Ryukyu History
Pick Up Stories
Shuri-jo Harvest Celebration, The ‘Chush… [CULTURE Ryukyu History]
Chushu-no-Utage, the Mid-Autumn Harvest Celebration, was one of seven banquets put forth by the Shuri royalty during the Ryukyu Kingdom Era ...Read More
Kumiodori, Okinawa’s World-Renowned Perf… [CULTURE Ryukyu History]
Kumiodori is a classical Ryukyu musical and theatrical performance that originated in the early 18th century. The Kumiodori is based on tell...Read More
Visiting Okinawan Shrines for the New Ye… [Okinawa Series Ryukyu History]
Have you ever partaken in a Hatsumōde? Have you even heard of a “Hatsumōde”? “Hatsumōde” is a Japanese custom where Japanese people pay a vi...Read More
2019.09.09
Shuri-jo Harvest Celebration, The ‘Chushu-no-Utage’ [CULTURE Ryukyu History]
Chushu-no-Utage, the Mid-Autumn Harvest Celebration, was one of seven banquets put forth by the Shuri royalty during the Ryukyu Kingdom Era in order to entertain guest envoys, the ...
2019.08.29
Kumiodori, Okinawa’s World-Renowned Performing Art [CULTURE Ryukyu History]
Kumiodori is a classical Ryukyu musical and theatrical performance that originated in the early 18th century. The Kumiodori is based on telling of story which is presented using so...
2018.12.28
Visiting Okinawan Shrines for the New Year [Okinawa Series Ryukyu History]
Have you ever partaken in a Hatsumōde? Have you even heard of a “Hatsumōde”? “Hatsumōde” is a Japanese custom where Japanese people pay a visit to a shrine or temple on January 1st...
2018.11.30
Urasoe City: From Past to Present [Okinawa Series Ryukyu History]
Urasoe City is located in the southern half of the Okinawa main island. Though it seems overshadowed by its neighboring city, Naha, which is the prefectural capital of Okinawa, bac...
2018.11.12
Discover KUMIODORI 2018 “YUCHIBARE” [ENTERTAINMENT Ryukyu History]
Introducing the more popular Kumiodori plays with audio guidance in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese languages, our visitors from abroad can readily enjoy and appreciate this...
2018.11.08
Shuri Mifila ③ Nishi-nu-fila [Ryukyu History]
Nishi-nu-fila; Nishi means ‘West’ in Japanese, but in the Okinawa dialect ‘Nishi’ means “North” and thus Nishi-nu-fila district was located north of Shuri Castle. Curre...
2018.11.06
Shuri Mifila ② Maaji-nu-fila [Ryukyu History]
Maaji-nu-fila was southwest of Shurijo Castle. From an aerial view, it is spread out like a shape of a fan. It is where now the current Mawashi, Ikehata, Yamagawa, Samukawa, and K...
2018.11.05
Shuri Mifila ① Hae-nu-fila [Ryukyu History]
As aforementioned last article, during the Ryukyu Kingdom era, Shuri grew into three prominent districts: “Hae-nu-fila”, “Maaji-nu-fila” and “Nishi-nu-fila”. Hae-nu-fila was locate...
2018.11.01
Shuri, The Once Capital District of Okinawa [Ryukyu History]
Many people heard of Shuri because of its association with the Shurijo Castle World Heritage Park. But at one time Shuri was the capital district of the Ryukyu Kingdom. This was so...
2018.10.24
Old Katsuren Town ③ Katsuren Castle Ruins [Okinawa Series Ryukyu History]
Katsuren Castle was built around the 12~13th century and has been the focal point at one time in Okinawa’s history. One Okinawa’s great lords, Lord Amawari, had presided over the c...
2018.10.04
Traditional sweets in Okinawa, its since the Ryukyu Era [CULTURE Gourmet Ryukyu History]
Though Okinawa is part of Japan, the island has had many influences from China, as well as from other cultures from around the world. One of those influences came in the form of sw...
2018.10.03
Radiating Relics of the Past. Now at the Urasoe Art Museum! [Ryukyu History]
From September 14th to October 28th, the Urasoe Art Museum will be hosting the “Kira-kira Hikaru Exhibition”, where some of the world’s most illustrious relics of the past will be ...
2016.07.10
Performing arts of the Ryukyus are spreading throughout world [Ryukyu History]
By Hoshin Nakamura Instructor NPO Okinawa Language Center Ryukyu karate, music and dance were created, evolved and performed by the island people for hundreds of years. The Ryukyu ...
2016.06.22
Irei-no Hi is day to remember war dead of Okinawa [Ryukyu History]
June 23, known as ‘Irei-no Hi’ or ‘the Okinawa Mamorial Day’, is a holiday in Okinawa Prefecture. It marks the day when the Battle of Okinawa ended, and was made a holiday in Okina...
2016.05.23
Defeat of Japan and U.S. Occupation of Ryukyu Islands [Ryukyu History]
By Hoshin Nakamura Instructor NPO Okinawa Language Center On Sunday morning Dec. 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in which ...
2016.04.18
Meiji Invasion of Ryukyu Kingdom [Ryukyu History]
By Hoshin Nakamura, Professor Emeritus of Okinawa University, NPO Okinawa Language Center Satsuma, the southernmost clan of feudal Japan in Kyushu, invaded independent Ryukyu Kingd...
2016.03.28
Satsuma invasion marked end of Ryukyu Kingdom prosperity [Ryukyu History]
By Hoshin Nakamura Over 130 years the people of Ryukyu Kingdom enjoyed their peace, prosperity, and longevity while the Japanese had been suffering from long civil wars, poverty, d...
2016.03.14
2nd Sho Dynasty built prosperity of Ryukyu Kingdom [Ryukyu History]
By Hoshin Nakamura, NPO Okinawa Language Center Because of the revolt of Lord Amawari of Katsuren Castle against Lord Gosamaru of Nakagusuku Castle and against King Sho Taikyu of S...
2016.03.10
Music Town event to focus on Okinawa’s mixed culture [Ryukyu History]
An interesting event combining photo exhibition and a panel discussion is scheduled to take place Saturday at Koza Music Town. The event aims to explore the mixed culture of the U....
2016.03.07
Akainko made first music to Okinawan sanshin [History Ryukyu History]
Friday, Mar. 4, is known as the Sanshin Day, and everyone knows that sanshin is the instrument of choice for Okinawan music, but where did that music originally come from? Accordin...
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