Many tourists come to Okinawa. Okinawa is one of the tourists destinations in Asia that most tourists dream of visiting.
What is the best place to explore in Okinawa?
Every weekend my husband and I drive for hours, exploring and admiring the different scenic spots in Okinawa. It is a small island separated from the mainland of Japan. It has over 160 small islands (Okinawa,2009). From Tokyo, which is the capital city of Japan, it takes an hour and a half by airplane to go to Okinawa. It also takes an hour and a half from Taiwan to Okinawa. It is different from mainland Japan, not because it is just tiny but because of the breathtaking scenery, visitors will likely admire. Okinawa is a place worth visiting for its fascinating history, cultural heritage, and beautiful scenery.
Okinawa has a great history that is interesting to learn. It consists of many small islands. Hundreds of years ago, Okinawa was a state independent from the government of Japan. It had four different regions. Each region had castles ruled by a king; Katsuren Castle, Hokozan Castle, Zakimi Castle, and Shuri Castle, where the Ryukyu Kingdom lived. For many years, regions fought each other to take control of the island. Fierce fighting between regions happened many times, but in the end, the powerful army of Ryukyu Kingdom won and named the island “Ryukyu”. Since then, all the regions reunited as one state and King Ryukyu became the ruler of the island.
The Ryukyu Islands had strong economic ties with China. The Ryukyu Islands had a small island called “Iyoutou” that has rich sulfide ore deposits. “Iyou” is a Japanese word for sulfur. The Chinese needed sulfur powder to make bombs. In exchange of sulfur powder, the Chinese traded clothes, rice, sugarcane and root crops with the Ryukyuan. Because they were taking time to travel by small boats, the Chinese provided them with four ferry boats for free that made the trading and travelling by sea a lot easier and convenient.
The Chinese did not only trade material things with Ryukyuan but they also shared some of their cultural customs. They taught them how to dance “Kachashi” and “Kachadefu”. Kachashi is a folk dance that is performed during wedding celebrations. It is a dance to show gladness. It involves fast movements of the hands and feet. Although the latter is also a kind of dance that is being performed during wedding celebrations, it could only be performed in front of kings and queens. In 1609, the Kingdom of Ryukyu had ruled the island for 500 years when Satsuma Clan of Japan came and invaded the island for only four days. The reason behind the invasion was the rich sulfide deposits in Iyofollowutou Island. From then on, Satsuma Clan took control over the Ryukyu Islands and changed its name to “Okinawa” (Ryoutetsu Nakayama, personal interview) Okinawa becomes part of Japan for over four hundred years. Even though hundreds of years have passed since the invasion of Okinawa, Okinawan people still follows the traditions and cultures their ancestors learned from the Chinese. The Shuri Castle which is still in existence the now is located in Naha City that attracts many tourists from different countries.
Aside from intriguing history of Okinawa, it also celebrates different festivals which attract many visitors from mainland Japan and even from other countries. Festivals that are celebrated for years are Eisa and Uchinanchu Festival. Eisa is a folk dance originating from the people of Ryukyu. Eisa Festival is celebrated in August. It is not just a celebration when everybody dances Eisa but also a competition between local cities of Okinawa. During the festival, participants dress up in colorful costumes and use two types of drums; shimedaiko which is a medium-sized drum,on and paaranku which is a smaller hand drum. The dance does not only focus on the hand and feet movement but also on how graceful and creative the dancers are in dancing this unique folk dance that can only be witnessed in Okinawa. One big celebration in Okinawa that only takes place every five years is the Uchinanchu Festival. Uchinanchu is the Okinawan word for “Okinawan people”. It is a big gathering where Okinawans who have settled in, different parts of the globe gather and share experiences. They do things together such as sightseeing, cultural exchange parties, tea ceremonies, and tree planting (Yuisha Okinawa NGO Center, 2011).
Okinawa is also rich with beautiful scenery. In 2011, we went to Ie Island which is in the northern part of Okinawa. We woke up early in the morning and started traveling at six. It was a two-hour drive from Naha City to Motobu. From Motobu, we took a 30-minute ferry ride. When we arrived at the island, we rented a car near the port. I noticed that Ie Island is a peaceful place. Very few people were walking; few car vehicles were on the street and most of the cars are kei jidousha (yellow plated cars with small engines). I didn’t know that Okinawa has a small island like this one. The natural appreciation of the place came suddenly to me. Even though, twenty-five years of my life in the Philippines, I’ve never been to a place like that. It is a nice place to enjoy your vacation, away from work and from the noisy cars running on the streets.
Even though it was a sunny day, we didn’t have to use the air conditioner in the car. As we were slowly driving, I could feel the fresh air dampening my skin. The place was covered with green and only the road seemed to have a different color. We went to Niya-Thiya Cave, a cave that served as a bomb shelter during World War II. There is a legendary rock inside the cave. There is a belief that if a lifts it, she will soon have a baby. Is that true? I do not know but I did give it a try. “Oh. It’s heavy!” I uttered. That was unforgettable and my very first time to experience lifting a rock maybe hoping to have a baby of my own. We were full of energy and curiosity to explore what are the other things Ie Island has. Spending five hours driving along the small roads of Ie Island was fun, not only because we could relax from work, we learned to appreciate the beauty of nature.
Living in a place that has different things to see and enjoy is a really wonderful experience. Now, I do not only appreciate Okinawa but I learned to love this small island. I’m lucky to see the beauty of nature that nobody can see. I enjoy every weekend when my husband and I visit new places. I wish it was always weekends!
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If you are looking for the best place to explore in Okinawa, check Jane’s vblog at Jane Vlogs.
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