Okinawa Prefecture

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Template:Infobox Prefecture Japan

"Okinawa" redirects here. For other uses, see Okinawa (disambiguation).

Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県, Okinawa-ken, Okinawan: Uchinā) is Japan's southernmost prefecture, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of the largest and most populous island, Okinawa Island, which is approximately half-way between Kyūshū and Taiwan. The disputed Senkaku Islands (Chinese: Diaoyu Islands) are also administered as part of Okinawa Prefecture.

History

See also: History of Ryukyu Islands

The islands that now make up Okinawa Prefecture were originally not part of Japan, but part of an independent nation called the Ryūkyū Kingdom. Okinawa's location in the East China Sea, and relatively close proximity to Japan, China and South-East Asia allowed the Ryūkyū Kingdom to become a prosperous trading nation. The many castle ruins that dot the island date from this period. The Ryūkyū Kingdom long had a tributary relationship with China.

In 1609 the Satsuma clan, who controlled the region that is now Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan invaded the Ryūkyū Kingdom. Following this invasion, the Ryūkyū Kingdom was forced to enter into a tributary relationship with Satsuma in addition to their previous tributary relationship with China. Ryukyuan sovereignty, however, was maintained, since to do otherwise would have created problems with both China and the Tokugawa shogunate, which Satsuma had opposed during the preceding period of conflict. This gave Satsuma a high level of access to trade with China during a period in which such trade was heavily restricted and largely clandestine.

Though Satsuma maintained strong influence over the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the Ryūkyū Kingdom maintained a large degree of political independence. Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration, Japan annexed the kingdom as a colony, entitling it Okinawa han (domain); Okinawa did not become a prefecture until 1879--incidentally, all other Japanese domains became prefectures in 1872.

Following the end of World War II and the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, for 27 years Okinawa was under United States administration. During this time the US military established numerous bases on Okinawa Honto (main island) and elsewhere.

On May 15, 1972, Okinawa once again became part of Japan, although to this day the United States maintains a large military presence there. Over 15,000 Marines, in addition to contingents from the Navy, Army and Air Force, are stationed there. Representing only 0.6% of the total landmass of Japan, Okinawa supports roughly 75% of all U.S. troops in the country.

Some Okinawans feel that the large presence places an undue burden on their small island (20% of land on Okinawa Island is U.S. territory) and have been upset by a number of incidents involving U.S. servicemembers and local citizens. Both Japan and the U.S., however, believe that the benefits of the U.S. presence outweigh the disadvantages. In 2006, the U.S. announced plans to move a few of its bases to Guam over a span of several years.

Geography

Major islands

The islands of Okinawa Prefecture.

The set of islands belonging to the prefecture is called Ryūkyū Shotō (琉球諸島). Okinawa's inhabited islands are typically divided into three geographical archipelagos. From northeast to southwest:

Cities

Map of Okinawa Prefecture.

Okinawa Prefecture includes eleven cities.

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district.

Mergers

Demography

Okinawa prefecture age pyramid as of 1 October 2003
(per 1000's of people)

Age People
0-4 84
5-9 85
10-14 87
15-19 94
20-24 91
25-29 97
30-34 99
35-39 87
40-44 91
45-49 96
50-54 100
55-59 64
60-64 65
65-69 66
70-74 53
75-79 37
80 + 55

Okinawa Prefecture age pyramid, divided by sex, as of 1 October 2003
(per 1000's of people)

Men Age Women
43 0-4 41
44 5-9 41
45 10-14 42
48 15-19 46
46 20-24 45
49 25-29 48
49 30-34 50
43 35-39 44
46 40-44 45
49 45-49 47
52 50-54 48
32 55-59 32
32 60-64 33
32 65-69 34
24 70-74 29
14 75-79 23
17 80 + 38


Climate and nature

Gusuku ruins.

The island is largely composed of coral rock, and rainwater filtering through that coral has given the island many caves, which played an important role in the Battle of Okinawa. Gyokusendo, an extensive limestone cave in the southern part of Okinawa's main island, is a popular tourist attraction.

Okinawa is said to have the most beautiful beaches in all of Japan and normally enjoys above 20 degree Celsius weather for most of the year. Many coral reefs are found in this region of Japan and wildlife is abundant. Sea turtles return yearly to the southern islands of Okinawa to lay their eggs. The summer months carry warnings to swimmers regarding poisonous jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures. Okinawa is a major producer of sugar cane, pineapples, papayas, and other tropical fruits.

Okinawa has a very large proportion of population living to 100 years of age. It is attributed to their healthy diet rich in vegetables and fish. Okinawa also has the highest life expectancy rate in the world, with native men living on average to 90.1 years and native women living to an average of 93.2 years.[citation needed]

Language and culture

See also: Okinawan cuisine
Shisa on a traditional tile roof.
Awamori pots.
"Ishiganto", a stone that wards off evil spirits (Yomitan, Okinawa).

Having historically been a separate nation, Okinawan language and culture differ considerably from that of mainland Japan. There remain numerous Ryukyuan languages which are more-or-less incomprehensible to Japanese speakers. These languages are in decline as the Japanese government has encouraged the use of Standard Japanese. Most linguists, at least those outside Japan, consider Ryukyuan languages as different languages from Japanese, while they are generally perceived as "dialects" by mainland Japanese and Okinawans themselves. Standard Japanese is almost always used in formal situations. In informal situations, de facto everyday language among Okinawans under age 60 is Okinawa-accented mainland Japanese called ウチナーヤマトグチ (Uchinā Yamatoguchi "Okinawan Japanese"), which is often misunderstood as Okinawan language proper, ウチナーグチ (Uchināguchi "Okinawan language"). Uchināguchi still is used in traditional cultural activities, such as folk music, or folk dance. There is a radio news program in the language as well. [1]

Okinawa also has its own religious beliefs, generally characterized by ancestor worship and the respecting of relationships between the living, the dead, and the gods and spirits of the natural world.

Perhaps Okinawa's most famous cultural export is karate, probably a product of the close ties with and influence of China on Okinawan culture. Karate is thought to be a synthesis of Chinese kung fu with traditional Okinawan martial arts. A ban on weapons in Okinawa for two long periods after the invasion and forced annexation by Japan during the Meiji Restoration period also very likely contributed to its development.

Another traditional Okinawan product that owes its existence to Okinawa's trading history is awamori—an Okinawan distilled spirit made from indica rice imported from Thailand.

The people of Okinawa maintain a strong tradition of pottery, textiles, and glass making.

Other prominent examples of Okinawan culture include the sanshin—a three-stringed Okinawan instrument, closely related to the Chinese sanxian, and ancestor of the Japanese shamisen, somewhat similar to a banjo. Its body is often bound with snakeskin (from pythons, imported from elsewhere in Asia, rather than from Okinawa's poisonous habu, which are too small for this purpose). Okinawan culture also features the eisa dance, a traditional drumming dance. A traditional craft, the fabric named bingata, is made in workshops on the main island and elsewhere.

Karate

Main article: Karate

Karate originated on Okinawa. There are several styles, among them Shotokan, Shorin-Ryu, Wado Ryu, Uechi Ryu, Goju Ryu, Isshin-Ryu, Shito-Ryu, Moto bu Ryu, Shorinji Ryu, and Shuri-Ryu.

In popular culture

  • Gackt, popular rock/pop musician is from Okinawa prefecture.
  • Shoukichi Kina, a popular musician who combines traditional Okinawan music, Indian music, and jazz.
  • The Chinese movie Okinawa Rendezvous is set in Okinawa and was shot on location there.
  • Orange Range, a very successful and popular alternative rock group are from Okinawa.
  • Namie Amuro, popular Japanese singer, is from Okinawa Prefecture.
  • High and Mighty Color, popular Japanese rock-pop group, are all from Okinawa.
  • The Kitano Takeshi movie Sonatine is largely set on Okinawa.
  • The Karate Kid, Part II, starring Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio, is set in Okinawa but was actually shot in Hawaii.
  • The Japanese televised drama series Ruri no Shima is largely set on a small island in Okinawa, with additional shooting done in Naha.
  • Hattori Hanzo, a fictional character from the Kill Bill series (named after the historical Hattori Hanzo) lives in Okinawa.
  • Yukie Nakama, popular Japanese TV drama, movie actress, and singer, is from Okinawa prefecture.
  • Yui Aragaki, popular Japanese TV drama, movie actress, is from Okinawa prefecture.
  • Ryoko Kuninaka, popular Japanese TV drama, movie actress, is from Okinawa prefecture.
  • Takayuki Yamada, popular Japanese TV drama, movie actor and singer, born in Okinawa prefecture.
  • Begin, a popular pop music group who combines traditional Okinawan music, rock and pop music.
  • Rimi Natsukawa, popular pop/folk singer.
  • The Japanese televised drama series Churasan is largely set in Kohama Island and Naha.
  • The Japanese televised drama series Dr Koto is largely set in Okinawa.
  • Actor, Brian Tee was born in Okinawa.
  • Yu Yamada, popular Japanese model, actress, singer, and television personality from Okinawa prefecture.

Architecture

A traditional Okinawan house.
Many Okinawan houses "bunched" together.

Okinawa has many remains of a unique type of castle or fortress called Gusuku. These are believed to be the predecessors of Japan's castles.

Whereas most homes in Japan are made with wood and allow free-flow of air to combat humidity, typical modern homes in Okinawa are made from concrete with barred windows (protection from flying plant matter) to deal with regular typhoons. Roofs are also designed with strong winds in mind, with each tile cemented on and not merely layered as seen with many homes elsewhere in Japan.

Many roofs also display a roundish statue of a lion or dragon, called a shisa, which is said to protect the home from danger. Roofs are typically red in color and are inspired by Chinese design.

U.S. military controversy

While the U.S. military presence provides employment for the residents of the communities near the bases, some Okinawans feel that their livelihood and human rights have been violated throughout the 50 years of the post-war era by high-level noise pollution from military drills, aircraft accidents, environmental destruction, and crimes committed by U.S. military personnel.

Consequent problems of military crimes (including extraterritoriality), a base-dependent local economy, and other issues continue to arise in Okinawa and have their roots in the early post-war period. The Yumiko Incident is notorious for the rape and murder of six-year-old Yumiko, in 1955. Isaac J. Hart, who was accused of the crime, was never convicted. Forty years later, on September 4, 1995, three U.S. servicemen abducted and raped a 12-year-old girl. At the time of the incident, Japan could not try the men known to be involved because the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement gave US servicemen immunity from local laws. Eventually, the soldiers were tried, and were convicted in early 1996.

Map of Okinawa showing the locations of U.S. military installations.

Anti-military base emotions erupted in some of the largest protests in recent history.[2] As a result of this incident US-Japan agreements which were criticized for being too protective of US servicemen involved in crimes underwent revision and a movement to alleviate civilian burden by reducing the size of US military bases got under way. In November of 1995, a group called "Okinawan Women Act Against Military Violence" was organized to raise awareness of crimes alleged to have been committed by U.S. military personnel on the island.

Alleged US nuclear arms base

Okinawa is one of a number of Japanese islands which has been used by the United States to host nuclear arms, according to Robert S. Norris, William M. Arkin, and William Burr writing for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists in early 2000. [3] [4]

MCAS Futenma relocation

The governments of the United States and Japan agreed on October 26, 2005 to move the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma base from its location in the densely populated city of Ginowan to the more northerly and remote Camp Schwab. Under the plan, thousands of Marines will relocate. The move is partly an attempt to relieve tensions between the people of Okinawa and the Marine Corps. Protests from environmental groups and residents over the construction of part of a runway at Camp Schwab, and from businessmen and politicians around Futenma and Henoko, have occurred[5].

The legality of the proposed heliport relocation has been questioned as being a violation of International Law, including the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in an article titled "Boundary Intersections of UNESCO Heritage Conventions: Using Custom and Cultural Landscapes to Save Okinawa’s Dugong Habitat from U.S. Heliport Construction". The article even questions whether the current use of Camp Schwab for amphibious training violates these three conventions.

Education

The public schools in Okinawa are overseen by the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education. The agency directly operates several public high schools [6].

Sports

Soccer

In addition, various baseball teams hold training during the winter in the prefecture as it is the warmest prefecture of Japan with no snow and higher temperatures than other prefectures.

Transportation

Air transportation

Highways

Rail

See also: Rail transportation in Okinawa

Ports

The major ports of Okinawa include

United States military installations

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Okinawa Prefecture.

News

Geography and maps

Photographs

Culture

History

Misc

Peace

26°N 128°E / 26°N 128°E / 26; 128

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