CULTURE
Pick Up Stories
Golden Week, Japan’s Mega Holiday [CULTURE Family Festival]
Spring is here. And in Japan that means warmer weather, cherry blossoms, and rainy season. But, before the rainy season takes hold and shrou...Read More
Shiimi: A time to remember and honor th… [CULTURE]
April marks the beginning of one of Okinawa’s most important and sacred religious ceremonies, known locally as shiimi. This particular cerem...Read More
Okinawa’s guardian shisa has its own day… [History Travel & Beach]
April 3rd is the “Day of Shisa” in Okinawa as four (April) is “shi” and three is “san” in Japanese. The day was established in 2002 to promo...Read More
2024.04.26
Golden Week, Japan’s Mega Holiday [CULTURE Family Festival]
Spring is here. And in Japan that means warmer weather, cherry blossoms, and rainy season. But, before the rainy season takes hold and shrouds Japan in a blanket of gray clouds and...
2024.04.04
Shiimi: A time to remember and honor the dead in Okinawa [CULTURE]
April marks the beginning of one of Okinawa’s most important and sacred religious ceremonies, known locally as shiimi. This particular ceremony takes place exclusively in Okinawa P...
2024.04.02
Okinawa’s guardian shisa has its own day on April 3 [History Travel & Beach]
April 3rd is the “Day of Shisa” in Okinawa as four (April) is “shi” and three is “san” in Japanese. The day was established in 2002 to promote Shisa made in the Tsuboya district of...
2024.03.03
Sanshin, The Heart and Soul of Okinawa [CULTURE]
The sanshin is easily the most recognizable musical instrument in Okinawa. Its distinctive, high-pitched sound can be heard throughout the island from soba shops and grocery stores...
2024.02.26
Hina dolls bring health, happiness to small girls [CULTURE]
‘Hina Matsuri is one of the customs that most people in Japan no more observe but that gives an insight to the Japanese thinking and traditions in the past. The Japanese custom of ...
2024.02.13
Valentine’s Day in Japan is all about romance and chocolate with a twist [CULTURE]
February 14, Valentine’s Day, is considered world over a day when romance blooms and lovers whisper sweet nothings to each others’ ears. Seemingly, there is no one in the entire wo...
2024.02.07
‘Year of the Dragon’ begins in Okinawan fishing communities [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE]
Legend has it that Buddha asked all animals to meet him on the Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one, and announced that people born in each animal’...
2024.01.17
Muuchii’s big lunar day is celebrated tomorrow [CULTURE]
Muuchii is the day that in Okinawa is traditionally considered as the beginning of the winter. It’s December 8th according to the lunar calendar, which by the Gregorian calendar fa...
2023.12.31
Visiting Okinawan Shrines for the New Year [Okinawa Series Ryukyu History]
Have you ever partaken in a Hatsumoude? Have you even heard of a “Hatsumoude”? “Hatsumoude” is a Japanese custom where Japanese people pay a visit to a shrine or temple on January ...
2023.12.28
What do you do on Okinawa during the New Year? [CULTURE]
It’s finally the end of the year 2023, and so it’s time to ask how was your year 2024? Good memories, bad memories, each person has their own. Probably many local people are still ...
2023.12.09
Okinawa Holiday Season Illumination Guide 2023!! [Community ENTERTAINMENT]
OKinawa Illumination Guide!! Okuma illumination Nov.1 ~ Feb. 29 From sunset till dawn @Okuma Private Beach &Resort (913 Okuma Kunigami Village) https://okumaresort.com/season...
2023.11.01
Former Japanese Imperial Navy Underground Headquarters [History]
The Former Japanese Imperial Navy Underground Headquarters was built as a bombproof shelter for the Japanese Navy in 1944 towards the end of the World War II in the border area bet...
2023.09.29
Itoman Tug-of-War marks end of summer [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT]
Many Okinawan farmers and fishermen, in some form or fashion, pay tribute to the Gods, seeking their blessing and favor for a great harvest or to net large sums of fish during the ...
2023.09.20
OkiEvents this week!! [CULTURE Festival]
・9/24 Yomitan Eisa Festival @ Yomitan Athletic Field 16:00~21:00 Free to enter https://www.facebook.com/okiseikyo PIN: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFaoXBecSA6w1L58A ・Uruma Paripi Festi...
2023.09.15
Respect for The Aged Day [CULTURE]
In Japan, there is a National Holiday to honor senior citizens that is called “Keirou-no-hi” in Japanese, meaning “Respect for The Aged Day” in English. It has been set for the thi...
2023.09.05
All Okinawa Eisa Festival 2023 [CULTURE Festival]
The Zento Eisa Matsuri, the All Okinawa Eisa Festival, takes place every year on the first weekend after Obon. This tradition began in 1956 at what was then called Koza, what would...
2023.08.22
Obon is time for family gathering to remember ancestors [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE]
For three days starting on Monday, August 28th through Wednesday, August 30th, many privately owned businesses on Okinawa will close their stores to take timeout to honor one of O...
2023.08.15
“Eisa”, Okinawa’s Famed Tradition [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT LIFE]
These days, when people think of Okinawa, the first image that may spring to mind are dancers clad in ceremonious garb armed with taiko drums and folding hand fans. This is Eisa; a...
2023.07.27
Remembering Reversion and Driving on the Right Side, or is it the Left? [History]
When Okinawa was returned to Japan on May 15th, 1972, part of the package was an entirely new set of challenges that needed to be met. For Okinawans, the joy of being returned to t...
2023.07.05
Day of Naha: Immerse Yourself in the Capital City of Okinawa [Community CURRENT ISSUE]
July 8th is Naha Day in Okinawa. This special occasion originated from the use of play-on-words or rather, a play-on-numbers. Naha’s two syllables ‘Na’ and ‘Ha’ are also syllables ...
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