Okinawian culture
Foreword
I have been living in Okinawa for almost two years now. Every day, Okinawans surprise me with something new, so I decided to describe Okinawan culture in detail.
Okinawa is the southernmost Japanese archipelago and the last of the 47 prefectures (regions) in Japan. The above-mentioned prefecture includes 73 islands.
As you have already learned from my previous story, Okinawa was once an independent state of the Ryukyu, but it has always been oppressed by neighboring empires. Because of this, the culture of Japan's southernmost and most distinctive province is strangely intertwined with the echoes of different cultures-Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and even Indonesian.
Today I will present to you only excerpts from the culture of Ryukyu, so unusual, colorful, and... disappearing.
Passing by Okinawian courtyards, it is difficult not to notice similar ceramic, clay, brick, and even stone figurines on the gate or on the roof.
This is a shisa (シサ, shisa), an Okinawian amulet. According to Okinawian beliefs, it is a lion dog (a cross between a dog and a lion) that has power and can protect the family from disaster and evil spirits. Almost every Okinawian family has its own unique sisa with individualized details. Sisas vary in size from five centimeters to several meters. Their poses and styles of depiction are also unique: from menacingly realistic to funny and amusing.
The common sisa
Eisa festivals
Eisa (エイサー, Eisaa) is a type of traditional folk dance that originated on the island of Okinawa, Japan. It originated as a ritual Obon dance performed by young people during the Obon Festival to honor the spirits of their ancestors. In the 20th century, the structure and meaning of Eisa dance underwent dramatic changes and today it is considered a vital part of Okinawan culture.
How does the Eisa festival go?
Typically, 20-30 young men and women in distinctive traditional costumes dance, although increasingly, up to several hundred people are participating.
The men perform an energetic dance while beating a rhythm on drums of various sizes held in their hands.
The women perform a slow ancient dance to the musical accompaniment of the national Okinawian musical instrument sanshin (translated from Japanese 三線, sanshin means "three strings").
Eisa's traditional costume is a bright yellow outfit with a red and green hibiscus flower ornament (hibiscus is one of the symbols of Okinawa) and a red turban similar to a sombrero.
Eisa Festival
Conclusion
This time, I've told you only the main things about Okinawian culture, in general terms. Okinawan culture is distinctive, unusual, and impressive.
Okinawians are a very sincere, open, hospitable people, somewhat similar to Ukrainians. But they are very different from the usually serious and closed Japanese. Okinawa seems to be isolated from the rest of Japan, but this has only contributed to its cultural development as a separate nation.