tomb to pray for their ancestors in spring. 
People especially enjoy music and dances here. The restaurants hold Okinawa song performances in many restaurants every night at Naha’s Kokusai Dori street and in other areas. Okinawa’s song is accompanied by sanshin (three string) guitar. Eisa dance is performed in many places.

School boys and girls widely learn dancing, playing the sanshin, and other traditional performances. Private dancing school is also popular. I found groups of such kids showing their performance in the American Village shopping complex in Chatan town, north of Naha. (See the top photo)