Okinawa

Author: Edutraveller
Date written: 04/18/2003 09:43:34 PM
Last edited: 2003/05/04 12:44:13
Keywords: Okinawa, Okinawa travel guide, Japan regional guide, Guide to Japan, Guide to Okinawa

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Okinawa

Okinawa. A chain of islands extending from the end of Kyushu almost to the coast of Taiwan, Okinawa is a tropical paradise.

Okinawa is a chain of subtropical islands, covering nearly a thousand kilometers from end to end and finishing close to the Taiwanese coast. The islands go by many names: Nansei, Nansei-Shoto, Japanese Ryukyu-Shoto, or Ryukyuan Okinawa archipelago, or just Okinawa. 55 inhabited and over 100 uninhabited islands make up the prefecture of 2,254 square kilometres. The larger islands tend to be volcanic in origin and the smaller, lower islands formed of coral, and are divided into the Satsunan island chain to the north, the central Okinawa islands in the middle, and the Sakishima islands to the south near Taiwan. The islands are primarily rural, and most people are employed in agriculture, fishing and tourism. Okinawa is very popular as a tourist destination with both Japanese and foreigners and with a distinctly different cultural identity to the rest of Japan.

Because of its position so far from the mainland of Japan, Okinawa (or the Ryukyu islands as it is also known) was only truly incorporated into Japan after the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Before that time, Okinawa was an independent kingdom (albeit heavily influenced by its more powerful neighbours China and Japan). After one of the bloodiest battles of World War Two, American forces took control of Okinawa and in the post-war period established bases on the islands (particularly Kadena USAF base on Okinawa Island). In 1972, the islands reverted to Japanese control, but the extensive bases remain (see below for a more detailed history).

Okinawa Island is the largest of all, being 1,199 square kilometers. Many centuries ago, in contrast to Japan, Okinawa was a thriving trade centre for Southeast Asians and Chinese, any many ships and goods passed through the ports. Today, Okinawa preserves some of the traditions from those times and Okinawan lacquer work, dyed textiles and pottery are still highly prized. Glassware is also made. Most people are employed in agriculture and tourism, but seasonal unemployment remains a problem. Tourism is vital to the islands' economy, and there are excellent diving, watersports, lots of high quality hotels and entertainments. Communication between the islands is easy by ferry or local plane.

Getting there

The only options for getting to and from Okinawa are by air and by sea. There are regular flights from Taipei (Taiwan), Seoul and Pusan (South Korea), and Tokyo (Haneda), Osaka (Kansai), Nagoya, and Fukuoka airports in Japan to Naha Airport on Okinawa Island. There are airports at Naha, Aguni, Kumejima, Kerama, Shin Minamidaito, Minamidaito, Kitadaito, Iejima, Miyako, Shimojishima, Tarama, Ishigaki, Hateruma, and Yonaguni on the islands with most operating daily flights. Naha is the hub of all transport, and the only airport that is open 24 hours a day.

Similarly, ferries operate from Naha to all the islands, often crawling from one end of the archipelago to the other (see map). You can also take international ferries from Kaoshiung or Chilung (near Taipei) in Taiwan, or come from Kagoshima, Fukuoka or Osaka in Japan. Flying is of course quicker, but if you have time, the ferry can be an interesting alternative. Consider flying if you are in the typhoon season as you are more likely to encounter bad weather or find the ferry turned back - and you are less likely to be stranded if a typhoon does come (let's face it, there's not much to do outside when there's a gale blowing - you might as well try somewhere else).

Weather

Okinawa has a subtropical climate, meaning hot, humid summers and mild winters. Spring brings with it typhoons and heavy rain. Average temperatures rise from the high teens in winter to the low to mid thirties in summer, with highs approaching forty degrees centigrade not uncommon. Combined with a high humidity rate, this makes the summers fairly sticky as in other parts of Japan. Okinawa is blessed with warm seas however, so it is ideal for all kinds of watersports most of the year.

Rainfall peaks in May with the onset of the typhoon season, and again in August. Summer is generally clear and sunny however, as rainfall is very heavy and concentrated. Conversely, winters tend to be fairly hazy, with less direct sunlight. Okinawa is an ideal place to visit in the winter for those trying to escape the cold of the rest of Japan, or perfect for a tropical getaway in the heat of summer to indulge in all kinds of watersports.

Things to see

Okinawa is more of a place to go and do things than just to see. Beng an archipelago of islands, the obvious thing is watersports. Diving, sailing, waterskiing, windsurfing and so on are all possible, and some excellent beaches make the perfect tropical paradise.

Satsunan Islands:

Amami Shotou (Yaeyama Rettou and Miyako Rettou) and innumerable smaller islands make up this group that is in fact part of Kagoshima Prefecture. See the Kyushu section for details.

Okinawa Shotou

Okinawa, Kume-jima and Aguni-jima, along with the Kerama Rettou and many small islands. Most people live on Okinawa Island, the main city of which is Naha, one of the most cosmopolitan and developed in Japan. You won't find much of the old Ryukuan culture evident in the city outside of the museums - most of it was destroyed in the war. In the Tomari area of Naha, see the Sojen-ji Ishimon, the stone gate of the Sojen-ji, main shrine to the Ryukuan kings which was destroyed in World War II bombing. Naminoue-jingu and Gokoku-ji overlook the sea in the Tsuji part of town and are worth a visit.

Shurei: This city used to be the Imperial capital of the Ryukuan Kingdom but is now a suburb of Naha. See the Shurei Kannon-do, which has a traditional Okinawa roof but is a recent reconstruction. Don't miss the Ryusen Fabric Workshops, where craftsmen still make traditional bingata fabrics (see below for details). This also contains a museum of local pottery and lacquerware, and items from ancient tombs, tools, traditional swords, kimono and so on. This area also contains the Gyoku-Ryo or Royal Tombs. The Imperial Ryukyu castle was completely destroyed in WWII but reconstructed afterwards. The main entrance is through Shurei-no-mon which is strongly Chinese in form. Another conspcuous gate is the Kankai-mon which is a mixture of Chinese and Korean styles adapted to the Ryukyuan style. Okinawa Prefectural Museum, given to the Okinawan people by the US military, contains a large collection of prehistoric to modern day items, and details the history of the islands and influences from China and Japan.

Nanbu (Southern Okinawa) was scene to many of the most violent battles in World War Two. Okinawa Old Battlefield Quasi National Park is a memorial to the dead of the final days of WWII. Many thousands of civilians and soldiers were killed; Himeyuri-no-to, Mabuni Hill, and the Japanese Underground Naval HQ all have stories of death and suffering. Nanzan Castle used to be the home of the Southern Kings of Okinawa, who lost out to their central adversaries in the fourteenth century (see History below). The Gyokusendo Cave, the largest in Asia, was discovered in 1967 and has some excellent stalactites and stalgmites. The area farthest to the south is well-known for kasuri cloth (see below).

Chubu (Central Okinawa) contains Okinawa City, centre of the American presence in Okinawa. Close to Naha is Urasoe, where you should see the Royal Tombs and the former royal palace. Excellent beaches line the coast all the way up to Nago, in the north, where the Nago museum has a good display about traditional farming in Okinawa. Nakijin Castle on the Motobu Peninsula has some wonderful views.

Hokubu (Northern Okinawa) is less densely populated and has the Bashofu Hall in Kijoka Village, a workshop where you can see the production of bashofu cloth.

Sakishima Shotou

The Sakishima Islands are broken into two groups, the Miyako Rettou (which consists principally of Miyako-jima and Tarama-jima) and the Yaeyama Rettou (principally Ishigaki-jima, Iriomote-jima and Yonaguni-jima). Miyako-jima is well-known for the yearly triathlon, and Jofu, the local cloth (see below). Excellent beaches, diving and deep-sea fishing are worth trying. Ishigaki-jima has more good beaches, Torin-ji (zen temple) and lots of good hiking trails. A short ferry trip (about ten minutes) will get you to Taketomi-jima, which preserves the traditional Ryukuan character. See the Taketomi Village and try some of the beaches for star-sand. Iriomote-jima, the second-largest island in the Okinawa group, is almost entirely covered in tropical rain forest, and has many rare species - particularly the Iriomote wildcat or lynx and Serpent eagles. Take a boat trip up the Urauchi River to Mariundo Falls, or try one of the many hiking trails or beaches.

PHOTO GALLERY

Click photos for larger pictures.

The symbol of Okinawa Prefecture. The circles represent the ocean, peace and development (from outermost to innermost)

OKINAWAN HISTORY

The Okinawan people resemble the Japanese closely, and the local dialect is clearly similar to Japanese (but they are not mutually intelligible). They are probably the descendants of southeast asian and Japanese who migrated to the islands in prehistoric times. Pottery and human remains indicate that the islands may have been inhabited from up to one million years ago.

From the early seventh century, the people of the "Southern Islands" paid tribute to the Japanese Imperial Court. This seems to have continued, but by the early fourteenth century, the three kingdoms (Hokuzan, Chuzan, and Nanzan) are recorded as paying tribute also to the Ming Court in China. A century later, Sho Hashi conquered his neighbours to the north and south and united the islands for the first time. The kingdom traded with Southeast Asia, Korea, China and Japan, absorbing cultural influences from all these sources. However, the islands seem to have maintained a measure of independence by virtue of distance, and when Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the kingdom to support his ill-fated campaign in Korea in 1592 the kingdom ignored him.

This independence ended in 1609 with the arrival of the Satsuma family from mainland Japan. Ichisa Shimazu of Satsuma sent 3,000 troops to the Ryukyu Kingdom and began strict control of all trade in accordance with the Tokugawa Shogunate's control of interaction between Japan and the outside world. With the ending of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Meiji Restoration in Japan in 1868, the Meiji Government formally abolished the Kingdom of the Ryukyus and set up a feudal system (the Ryukyu Han) which they then replaced with the Prefectural system that exists today.

There was still many who were not keen on the idea of being part of Japan, and the Chinese Empire which also had close historic ties with Okinawa protested the incorporation of Okinawa into Japan. The issue was resolved through the mediation of the American President, and the pro-CHina lobby lost much of its influence with the Japanese victory in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894.

In the Second World War, Okinawa was a highly strategic location which the Allies regarded as essential for an invasion of the Japanese mainland. In October 1944, much of Naha was destroyed by American bombers, and the islands were invaded in early 1945 in one of the bloodiest campaigns of the war. Over 260,000 people (many of them civilians) died over a period of three months. With the Allied victory, General MacArthur, US General in command of the occupying US forces, separated the Ryukyus and Japan into separate administrations. Okinawa thus remained under separate US control, which was confirmed with the 1951 San Francisco peace treaty. On May 15th 1972 the islands reverted to Japanese administration, but US forces continue to maintain many bases and training areas, and significant forces, on the Okinawan islands. Today, the continued American military presence in Okinawa and other parts of Japan still causes problems at times but is balanced with a general awareness of the importance of the bases for the Okinawan economy.