Как пишется окинава

Okinawa Prefecture 沖縄県
Prefecture
Native transcription(s)
• Japanese	Okinawa-ken
Tourists on traditional buffalo carts arrive at Yubu Island in Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture
Flag Symbol
Anthem: 沖縄県民の歌 (Okinawa kenmin no uta)
Coordinates: 26°30′N 128°0′E / 26.500°N 128.000°ECoordinates: 26°30′N 128°0′E / 26.500°N 128.000°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Island	Okinawa, Daitō, Miyako, Yaeyama, and Senkaku
Capital	Naha
Subdivisions	Districts: 5, Municipalities: 41
Government
• Governor	Denny Tamaki
Area
• Total	2,281 km2 (881 sq mi)
• Rank	44th
Population  (May 1, 2020)
• Total	1,466,870
• Rank	29th
• Density	640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-47
Website	www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Okinawa woodpecker (Sapheopipo noguchii)
Fish	Banana fish (Pterocaesio diagramma, «takasago», «gurukun»)
Flower	Deego (Erythrina variegata)
Tree	Pinus luchuensis («ryūkyūmatsu»)

Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県, Japanese: Okinawa-ken) is a prefecture of Japan.^[1] Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan and has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km² (880 sq mi).

Naha is the capital and largest city, with other major cities including Okinawa, Uruma, and Urasoe.^[2] Okinawa Prefecture encompasses two thirds of the Ryukyu Islands, including the Okinawa, Daitō and Sakishima groups, extending 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) southwest from the Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture to Taiwan (Hualien and Yilan Counties). Okinawa Prefecture’s largest island, Okinawa Island, is the home to a majority of Okinawa’s population. Okinawa’s indigenous ethnic group are the Ryukyuan people, who also live in the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture.

Okinawa was ruled by the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1429 and unofficially annexed by Japan after the Invasion of Ryukyu in 1609. Okinawa was officially founded in 1879 by the Empire of Japan after seven years as the Ryukyu Domain, the last domain of the Han system. Okinawa was occupied by the United States during the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II and was governed by the Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands from 1945 to 1950 and Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands from 1950 until the prefecture was returned to Japan in 1972. Okinawa comprises just 0.6 percent of Japan’s total land mass, but about 26,000 (75%) of United States Forces Japan personnel are assigned to the prefecture; the continued U.S. military presence in Okinawa is controversial.^[3][4]

History[edit]

The oldest evidence of human existence on the Ryukyu Islands is from the Stone Age and was discovered in Naha^[5] and Yaeyama.^[6] Some human bone fragments though to be from from the Paleolithic era were unearthed from a site in Naha, but the artifact was lost in transportation before it was examined.^[5] Japanese Jōmon influences are dominant on the Okinawa Islands, although clay vessels on the Sakishima Islands have a commonality with those in Taiwan.^{[note 1]}

The first mention of the word Ryukyu was written in the Book of Sui.^{[note 2]} Okinawa was the Japanese word identifying the islands, first seen in the biography of Jianzhen, written in 779.^{[note 3]} Agricultural societies begun in the 8th century slowly developed until the 12th century.^{[note 4][13][14]} Since the islands are located at the eastern perimeter of the East China Sea relatively close to Japan, China and Southeast Asia, the Ryukyu Kingdom became a prosperous trading nation. Also during this period, many Gusukus, similar to castles, were constructed. The Ryukyu Kingdom entered into the Imperial Chinese tributary system under the Ming dynasty beginning in the 15th century, which established economic relations between the two nations.

In 1609, the Shimazu clan, which controlled the region that is now Kagoshima Prefecture, invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom. The Ryukyu Kingdom was obliged to agree to form a suzerain-vassal relationship with the Satsuma and the Tokugawa shogunate, while maintaining its previous role within the Chinese tributary system; Ryukyuan sovereignty was maintained since complete annexation would have created a conflict with China. The Satsuma clan earned considerable profits from trade with China during a period in which foreign trade was heavily restricted by the shogunate. Although Satsuma maintained strong influence over the islands, the Ryukyu Kingdom maintained a considerable degree of domestic political freedom for over two hundred years.

Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration, the Japanese government, through military incursions, officially annexed the kingdom and renamed it Ryukyu han. At the time, the Qing dynasty asserted a nominal suzerainty over the islands. Ryukyu han became Okinawa Prefecture of Japan in 1879, even though all other hans had become prefectures of Japan in 1872. In 1912, Okinawans first obtained the right to vote for representatives to the National Diet (国会) which had been established in 1890.^[15]

1945–1965[edit]

Near the end of World War II, in 1945, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps launched an invasion of Okinawa with 185,000 troops. They were faced with fanatical resistance from the Japanese defenders. A third of Okinawa’s civilian population were killed during the ensuing fighting.^[16] The dead, of all nationalities, are commemorated at the Cornerstone of Peace.

After the end of World War II, the United States set up the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands administration, which ruled Okinawa for 27 years. During this «trusteeship rule», the United States established numerous military bases on the Ryukyu islands. The Ryukyu independence movement was an Okinawan movement that clamored against U.S. rule.

Continued U.S. military buildup[edit]

During the Korean War, B-29 Superfortresses flew bombing missions over Korea from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The military buildup on the island during the Cold War increased a division between local inhabitants and the American military. Under the 1952 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, United States Forces Japan (USFJ) have maintained a large military presence.

During the mid-1950s, the U.S. seized land from Okinawans to build new bases or expand currently existing ones. According to the Melvin Price Report, by 1955, the military had displaced 250,000 residents.^[17]

Secret U.S. deployment of nuclear weapons[edit]

Since 1960, the U.S. and Japan have maintained an agreement that allows the U.S. to secretly bring nuclear weapons into Japanese ports.^[18][19][20] The Japanese people tended to oppose the introduction of nuclear arms into Japanese territory^[21] and the Japanese government’s assertion of Japan’s non-nuclear policy and a statement of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles reflected this popular opposition. Most of the weapons were alleged to be stored in ammunition bunkers at Kadena Air Base.^[22] Between 1954 and 1972, 19 different types of nuclear weapons were deployed in Okinawa, but with fewer than around 1,000 warheads at any one time.^[23] In fall 1960, U.S. commandos in Green Light Teams secret training missions carried small nuclear weapons on the east coast of Okinawa Island.^[24]

1965–1972 (Vietnam War)[edit]

Between 1965 and 1972, Okinawa was a key staging point for United States in its military operations directed towards North Vietnam. Along with Guam, it presented a geographically strategic launch pad for covert bombing missions over Cambodia and Laos.^[25] Anti-Vietnam War sentiment became linked politically to the movement for reversion of Okinawa to Japan. In 1965, the U.S. military bases, earlier viewed as paternal post war protection, were increasingly seen as aggressive. The Vietnam War highlighted the differences between United States and Okinawa but showed a commonality between the islands and mainland Japan.^[26]

As controversy grew regarding the alleged placement of nuclear weapons on Okinawa, fears intensified over the escalation of the Vietnam War. Okinawa was perceived by some inside Japan as a potential target for China, should the communist government feel threatened by United States.^[27] American military secrecy blocked any local reporting on what was actually occurring at bases such as Kadena Air Base. As information leaked out, and images of air strikes were published, the local population began to fear the potential for retaliation.^[26]

Political leaders such as Makoto Oda, a major figure in the Beheiren movement (Foundation of Citizens for Peace in Vietnam), believed that the return of Okinawa to Japan would lead to the removal of U.S. forces ending Japan’s involvement in Vietnam.^[28] In a speech delivered in 1967 Oda was critical of Prime Minister Eisaku Satō’s unilateral support of America’s war in Vietnam claiming «Realistically we are all guilty of complicity in the Vietnam War».^[28] The Beheiren became a more visible anti-war movement on Okinawa as the American involvement in Vietnam intensified. The movement employed tactics ranging from demonstrations to handing leaflets to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines directly, warning of the implications for a third World War.^[29]

The U.S. military bases on Okinawa became a focal point for anti-Vietnam War sentiment. By 1969, over 50,000 American military personnel were stationed on Okinawa.^[30] United States Department of Defense began referring to Okinawa as the «Keystone of the Pacific». This slogan was imprinted on local U.S. military license plates.^[31]

In 1969, chemicals leaked from the U.S. storage depot at Chibana in central Okinawa, under Operation Red Hat. Evacuations of residents took place over a wide area for two months. Even two years later, government investigators found that Okinawans and the environment near the leak were still suffering because of the depot.^[32]

On May 15, 1972, the U.S. government handed over the islands to Japanese administration.^[33]

1973–2006[edit]

The 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by U.S. servicemen triggered large protests in Okinawa. Reports by the local media of accidents and crimes committed by U.S. servicemen have reduced the local population’s support for the U.S. military bases. A strong emotional response has emerged from certain incidents. As a result, the media has drawn renewed interest in the Ryukyu independence movement.

Documents declassified in 1997 proved that both tactical and strategic weapons have been maintained in Okinawa.^[32][34] In 1999 and 2002, the Japan Times and the Okinawa Times reported speculation that not all weapons were removed from Okinawa.^[35][36] On October 25, 2005, after a decade of negotiations, the governments of the U.S. and Japan officially agreed to move Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from its location in the densely populated city of Ginowan to the more northerly and remote Camp Schwab in Nago by building a heliport with a shorter runway, partly on Camp Schwab land and partly running into the sea.^[16] The move is partly an attempt to relieve tensions between the people of Okinawa and the Marine Corps.

Okinawa prefecture constitutes 0.6% of Japan’s land surface,^[16] yet as of 2006, 75% of all USFJ bases were located on Okinawa, and U.S. military bases occupied 18% of the main island.^[37]

2007–present[edit]

According to a 2007 Okinawa Times poll, 85% of Okinawans opposed the presence of the U.S. military,^[38] because of noise pollution from military drills, the risk of aircraft accidents,^{[note 5]} environmental degradation,^[39] and crowding from the number of personnel there,^[40] although 73% percent of Japanese citizens appreciated the mutual security treaty with the U.S. and the presence of the USFJ.^[41] In another poll conducted by The Asahi Shimbun in May 2010, 43% of the Okinawan population wanted the complete closure of the U.S. bases, 42% wanted reduction, and 11% wanted to maintain status quo.^[42] Okinawan feelings about the U.S. military are complex, and some of the resentment towards the U.S. bases is directed towards the government in Tokyo, perceived as being insensitive to Okinawan needs and using Okinawa to house bases not desired elsewhere in Japan.

In early 2008, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice apologized after a series of crimes involving American troops in Japan, including the rape of a young girl of 14 by a Marine on Okinawa. The U.S. military imposed a temporary 24-hour curfew on military personnel and their families to ease the anger of local residents.^[43] Some cited statistics that the crime rate of military personnel is consistently less than that of the general Okinawan population.^[44] However, some criticized the statistics as unreliable, since violence against women is under-reported.^[45] Between 1972 and 2009, U.S. servicemen committed 5,634 criminal offenses, including 25 murders, 385 burglaries, 25 arsons, 127 rapes, 306 assaults and 2,827 thefts.^[46] Yet, per Marine Corps Installations Pacific data, U.S. service members are convicted of far fewer crimes than local Okinawans.^[47]

In 2009, a new Japanese government came to power and froze the U.S. forces relocation plan but in April 2010 indicated their interest in resolving the issue by proposing a modified plan.^[48] A study done in 2010 found that the prolonged exposure to aircraft noise around the Kadena Air Base and other military bases cause health issues such as a disrupted sleep pattern, high blood pressure, weakening of the immune system in children, and a loss of hearing.^[49]

In 2011, it was reported that the U.S. military—contrary to repeated denials by The Pentagon—had kept tens of thousands of barrels of Agent Orange on the island. The Japanese and American governments have angered some U.S. veterans, who believe they were poisoned by Agent Orange while serving on the island, by characterizing their statements regarding Agent Orange as «dubious», and ignoring their requests for compensation. Reports that more than a third of the barrels developed leaks have led Okinawans to ask for environmental investigations, but as of 2012 both Tokyo and Washington refused such action.^[50] Jon Mitchell has reported concern that the U.S. used American Marines as chemical-agent guinea pigs.^[51]

On September 30, 2018, Denny Tamaki was elected as the next governor of Okinawa prefecture, after a campaign focused on sharply reducing the U.S. military presence on the island.^[52]

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma relocation[edit]

In 2006, some 8,000 U.S. Marines were removed from the island and relocated to Guam.^[53] The move to Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz is expected to be completed in 2023. Japan paid for a majority of the cost to construct the new base.^[54][55] The U.S. still maintains Air Force, Marine, Navy, and Army military installations on the islands. These bases include Kadena Air Base, Camp Foster, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Camp Hansen, Camp Schwab, Torii Station, Camp Kinser, and Camp Gonsalves. The area of 14 U.S. bases are 233 square kilometres (90 sq mi), occupying 18% of the main island. Okinawa hosts about two-thirds of the 50,000 American forces in Japan although the islands account for less than one percent of total lands in Japan.^[37]

Suburbs have grown towards and now surround two historic major bases, Futenma and Kadena. A sizeable portion of the land used by the U.S. military is Camp Gonsalves in the north of the island.^[56] On December 21, 2016, 10,000 acres of Camp Gonslaves were returned to Japan.^[57] On June 25, 2018, Okinawa residents held a protest demonstration at sea against scheduled land reclamation work for the relocation of a U.S. military base within Japan’s southernmost island prefecture. A protest gathered hundreds of people.^[58]

Since the early 2000s, Okinawans have opposed the presence of American troops helipads in the Takae zone of the Yanbaru forest near Higashi and Kunigami.^[59] This opposition grew in July 2016 after the construction of six new helipads.^[60][61]

Geography[edit]

Major islands[edit]

The islands comprising the prefecture are the southern two thirds of the archipelago of the Ryūkyū Islands (琉球諸島, Ryūkyū-shotō). Okinawa’s inhabited islands are typically divided into three geographical archipelagos. From northeast to southwest:

• Okinawa Islands (沖縄, ʔucinā)
  • Iejima (ʔiijima)
  • Kume-jima (kumijima)
  • Okinawa Island (ʔuhuji)
  • Kerama Islands (kirama)
• Miyako Islands (myāku)
  • Miyako-jima
• Yaeyama Islands (’ēma)
  • Iriomote Island (ʔiriʔumuti)
  • Ishigaki Island (ʔishigaci)
  • Yonaguni (’yunaguni)
• Senkaku Islands (ʔiyukubajima)
• Daitō Islands (ʔuhuʔagarijima)
  • Minamidaitōjima (fēʔuhuʔagarijima)
  • Kitadaitōjima (nishiʔuhuʔagarijima)
  • Okidaitōjima (ʔuciʔuhuʔagarijima)

Natural parks[edit]

Approximately 36% percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks, namely the Iriomote-Ishigaki, Kerama Shotō, and Yambaru National Parks; Okinawa Kaigan and Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Parks; and Irabu, Kumejima, Tarama, and Tonaki Prefectural Natural Parks.^[62]

Ecology[edit]

The dugong is an endangered marine mammal related to the manatee.^[63] Iriomote is home to one of the world’s rarest and most endangered cat species, the Iriomote cat. The region is also home to at least one endemic pit viper, Trimeresurus elegans. The islands of Okinawa are surrounded by some of the most abundant coral reefs found in the world.^[64][65] The world’s largest colony of rare blue coral is found off of Ishigaki Island.^[66] The sea turtles return yearly to the southern islands of Okinawa to lay their eggs. The summer months carry warnings to swimmers regarding venomous jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures.

Okinawa is a major producer of sugar cane, pineapple, papaya, and other tropical fruit, and the Southeast Botanical Gardens represent tropical plant species.

Geology[edit]

The island is largely composed of coral, and rainwater filtering through that coral has given the island many caves, which played an important role in the Battle of Okinawa. Gyokusendo^[67] is an extensive limestone cave in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island.

Climate[edit]

The island experiences temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F) for most of the year. The climate of the islands ranges from humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) in the north, such as Okinawa Island, to tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af) in the south such as Iriomote Island. Snowfall is unheard of at sea level. However, on January 24, 2016, sleet was reported in Nago for the first time on record.^[68]

Municipalities[edit]

Cities[edit]

Eleven cities are located within the Okinawa Prefecture:

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Okinawan[69]	other languages [script] (name in brackets)
Kana	Rōmaji
Ginowan	宜野湾市	じのーん	Jinōn		19.51	94,405
Ishigaki	石垣市	いしがち	ʔIshigaci	Isïgaksï, Ishanagzï (Yaeyama)	229	47,562
Itoman	糸満市	いちゅまん	ʔIcuman		46.63	59,605
Miyakojima	宮古島市	なーく、みゃーく	Nāku, Myāku	Myaaku (Miyakoan)	204.54	54,908
Nago	名護市	なぐ	Nagu	Naguu [ナグー] (Kunigami)	210.37	61,659
Naha (capital)	那覇市	な	Nafa		39.98	317,405
Nanjō	南城市	ーぐく	Fēgusiku		49.69	41,305
Okinawa	沖縄市	うちなー	ʔUcinā		49	138,431
Tomigusuku	豊見城市	みぐく	Timigusiku		19.6	61,613
Urasoe	浦添市	うらー	ʔUrasī		19.09	113,992
Uruma	うるま市	うるま	ʔUruma		86	118,330

Towns and villages[edit]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name	Area (km2)	Population	District	Type	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Okinawan[69]	other languages [script] (name in brackets)
Kana	Rōmaji
Aguni	粟国村	あぐに	ʔAguni		7.63	772	Shimajiri District	Village
Chatan	北谷町	ちゃたん	Catan		13.62	28,578	Nakagami District	Town
Ginoza	宜野座村	じぬざ	Jinuza		31.28	5,544	Kunigami District	Village
Haebaru	南風原町	ーばる	Fēbaru		10.72	37,874	Shimajiri District	Town
Higashi	東村	がし	Figashi	Agaarijimaa [アガーリジマー] (Kunigami)	81.79	1,683	Kunigami District	Village
Ie	伊江村	いい	ʔIi	Ii [イー] (Kunigami)	22.75	4,192	Kunigami District	Village
Iheya	伊平屋村	いひゃ、後地	ʔIhya, Kushijī		21.72	1,214	Shimajiri District	Village
Izena	伊是名村	いじな、前地	ʔIjina, Mējī		15.42	1,518	Shimajiri District	Village
Kadena	嘉手納町	かなー	Kadinā		15.04	13,671	Nakagami District	Town
Kin	金武町	ちん	Cin	Chin [チン] (Kunigami)	37.57	11,259	Kunigami District	Town
Kitadaitō	北大東村	うふあがりじま	ʔUhuʔagarijima		13.1	615	Shimajiri District	Village
Kitanakagusuku	北中城村	にしなかーぐく	Nishinakāgusiku		11.53	16,040	Nakagami District	Village
Kumejima	久米島町	くみじま	Kumijima		63.5	7,647	Shimajiri District	Town
Kunigami	国頭村	くんじゃん	Kunjan	Kunzan (Kunigami)	194.8	4,908	Kunigami District	Village
Minamidaitō	南大東村	ーうふあがりじま	Hwēʔuhuʔagarijima		30.57	1,418	Shimajiri District	Village
Motobu	本部町	むぶ	Mutubu	Mutubu (Kunigami)	54.3	13,441	Kunigami District	Town
Nakagusuku	中城村	なかーぐく	Nakāgusiku		15.46	20,030	Nakagami District	Village
Nakijin	今帰仁村	なちじん	Nacijin	Nachizin (Kunigami)	39.87	9,529	Kunigami District	Village
Nishihara	西原町	にしばる	Nishibaru		15.84	34,463	Nakagami District	Town
Ōgimi	大宜味村	じみ	’Ujimi	Uujimii (Kunigami)	63.12	3,024	Kunigami District	Village
Onna	恩納村	うんな	ʔUnna	Unna (Kunigami)	50.77	10,443	Kunigami District	Village
Tarama	多良間村	たらま	Tarama	Tarama (Miyakoan)	21.91	1,194	Miyako District	Village
Taketomi	竹富町	だきん	Dakidun	Teedun (Yaeyama)	334.02	4,050	Yaeyama District	Town
Tokashiki	渡嘉敷村	かしち	Tukashici		19.18	697	Shimajiri District	Village
Tonaki	渡名喜村	なち	Tunaci		3.74	406	Shimajiri District	Village
Yaese	八重瀬町	え゙ー	’Ēsi		26.9	29,488	Shimajiri District	Town
Yomitan	読谷村	んたん	’Yuntan		35.17	40,517	Nakagami District	Village
Yonabaru	与那原町	なばる	’Yunabaru		5.18	18,410	Shimajiri District	Town
Yonaguni	与那国町	なぐに	’Yunaguni	Dunan, Juni (Yonaguni) Yunoon (Yaeyama)	28.95	2,048	Yaeyama District	Town
Zamami	座間味村	ざまみ	Zamami		16.74	924	Shimajiri District	Village

Town mergers[edit]

Demography[edit]

Ethnic groups[edit]

The indigenous Ryukyuan people make up the majority of Okinawa Prefecture’s population and are also the main ethnic group of the Amami Islands to the north. Large Okinawan diaspora communities persist in places such as South America^[70] and Hawaii.^[71] With the introduction of American military bases, there are an increasing number of half-American children in Okinawa, including prefecture governor Denny Tamaki.^[72] The prefecture also has a sizable minority of Yamato people from mainland Japan; exact population numbers are difficult to establish, as the Japanese government does not officially recognise Ryukyuans as a distinct ethnic group from Yamatos.

The overall ethnic identity of Okinawa residents is rather split. According to a telephone poll conducted by Lim John Chuan-tiong, an associate professor with the University of the Ryukyus, 40.6% of respondents identified as “沖縄人 (Okinawan)”, 21.3% identified as “日本人 (Japanese)” and 36.5% identified as both.

Population[edit]

Per Japanese census data,^[74][75] Okinawa prefecture has had continuous positive population growth since 1960.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1873	166,789	—
1920	572,000	+242.9%
1930	578,000	+1.0%
1940	575,000	−0.5%
1950	915,000	+59.1%
1960	883,000	−3.5%
1970	945,000	+7.0%
1980	1,107,000	+17.1%
1990	1,222,000	+10.4%
2000	1,318,220	+7.9%
2010	1,392,818	+5.7%
2020	1,457,162	+4.6%

Language and culture[edit]

Having been a separate nation until 1879, Okinawan language and culture differ in many ways from those of mainland Japan.

Language[edit]

There remain six Ryukyuan languages which, although related, are incomprehensible to speakers of Japanese. One of the Ryukyuan languages is spoken in Kagoshima Prefecture, rather than in Okinawa Prefecture. These languages are in decline as the younger generation of Okinawans uses Standard Japanese. Mainland Japanese and some Okinawans generally perceive the Ryukyuan languages as «dialects». 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 («Okinawan Japanese»), which is often mistaken by non-Okinawans as the Okinawan language proper. The actual traditional Okinawan language is still used in traditional cultural activities, such as folk music and folk dance. There is a radio-news program in the language as well.^[76]

Religion[edit]

Okinawans have traditionally followed Ryukyuan 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.^[77]

Culture[edit]

Okinawan culture bears traces of its various trading partners. One can find Chinese, Thai and Austronesian influences in the island’s customs. 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 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.

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 venomous Trimeresurus flavoviridis, 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.^[78]

The Okinawan diet consists of low-fat, low-salt foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, legumes, tofu, and seaweed. Okinawans are particularly well known for consuming purple potatoes, also known as Okinawan sweet potatoes.^[79] Okinawans are known for their longevity. This particular island is a so-called Blue Zone, an area where the people live longer than most others elsewhere in the world. Five times as many Okinawans live to be 100 as in the rest of Japan, and Japanese are already the longest-lived ethnic group globally.^[80] As of 2002 there were 34.7 centenarians for every 100,000 inhabitants, which is the highest ratio worldwide.^{[81]: 131–132} Possible explanations are diet, low-stress lifestyle, caring community, activity, and spirituality of the inhabitants of the island.^{[81][page needed]}

A cultural feature of the Okinawans is the forming of moais. A moai is a community social gathering and groups that come together to provide financial and emotional support through emotional bonding, advice giving, and social funding. This provides a sense of security for the community members and as mentioned in the Blue Zone studies, may be a contributing factor to the longevity of its people.^[82]

Two Okinawan writers have received the Akutagawa Prize: Eiki Matayoshi in 1995 for The Pig’s Retribution (豚の報い, Buta no mukui) and Shun Medoruma in 1997 for A Drop of Water (Suiteki). The prize was also won by Okinawans in 1967 by Tatsuhiro Oshiro for Cocktail Party (Kakuteru Pāti) and in 1971 by Mineo Higashi for Okinawan Boy (Okinawa no Shōnen).^[83][84]

Karate[edit]

Karate originated in Okinawa. Over time, it developed into several styles and sub-styles. On Okinawa, the three main styles are considered to be Shōrin-ryū, Gōjū-ryū and Uechi-ryū. Internationally, the various styles and sub-styles include Matsubayashi-ryū, Wadō-ryū, Isshin-ryū, Shōrinkan, Shotokan, Shitō-ryū, Shōrinjiryū Kenkōkan, Shorinjiryu Koshinkai, and Shōrinji-ryū.

Architecture[edit]

Despite widespread destruction during World War II, there are many remains of a unique type of castle or fortress known as gusuku; the most significant are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu).^[85] In addition, twenty-three Ryukyuan architectural complexes and forty historic sites have been designated for protection by the national government.^[86] Shuri Castle in Naha is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Whereas most homes in Japan are made from wood and allow free-flow of air to combat humidity, typical modern homes in Okinawa are made from concrete with barred windows to protect from flying plant debris and to withstand regular typhoons. Roofs are designed with strong winds in mind, in which each tile is cemented on and not merely layered as seen with many homes in Japan.^{[citation needed]} The Nakamura House (ja:中村家住宅 (沖縄県)) is an original 18th century farmhouse in Kitanakagusuki. Many roofs also display a lion-dog statue, called a shisa, which is said to protect the home from danger. Roofs are typically red in color and are inspired by Chinese design.^[87]

Education[edit]

The public schools in Okinawa are overseen by the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education. The agency directly operates several public high schools^[88] including Okinawa Shogaku High School. The U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools operates 13 schools total in Okinawa. Seven of these schools are located on Kadena Air Base.

Okinawa has many types of private schools. Some of them are cram schools, also known as juku. Others, such as Nova, solely teach language. There are 10 colleges/universities in Okinawa, including the University of the Ryukyus, the only national university in the prefecture, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, a new international research institute. Okinawa’s American military bases also host the Asian Division of the University of Maryland University College.

Sports[edit]

Association football

• FC Ryukyu (Naha)

Basketball

• Ryukyu Golden Kings (Naha)

Handball

• Ryukyu Corazon^[89] (Naha)

Baseball

Announced on July 18, 2019, BASE Okinawa Baseball Club will be forming the first-ever professional baseball team on Okinawa, the Ryukyu Blue Oceans. The team is expected to be fully organized by January 2020 and intends on joining the Nippon Professional Baseball league.^[90]

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

• SoftBank Hawks
• Yokohama BayStars
• Chunichi Dragons
• Yakult Swallows

Golf

There are numerous golf courses in the prefecture, and there was formerly a professional tournament called the Okinawa Open.

Transportation[edit]

Air transportation[edit]

• Aguni Airport
• Hateruma Airport
• Iejima Airport
• New Ishigaki Airport
• Kerama Airport
• Kitadaito Airport
• Kumejima Airport
• Minami-Daito Airport
• Miyako Airport
• Naha Airport
• Shimojishima Airport
• Tarama Airport
• Yonaguni Airport

Highways[edit]

Rail[edit]

• Okinawa Urban Monorail

Ports[edit]

The major ports of Okinawa include:

• Naha Port^[91]
• Port of Unten^[92]
• Port of Kinwan^[93]
• Nakagusukuwan Port^[94]
• Hirara Port^[95]
• Port of Ishigaki^[96]

Economy[edit]

The 34 U.S. military installations on Okinawa are financially supported by the U.S. and Japan.^[97] The bases provide jobs for Okinawans, both directly and indirectly; In 2011, the U.S. military employed over 9,800 Japanese workers in Okinawa.^[97] As of 2012 the bases accounted for up to 5% of the economy.^[98] However, Koji Taira argued in 1997 that because the U.S. bases occupy around 20% of Okinawa’s land, they impose a deadweight loss of 15% on the Okinawan economy.^[99] The Tokyo government also pays the prefectural government around ¥10 billion per year^[97] in compensation for the American presence, including, for instance, rent paid by the Japanese government to the Okinawans on whose land American bases are situated.^[100] A 2005 report by the U.S. Forces Japan Okinawa Area Field Office estimated that in 2003 the combined U.S. and Japanese base-related spending contributed $1.9 billion to the local economy.^[101] On January 13, 2015, In response to the citizens electing governor Takeshi Onaga, the national government announced that Okinawa’s funding will be cut, due to the governor’s stance on removing the US military bases from Okinawa, which the national government does not want happening.^[102][103]

The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau is exploring the possibility of using facilities on the military bases for large-scale meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions events.^[104]

United States military installations[edit]

• United States Marine Corps
  • Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler
    • Camp Foster
    • Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
    • Camp Kinser
    • Camp Courtney
    • Camp McTureous
    • Camp Hansen
    • Camp Schwab
    • Camp Gonsalves (Jungle Warfare Training Center)
• United States Air Force
  • Kadena Air Base
  • Okuma Beach Resort
• United States Navy
  • Camp Lester (Camp Kuwae)^{[citation needed]}
  • Camp Shields
  • Naval Facility White Beach
• United States Army
  • Torii Station
  • Fort Buckner
  • Naha Military Port

Notable people[edit]

• Aisa Senda, singer, actress and TV presenter in Taiwan
• Awich, rapper, singer and songwriter
• Beni Japanese pop and R&B singer
• Byron Fija Okinawan language practitioner and activist
• Chikako Yamashiro filmmaker and video artist
• Chōjun Miyagi founder of Gōjū-ryū, «hard/soft» style of Okinawan Karate.
• Daichi Miura Japanese pop singer, dancer and choreographer.
• Merle Dandridge Japanese American actress and singer
• Eisaku Satō Japanese politician and the 61st, 62nd and 63rd Prime Minister of Japan.
• Gackt Japanese pop rock singer-songwriter, actor, author
• Gichin Funakoshi led the efforts to propagate Okinawa karate to the Japanese mainland and beyond to the World.
• Robert Griffin III, American football quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner
• Hearts Grow Japanese band
• Isamu Chō officer in the Imperial Japanese Army known for his support of ultranationalist politics and involvement in a number of attempted military and right-wing coup d’états in pre-World War II Japan.
• Jin Matsuda, singer, member of INI (Japanese boy group), a former contestant on Produce 101 Japan (season 2)
• Matayoshi Eiki Okinawan novel writer, winner of Akutagawa prize
• Mitsuru Ushijima general at the Battle of Okinawa
• Namie Amuro Japanese R&B, hip hop and pop singer
• Noriyuki Sugasawa basketball player
• Orange Range Japanese rock band
• Ōta Minoru admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II
• Rimi Natsukawa (夏川 りみ Natsukawa Rimi), Japanese women pop singers
• Rino Nakasone Razalan professional dancer and choreographer.
• Dave Roberts, Major League Baseball player and manager
• Saori Minami Japanese kayōkyoku pop singer
• Ben Shepherd Bassist of the band Soundgarden
• Sho Yonashiro, singer, member of JO1, a former contestant on Produce 101 Japan
• Stereopony Japanese all-female pop rock band
• Takuji Iwasaki meteorologist, biologist, ethnologist historian.
• Tamlyn Tomita actress and singer
• Tina Tamashiro, Fashion Model and Actress
• Uechi Kanbun founder of Uechi-ryū, one of the primary karate styles of Okinawa.
• Yabu Kentsū prominent teacher of Shōrin-ryū karate in Okinawa from the 1910s until the 1930s, and was among the first people to demonstrate karate in Hawaii.
• Yoshitaka Funakoshi made significant and innovative contributions to Okinawan karate leading to the style known as Shotokan.
• Yui Aragaki actress, singer, and model
• Yuken Teruya interdisciplinary artist
• Yukie Nakama singer, musician and actress

See also[edit]

• Okinawa Prefectural Assembly
• Names of Okinawa

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Okinawa Prefectural Government Washington DC Office
• Official Okinawa Prefecture website (in Japanese)
• Official Okinawa Prefecture website
• Ryukyu Cultural Archives
• Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum
• Geographic data related to Okinawa Prefecture at OpenStreetMap

Okinawa Prefecture 沖縄県
Prefecture
Native transcription(s)
• Japanese	Okinawa-ken
Tourists on traditional buffalo carts arrive at Yubu Island in Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture
Flag Symbol
Anthem: 沖縄県民の歌 (Okinawa kenmin no uta)
Coordinates: 26°30′N 128°0′E / 26.500°N 128.000°ECoordinates: 26°30′N 128°0′E / 26.500°N 128.000°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Island	Okinawa, Daitō, Miyako, Yaeyama, and Senkaku
Capital	Naha
Subdivisions	Districts: 5, Municipalities: 41
Government
• Governor	Denny Tamaki
Area
• Total	2,281 km2 (881 sq mi)
• Rank	44th
Population  (May 1, 2020)
• Total	1,466,870
• Rank	29th
• Density	640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-47
Website	www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Okinawa woodpecker (Sapheopipo noguchii)
Fish	Banana fish (Pterocaesio diagramma, «takasago», «gurukun»)
Flower	Deego (Erythrina variegata)
Tree	Pinus luchuensis («ryūkyūmatsu»)

Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県, Japanese: Okinawa-ken) is a prefecture of Japan.^[1] Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan and has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km² (880 sq mi).

Naha is the capital and largest city, with other major cities including Okinawa, Uruma, and Urasoe.^[2] Okinawa Prefecture encompasses two thirds of the Ryukyu Islands, including the Okinawa, Daitō and Sakishima groups, extending 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) southwest from the Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture to Taiwan (Hualien and Yilan Counties). Okinawa Prefecture’s largest island, Okinawa Island, is the home to a majority of Okinawa’s population. Okinawa’s indigenous ethnic group are the Ryukyuan people, who also live in the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture.

Okinawa was ruled by the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1429 and unofficially annexed by Japan after the Invasion of Ryukyu in 1609. Okinawa was officially founded in 1879 by the Empire of Japan after seven years as the Ryukyu Domain, the last domain of the Han system. Okinawa was occupied by the United States during the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II and was governed by the Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands from 1945 to 1950 and Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands from 1950 until the prefecture was returned to Japan in 1972. Okinawa comprises just 0.6 percent of Japan’s total land mass, but about 26,000 (75%) of United States Forces Japan personnel are assigned to the prefecture; the continued U.S. military presence in Okinawa is controversial.^[3][4]

History[edit]

The oldest evidence of human existence on the Ryukyu Islands is from the Stone Age and was discovered in Naha^[5] and Yaeyama.^[6] Some human bone fragments though to be from from the Paleolithic era were unearthed from a site in Naha, but the artifact was lost in transportation before it was examined.^[5] Japanese Jōmon influences are dominant on the Okinawa Islands, although clay vessels on the Sakishima Islands have a commonality with those in Taiwan.^{[note 1]}

The first mention of the word Ryukyu was written in the Book of Sui.^{[note 2]} Okinawa was the Japanese word identifying the islands, first seen in the biography of Jianzhen, written in 779.^{[note 3]} Agricultural societies begun in the 8th century slowly developed until the 12th century.^{[note 4][13][14]} Since the islands are located at the eastern perimeter of the East China Sea relatively close to Japan, China and Southeast Asia, the Ryukyu Kingdom became a prosperous trading nation. Also during this period, many Gusukus, similar to castles, were constructed. The Ryukyu Kingdom entered into the Imperial Chinese tributary system under the Ming dynasty beginning in the 15th century, which established economic relations between the two nations.

In 1609, the Shimazu clan, which controlled the region that is now Kagoshima Prefecture, invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom. The Ryukyu Kingdom was obliged to agree to form a suzerain-vassal relationship with the Satsuma and the Tokugawa shogunate, while maintaining its previous role within the Chinese tributary system; Ryukyuan sovereignty was maintained since complete annexation would have created a conflict with China. The Satsuma clan earned considerable profits from trade with China during a period in which foreign trade was heavily restricted by the shogunate. Although Satsuma maintained strong influence over the islands, the Ryukyu Kingdom maintained a considerable degree of domestic political freedom for over two hundred years.

Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration, the Japanese government, through military incursions, officially annexed the kingdom and renamed it Ryukyu han. At the time, the Qing dynasty asserted a nominal suzerainty over the islands. Ryukyu han became Okinawa Prefecture of Japan in 1879, even though all other hans had become prefectures of Japan in 1872. In 1912, Okinawans first obtained the right to vote for representatives to the National Diet (国会) which had been established in 1890.^[15]

1945–1965[edit]

Near the end of World War II, in 1945, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps launched an invasion of Okinawa with 185,000 troops. They were faced with fanatical resistance from the Japanese defenders. A third of Okinawa’s civilian population were killed during the ensuing fighting.^[16] The dead, of all nationalities, are commemorated at the Cornerstone of Peace.

After the end of World War II, the United States set up the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands administration, which ruled Okinawa for 27 years. During this «trusteeship rule», the United States established numerous military bases on the Ryukyu islands. The Ryukyu independence movement was an Okinawan movement that clamored against U.S. rule.

Continued U.S. military buildup[edit]

During the Korean War, B-29 Superfortresses flew bombing missions over Korea from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The military buildup on the island during the Cold War increased a division between local inhabitants and the American military. Under the 1952 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, United States Forces Japan (USFJ) have maintained a large military presence.

During the mid-1950s, the U.S. seized land from Okinawans to build new bases or expand currently existing ones. According to the Melvin Price Report, by 1955, the military had displaced 250,000 residents.^[17]

Secret U.S. deployment of nuclear weapons[edit]

Since 1960, the U.S. and Japan have maintained an agreement that allows the U.S. to secretly bring nuclear weapons into Japanese ports.^[18][19][20] The Japanese people tended to oppose the introduction of nuclear arms into Japanese territory^[21] and the Japanese government’s assertion of Japan’s non-nuclear policy and a statement of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles reflected this popular opposition. Most of the weapons were alleged to be stored in ammunition bunkers at Kadena Air Base.^[22] Between 1954 and 1972, 19 different types of nuclear weapons were deployed in Okinawa, but with fewer than around 1,000 warheads at any one time.^[23] In fall 1960, U.S. commandos in Green Light Teams secret training missions carried small nuclear weapons on the east coast of Okinawa Island.^[24]

1965–1972 (Vietnam War)[edit]

Between 1965 and 1972, Okinawa was a key staging point for United States in its military operations directed towards North Vietnam. Along with Guam, it presented a geographically strategic launch pad for covert bombing missions over Cambodia and Laos.^[25] Anti-Vietnam War sentiment became linked politically to the movement for reversion of Okinawa to Japan. In 1965, the U.S. military bases, earlier viewed as paternal post war protection, were increasingly seen as aggressive. The Vietnam War highlighted the differences between United States and Okinawa but showed a commonality between the islands and mainland Japan.^[26]

As controversy grew regarding the alleged placement of nuclear weapons on Okinawa, fears intensified over the escalation of the Vietnam War. Okinawa was perceived by some inside Japan as a potential target for China, should the communist government feel threatened by United States.^[27] American military secrecy blocked any local reporting on what was actually occurring at bases such as Kadena Air Base. As information leaked out, and images of air strikes were published, the local population began to fear the potential for retaliation.^[26]

Political leaders such as Makoto Oda, a major figure in the Beheiren movement (Foundation of Citizens for Peace in Vietnam), believed that the return of Okinawa to Japan would lead to the removal of U.S. forces ending Japan’s involvement in Vietnam.^[28] In a speech delivered in 1967 Oda was critical of Prime Minister Eisaku Satō’s unilateral support of America’s war in Vietnam claiming «Realistically we are all guilty of complicity in the Vietnam War».^[28] The Beheiren became a more visible anti-war movement on Okinawa as the American involvement in Vietnam intensified. The movement employed tactics ranging from demonstrations to handing leaflets to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines directly, warning of the implications for a third World War.^[29]

The U.S. military bases on Okinawa became a focal point for anti-Vietnam War sentiment. By 1969, over 50,000 American military personnel were stationed on Okinawa.^[30] United States Department of Defense began referring to Okinawa as the «Keystone of the Pacific». This slogan was imprinted on local U.S. military license plates.^[31]

In 1969, chemicals leaked from the U.S. storage depot at Chibana in central Okinawa, under Operation Red Hat. Evacuations of residents took place over a wide area for two months. Even two years later, government investigators found that Okinawans and the environment near the leak were still suffering because of the depot.^[32]

On May 15, 1972, the U.S. government handed over the islands to Japanese administration.^[33]

1973–2006[edit]

The 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by U.S. servicemen triggered large protests in Okinawa. Reports by the local media of accidents and crimes committed by U.S. servicemen have reduced the local population’s support for the U.S. military bases. A strong emotional response has emerged from certain incidents. As a result, the media has drawn renewed interest in the Ryukyu independence movement.

Documents declassified in 1997 proved that both tactical and strategic weapons have been maintained in Okinawa.^[32][34] In 1999 and 2002, the Japan Times and the Okinawa Times reported speculation that not all weapons were removed from Okinawa.^[35][36] On October 25, 2005, after a decade of negotiations, the governments of the U.S. and Japan officially agreed to move Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from its location in the densely populated city of Ginowan to the more northerly and remote Camp Schwab in Nago by building a heliport with a shorter runway, partly on Camp Schwab land and partly running into the sea.^[16] The move is partly an attempt to relieve tensions between the people of Okinawa and the Marine Corps.

Okinawa prefecture constitutes 0.6% of Japan’s land surface,^[16] yet as of 2006, 75% of all USFJ bases were located on Okinawa, and U.S. military bases occupied 18% of the main island.^[37]

2007–present[edit]

According to a 2007 Okinawa Times poll, 85% of Okinawans opposed the presence of the U.S. military,^[38] because of noise pollution from military drills, the risk of aircraft accidents,^{[note 5]} environmental degradation,^[39] and crowding from the number of personnel there,^[40] although 73% percent of Japanese citizens appreciated the mutual security treaty with the U.S. and the presence of the USFJ.^[41] In another poll conducted by The Asahi Shimbun in May 2010, 43% of the Okinawan population wanted the complete closure of the U.S. bases, 42% wanted reduction, and 11% wanted to maintain status quo.^[42] Okinawan feelings about the U.S. military are complex, and some of the resentment towards the U.S. bases is directed towards the government in Tokyo, perceived as being insensitive to Okinawan needs and using Okinawa to house bases not desired elsewhere in Japan.

In early 2008, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice apologized after a series of crimes involving American troops in Japan, including the rape of a young girl of 14 by a Marine on Okinawa. The U.S. military imposed a temporary 24-hour curfew on military personnel and their families to ease the anger of local residents.^[43] Some cited statistics that the crime rate of military personnel is consistently less than that of the general Okinawan population.^[44] However, some criticized the statistics as unreliable, since violence against women is under-reported.^[45] Between 1972 and 2009, U.S. servicemen committed 5,634 criminal offenses, including 25 murders, 385 burglaries, 25 arsons, 127 rapes, 306 assaults and 2,827 thefts.^[46] Yet, per Marine Corps Installations Pacific data, U.S. service members are convicted of far fewer crimes than local Okinawans.^[47]

In 2009, a new Japanese government came to power and froze the U.S. forces relocation plan but in April 2010 indicated their interest in resolving the issue by proposing a modified plan.^[48] A study done in 2010 found that the prolonged exposure to aircraft noise around the Kadena Air Base and other military bases cause health issues such as a disrupted sleep pattern, high blood pressure, weakening of the immune system in children, and a loss of hearing.^[49]

In 2011, it was reported that the U.S. military—contrary to repeated denials by The Pentagon—had kept tens of thousands of barrels of Agent Orange on the island. The Japanese and American governments have angered some U.S. veterans, who believe they were poisoned by Agent Orange while serving on the island, by characterizing their statements regarding Agent Orange as «dubious», and ignoring their requests for compensation. Reports that more than a third of the barrels developed leaks have led Okinawans to ask for environmental investigations, but as of 2012 both Tokyo and Washington refused such action.^[50] Jon Mitchell has reported concern that the U.S. used American Marines as chemical-agent guinea pigs.^[51]

On September 30, 2018, Denny Tamaki was elected as the next governor of Okinawa prefecture, after a campaign focused on sharply reducing the U.S. military presence on the island.^[52]

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma relocation[edit]

In 2006, some 8,000 U.S. Marines were removed from the island and relocated to Guam.^[53] The move to Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz is expected to be completed in 2023. Japan paid for a majority of the cost to construct the new base.^[54][55] The U.S. still maintains Air Force, Marine, Navy, and Army military installations on the islands. These bases include Kadena Air Base, Camp Foster, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Camp Hansen, Camp Schwab, Torii Station, Camp Kinser, and Camp Gonsalves. The area of 14 U.S. bases are 233 square kilometres (90 sq mi), occupying 18% of the main island. Okinawa hosts about two-thirds of the 50,000 American forces in Japan although the islands account for less than one percent of total lands in Japan.^[37]

Suburbs have grown towards and now surround two historic major bases, Futenma and Kadena. A sizeable portion of the land used by the U.S. military is Camp Gonsalves in the north of the island.^[56] On December 21, 2016, 10,000 acres of Camp Gonslaves were returned to Japan.^[57] On June 25, 2018, Okinawa residents held a protest demonstration at sea against scheduled land reclamation work for the relocation of a U.S. military base within Japan’s southernmost island prefecture. A protest gathered hundreds of people.^[58]

Since the early 2000s, Okinawans have opposed the presence of American troops helipads in the Takae zone of the Yanbaru forest near Higashi and Kunigami.^[59] This opposition grew in July 2016 after the construction of six new helipads.^[60][61]

Geography[edit]

Major islands[edit]

The islands comprising the prefecture are the southern two thirds of the archipelago of the Ryūkyū Islands (琉球諸島, Ryūkyū-shotō). Okinawa’s inhabited islands are typically divided into three geographical archipelagos. From northeast to southwest:

• Okinawa Islands (沖縄, ʔucinā)
  • Iejima (ʔiijima)
  • Kume-jima (kumijima)
  • Okinawa Island (ʔuhuji)
  • Kerama Islands (kirama)
• Miyako Islands (myāku)
  • Miyako-jima
• Yaeyama Islands (’ēma)
  • Iriomote Island (ʔiriʔumuti)
  • Ishigaki Island (ʔishigaci)
  • Yonaguni (’yunaguni)
• Senkaku Islands (ʔiyukubajima)
• Daitō Islands (ʔuhuʔagarijima)
  • Minamidaitōjima (fēʔuhuʔagarijima)
  • Kitadaitōjima (nishiʔuhuʔagarijima)
  • Okidaitōjima (ʔuciʔuhuʔagarijima)

Natural parks[edit]

Approximately 36% percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks, namely the Iriomote-Ishigaki, Kerama Shotō, and Yambaru National Parks; Okinawa Kaigan and Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Parks; and Irabu, Kumejima, Tarama, and Tonaki Prefectural Natural Parks.^[62]

Ecology[edit]

The dugong is an endangered marine mammal related to the manatee.^[63] Iriomote is home to one of the world’s rarest and most endangered cat species, the Iriomote cat. The region is also home to at least one endemic pit viper, Trimeresurus elegans. The islands of Okinawa are surrounded by some of the most abundant coral reefs found in the world.^[64][65] The world’s largest colony of rare blue coral is found off of Ishigaki Island.^[66] The sea turtles return yearly to the southern islands of Okinawa to lay their eggs. The summer months carry warnings to swimmers regarding venomous jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures.

Okinawa is a major producer of sugar cane, pineapple, papaya, and other tropical fruit, and the Southeast Botanical Gardens represent tropical plant species.

Geology[edit]

The island is largely composed of coral, and rainwater filtering through that coral has given the island many caves, which played an important role in the Battle of Okinawa. Gyokusendo^[67] is an extensive limestone cave in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island.

Climate[edit]

The island experiences temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F) for most of the year. The climate of the islands ranges from humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) in the north, such as Okinawa Island, to tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af) in the south such as Iriomote Island. Snowfall is unheard of at sea level. However, on January 24, 2016, sleet was reported in Nago for the first time on record.^[68]

Municipalities[edit]

Cities[edit]

Eleven cities are located within the Okinawa Prefecture:

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Okinawan[69]	other languages [script] (name in brackets)
Kana	Rōmaji
Ginowan	宜野湾市	じのーん	Jinōn		19.51	94,405
Ishigaki	石垣市	いしがち	ʔIshigaci	Isïgaksï, Ishanagzï (Yaeyama)	229	47,562
Itoman	糸満市	いちゅまん	ʔIcuman		46.63	59,605
Miyakojima	宮古島市	なーく、みゃーく	Nāku, Myāku	Myaaku (Miyakoan)	204.54	54,908
Nago	名護市	なぐ	Nagu	Naguu [ナグー] (Kunigami)	210.37	61,659
Naha (capital)	那覇市	な	Nafa		39.98	317,405
Nanjō	南城市	ーぐく	Fēgusiku		49.69	41,305
Okinawa	沖縄市	うちなー	ʔUcinā		49	138,431
Tomigusuku	豊見城市	みぐく	Timigusiku		19.6	61,613
Urasoe	浦添市	うらー	ʔUrasī		19.09	113,992
Uruma	うるま市	うるま	ʔUruma		86	118,330

Towns and villages[edit]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name	Area (km2)	Population	District	Type	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Okinawan[69]	other languages [script] (name in brackets)
Kana	Rōmaji
Aguni	粟国村	あぐに	ʔAguni		7.63	772	Shimajiri District	Village
Chatan	北谷町	ちゃたん	Catan		13.62	28,578	Nakagami District	Town
Ginoza	宜野座村	じぬざ	Jinuza		31.28	5,544	Kunigami District	Village
Haebaru	南風原町	ーばる	Fēbaru		10.72	37,874	Shimajiri District	Town
Higashi	東村	がし	Figashi	Agaarijimaa [アガーリジマー] (Kunigami)	81.79	1,683	Kunigami District	Village
Ie	伊江村	いい	ʔIi	Ii [イー] (Kunigami)	22.75	4,192	Kunigami District	Village
Iheya	伊平屋村	いひゃ、後地	ʔIhya, Kushijī		21.72	1,214	Shimajiri District	Village
Izena	伊是名村	いじな、前地	ʔIjina, Mējī		15.42	1,518	Shimajiri District	Village
Kadena	嘉手納町	かなー	Kadinā		15.04	13,671	Nakagami District	Town
Kin	金武町	ちん	Cin	Chin [チン] (Kunigami)	37.57	11,259	Kunigami District	Town
Kitadaitō	北大東村	うふあがりじま	ʔUhuʔagarijima		13.1	615	Shimajiri District	Village
Kitanakagusuku	北中城村	にしなかーぐく	Nishinakāgusiku		11.53	16,040	Nakagami District	Village
Kumejima	久米島町	くみじま	Kumijima		63.5	7,647	Shimajiri District	Town
Kunigami	国頭村	くんじゃん	Kunjan	Kunzan (Kunigami)	194.8	4,908	Kunigami District	Village
Minamidaitō	南大東村	ーうふあがりじま	Hwēʔuhuʔagarijima		30.57	1,418	Shimajiri District	Village
Motobu	本部町	むぶ	Mutubu	Mutubu (Kunigami)	54.3	13,441	Kunigami District	Town
Nakagusuku	中城村	なかーぐく	Nakāgusiku		15.46	20,030	Nakagami District	Village
Nakijin	今帰仁村	なちじん	Nacijin	Nachizin (Kunigami)	39.87	9,529	Kunigami District	Village
Nishihara	西原町	にしばる	Nishibaru		15.84	34,463	Nakagami District	Town
Ōgimi	大宜味村	じみ	’Ujimi	Uujimii (Kunigami)	63.12	3,024	Kunigami District	Village
Onna	恩納村	うんな	ʔUnna	Unna (Kunigami)	50.77	10,443	Kunigami District	Village
Tarama	多良間村	たらま	Tarama	Tarama (Miyakoan)	21.91	1,194	Miyako District	Village
Taketomi	竹富町	だきん	Dakidun	Teedun (Yaeyama)	334.02	4,050	Yaeyama District	Town
Tokashiki	渡嘉敷村	かしち	Tukashici		19.18	697	Shimajiri District	Village
Tonaki	渡名喜村	なち	Tunaci		3.74	406	Shimajiri District	Village
Yaese	八重瀬町	え゙ー	’Ēsi		26.9	29,488	Shimajiri District	Town
Yomitan	読谷村	んたん	’Yuntan		35.17	40,517	Nakagami District	Village
Yonabaru	与那原町	なばる	’Yunabaru		5.18	18,410	Shimajiri District	Town
Yonaguni	与那国町	なぐに	’Yunaguni	Dunan, Juni (Yonaguni) Yunoon (Yaeyama)	28.95	2,048	Yaeyama District	Town
Zamami	座間味村	ざまみ	Zamami		16.74	924	Shimajiri District	Village

Town mergers[edit]

Demography[edit]

Ethnic groups[edit]

The indigenous Ryukyuan people make up the majority of Okinawa Prefecture’s population and are also the main ethnic group of the Amami Islands to the north. Large Okinawan diaspora communities persist in places such as South America^[70] and Hawaii.^[71] With the introduction of American military bases, there are an increasing number of half-American children in Okinawa, including prefecture governor Denny Tamaki.^[72] The prefecture also has a sizable minority of Yamato people from mainland Japan; exact population numbers are difficult to establish, as the Japanese government does not officially recognise Ryukyuans as a distinct ethnic group from Yamatos.

The overall ethnic identity of Okinawa residents is rather split. According to a telephone poll conducted by Lim John Chuan-tiong, an associate professor with the University of the Ryukyus, 40.6% of respondents identified as “沖縄人 (Okinawan)”, 21.3% identified as “日本人 (Japanese)” and 36.5% identified as both.

Population[edit]

Per Japanese census data,^[74][75] Okinawa prefecture has had continuous positive population growth since 1960.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1873	166,789	—
1920	572,000	+242.9%
1930	578,000	+1.0%
1940	575,000	−0.5%
1950	915,000	+59.1%
1960	883,000	−3.5%
1970	945,000	+7.0%
1980	1,107,000	+17.1%
1990	1,222,000	+10.4%
2000	1,318,220	+7.9%
2010	1,392,818	+5.7%
2020	1,457,162	+4.6%

Language and culture[edit]

Having been a separate nation until 1879, Okinawan language and culture differ in many ways from those of mainland Japan.

Language[edit]

There remain six Ryukyuan languages which, although related, are incomprehensible to speakers of Japanese. One of the Ryukyuan languages is spoken in Kagoshima Prefecture, rather than in Okinawa Prefecture. These languages are in decline as the younger generation of Okinawans uses Standard Japanese. Mainland Japanese and some Okinawans generally perceive the Ryukyuan languages as «dialects». 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 («Okinawan Japanese»), which is often mistaken by non-Okinawans as the Okinawan language proper. The actual traditional Okinawan language is still used in traditional cultural activities, such as folk music and folk dance. There is a radio-news program in the language as well.^[76]

Religion[edit]

Okinawans have traditionally followed Ryukyuan 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.^[77]

Culture[edit]

Okinawan culture bears traces of its various trading partners. One can find Chinese, Thai and Austronesian influences in the island’s customs. 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 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.

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 venomous Trimeresurus flavoviridis, 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.^[78]

The Okinawan diet consists of low-fat, low-salt foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, legumes, tofu, and seaweed. Okinawans are particularly well known for consuming purple potatoes, also known as Okinawan sweet potatoes.^[79] Okinawans are known for their longevity. This particular island is a so-called Blue Zone, an area where the people live longer than most others elsewhere in the world. Five times as many Okinawans live to be 100 as in the rest of Japan, and Japanese are already the longest-lived ethnic group globally.^[80] As of 2002 there were 34.7 centenarians for every 100,000 inhabitants, which is the highest ratio worldwide.^{[81]: 131–132} Possible explanations are diet, low-stress lifestyle, caring community, activity, and spirituality of the inhabitants of the island.^{[81][page needed]}

A cultural feature of the Okinawans is the forming of moais. A moai is a community social gathering and groups that come together to provide financial and emotional support through emotional bonding, advice giving, and social funding. This provides a sense of security for the community members and as mentioned in the Blue Zone studies, may be a contributing factor to the longevity of its people.^[82]

Two Okinawan writers have received the Akutagawa Prize: Eiki Matayoshi in 1995 for The Pig’s Retribution (豚の報い, Buta no mukui) and Shun Medoruma in 1997 for A Drop of Water (Suiteki). The prize was also won by Okinawans in 1967 by Tatsuhiro Oshiro for Cocktail Party (Kakuteru Pāti) and in 1971 by Mineo Higashi for Okinawan Boy (Okinawa no Shōnen).^[83][84]

Karate[edit]

Karate originated in Okinawa. Over time, it developed into several styles and sub-styles. On Okinawa, the three main styles are considered to be Shōrin-ryū, Gōjū-ryū and Uechi-ryū. Internationally, the various styles and sub-styles include Matsubayashi-ryū, Wadō-ryū, Isshin-ryū, Shōrinkan, Shotokan, Shitō-ryū, Shōrinjiryū Kenkōkan, Shorinjiryu Koshinkai, and Shōrinji-ryū.

Architecture[edit]

Despite widespread destruction during World War II, there are many remains of a unique type of castle or fortress known as gusuku; the most significant are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu).^[85] In addition, twenty-three Ryukyuan architectural complexes and forty historic sites have been designated for protection by the national government.^[86] Shuri Castle in Naha is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Whereas most homes in Japan are made from wood and allow free-flow of air to combat humidity, typical modern homes in Okinawa are made from concrete with barred windows to protect from flying plant debris and to withstand regular typhoons. Roofs are designed with strong winds in mind, in which each tile is cemented on and not merely layered as seen with many homes in Japan.^{[citation needed]} The Nakamura House (ja:中村家住宅 (沖縄県)) is an original 18th century farmhouse in Kitanakagusuki. Many roofs also display a lion-dog statue, called a shisa, which is said to protect the home from danger. Roofs are typically red in color and are inspired by Chinese design.^[87]

Education[edit]

The public schools in Okinawa are overseen by the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education. The agency directly operates several public high schools^[88] including Okinawa Shogaku High School. The U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools operates 13 schools total in Okinawa. Seven of these schools are located on Kadena Air Base.

Okinawa has many types of private schools. Some of them are cram schools, also known as juku. Others, such as Nova, solely teach language. There are 10 colleges/universities in Okinawa, including the University of the Ryukyus, the only national university in the prefecture, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, a new international research institute. Okinawa’s American military bases also host the Asian Division of the University of Maryland University College.

Sports[edit]

Association football

• FC Ryukyu (Naha)

Basketball

• Ryukyu Golden Kings (Naha)

Handball

• Ryukyu Corazon^[89] (Naha)

Baseball

Announced on July 18, 2019, BASE Okinawa Baseball Club will be forming the first-ever professional baseball team on Okinawa, the Ryukyu Blue Oceans. The team is expected to be fully organized by January 2020 and intends on joining the Nippon Professional Baseball league.^[90]

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

• SoftBank Hawks
• Yokohama BayStars
• Chunichi Dragons
• Yakult Swallows

Golf

There are numerous golf courses in the prefecture, and there was formerly a professional tournament called the Okinawa Open.

Transportation[edit]

Air transportation[edit]

• Aguni Airport
• Hateruma Airport
• Iejima Airport
• New Ishigaki Airport
• Kerama Airport
• Kitadaito Airport
• Kumejima Airport
• Minami-Daito Airport
• Miyako Airport
• Naha Airport
• Shimojishima Airport
• Tarama Airport
• Yonaguni Airport

Highways[edit]

Rail[edit]

• Okinawa Urban Monorail

Ports[edit]

The major ports of Okinawa include:

• Naha Port^[91]
• Port of Unten^[92]
• Port of Kinwan^[93]
• Nakagusukuwan Port^[94]
• Hirara Port^[95]
• Port of Ishigaki^[96]

Economy[edit]

The 34 U.S. military installations on Okinawa are financially supported by the U.S. and Japan.^[97] The bases provide jobs for Okinawans, both directly and indirectly; In 2011, the U.S. military employed over 9,800 Japanese workers in Okinawa.^[97] As of 2012 the bases accounted for up to 5% of the economy.^[98] However, Koji Taira argued in 1997 that because the U.S. bases occupy around 20% of Okinawa’s land, they impose a deadweight loss of 15% on the Okinawan economy.^[99] The Tokyo government also pays the prefectural government around ¥10 billion per year^[97] in compensation for the American presence, including, for instance, rent paid by the Japanese government to the Okinawans on whose land American bases are situated.^[100] A 2005 report by the U.S. Forces Japan Okinawa Area Field Office estimated that in 2003 the combined U.S. and Japanese base-related spending contributed $1.9 billion to the local economy.^[101] On January 13, 2015, In response to the citizens electing governor Takeshi Onaga, the national government announced that Okinawa’s funding will be cut, due to the governor’s stance on removing the US military bases from Okinawa, which the national government does not want happening.^[102][103]

The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau is exploring the possibility of using facilities on the military bases for large-scale meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions events.^[104]

United States military installations[edit]

• United States Marine Corps
  • Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler
    • Camp Foster
    • Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
    • Camp Kinser
    • Camp Courtney
    • Camp McTureous
    • Camp Hansen
    • Camp Schwab
    • Camp Gonsalves (Jungle Warfare Training Center)
• United States Air Force
  • Kadena Air Base
  • Okuma Beach Resort
• United States Navy
  • Camp Lester (Camp Kuwae)^{[citation needed]}
  • Camp Shields
  • Naval Facility White Beach
• United States Army
  • Torii Station
  • Fort Buckner
  • Naha Military Port

Notable people[edit]

• Aisa Senda, singer, actress and TV presenter in Taiwan
• Awich, rapper, singer and songwriter
• Beni Japanese pop and R&B singer
• Byron Fija Okinawan language practitioner and activist
• Chikako Yamashiro filmmaker and video artist
• Chōjun Miyagi founder of Gōjū-ryū, «hard/soft» style of Okinawan Karate.
• Daichi Miura Japanese pop singer, dancer and choreographer.
• Merle Dandridge Japanese American actress and singer
• Eisaku Satō Japanese politician and the 61st, 62nd and 63rd Prime Minister of Japan.
• Gackt Japanese pop rock singer-songwriter, actor, author
• Gichin Funakoshi led the efforts to propagate Okinawa karate to the Japanese mainland and beyond to the World.
• Robert Griffin III, American football quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner
• Hearts Grow Japanese band
• Isamu Chō officer in the Imperial Japanese Army known for his support of ultranationalist politics and involvement in a number of attempted military and right-wing coup d’états in pre-World War II Japan.
• Jin Matsuda, singer, member of INI (Japanese boy group), a former contestant on Produce 101 Japan (season 2)
• Matayoshi Eiki Okinawan novel writer, winner of Akutagawa prize
• Mitsuru Ushijima general at the Battle of Okinawa
• Namie Amuro Japanese R&B, hip hop and pop singer
• Noriyuki Sugasawa basketball player
• Orange Range Japanese rock band
• Ōta Minoru admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II
• Rimi Natsukawa (夏川 りみ Natsukawa Rimi), Japanese women pop singers
• Rino Nakasone Razalan professional dancer and choreographer.
• Dave Roberts, Major League Baseball player and manager
• Saori Minami Japanese kayōkyoku pop singer
• Ben Shepherd Bassist of the band Soundgarden
• Sho Yonashiro, singer, member of JO1, a former contestant on Produce 101 Japan
• Stereopony Japanese all-female pop rock band
• Takuji Iwasaki meteorologist, biologist, ethnologist historian.
• Tamlyn Tomita actress and singer
• Tina Tamashiro, Fashion Model and Actress
• Uechi Kanbun founder of Uechi-ryū, one of the primary karate styles of Okinawa.
• Yabu Kentsū prominent teacher of Shōrin-ryū karate in Okinawa from the 1910s until the 1930s, and was among the first people to demonstrate karate in Hawaii.
• Yoshitaka Funakoshi made significant and innovative contributions to Okinawan karate leading to the style known as Shotokan.
• Yui Aragaki actress, singer, and model
• Yuken Teruya interdisciplinary artist
• Yukie Nakama singer, musician and actress

See also[edit]

• Okinawa Prefectural Assembly
• Names of Okinawa

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Okinawa Prefectural Government Washington DC Office
• Official Okinawa Prefecture website (in Japanese)
• Official Okinawa Prefecture website
• Ryukyu Cultural Archives
• Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum
• Geographic data related to Okinawa Prefecture at OpenStreetMap

Окинава (яп. 沖縄市 Окинава-си^?) — город в Японии, находящийся в префектуре Окинава. Площадь города составляет 49,00 км²^[1], население — 131 646 человек (1 марта 2012)^[2], плотность населения — 2686,65 чел./км².

Географическое положение

Город расположен на острове Окинава в префектуре Окинава региона Кюсю. С ним граничат город Урума, посёлки Кадена, Тятан и сёла Онна, Китанакагусуку^[3].

Население

Население города составляет 131 646 человек (1 марта 2012), а плотность — 2686,65 чел./км². Изменение численности населения с 1980 по 2005 годы^[4]:

Гистограммы распределения населения на 2005 год[5]
Распределение по возрасту	Распределение по возрасту и полу
■ Окинава ■ В среднем по Японии	■ Мужчины ■ Женщины

Символика

Цветком города считается гибискус^[6].

Примечания

Ссылки

• На Викискладе есть медиафайлы по теме Окинава
• Официальный сайт (яп.)

• 沖縄県  (яп.). Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. — Географические координаты населённых пунктов префектуры Миядзаки. Проверено 23 июля 2010.
• 沖縄県内市町村  (яп.). Local Authorities Systems Development Center. — Идентификационные коды, названия, почтовые адреса и телефоны администраций населённых пунктов префектуры Миядзаки. Проверено 23 июля 2010.

Префектура Окинава
Города	Гинован • Исигаки • Итоман • Миякодзима • Наго • Нандзё • Наха • Окинава • Томигусуку • Урасоэ • Урума
Уезды	Кунигами • Мияко • Накагами • Симадзири • Яэяма
Посёлки	Йонабару • Йонагуни • Кадена • Кин • Кумедзима • Мотобу • Нисихара • Такетоми • Тятан • Хаэбару • Яэсе
Сёла	Агуни • Гинодза • Дзамами • Идзена • Йомитан • Ихея • Иэ • Китадайто • Китанакагусуку • Кунигами • Минамидайто • Накагусуку • Накидзин • Огими • Онна • Тарама • Токасики • Тонаки • Хигаси

Видео: Остров Окинава

Основные моменты

На компактном острове Окинава проложены отличные дороги, так что поездка к любой достопримечательности займет максимум полдня. В основном, туристы останавливаются в городе Наха, административном центре острова. Там располагается международный аэропорт. В морском порту пассажиров ожидают прогулочные катера. Из Нахи начинаются основные экскурсионные маршруты.

На Окинаве и ближайших островах есть несколько объектов Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО. К этим достопримечательностям относятся замок Сюри и парк Шикинаэн в городе Наха, мавзолей Тамадун, роща Сонохян-утаки.

Остров Окинава

На Окинаве различия между городами и небольшими деревнями стерты. Повсюду встречаются современные отели, торговые комплексы, центры развлечений.

Международное обозначение японской йены – ¥, но на витринах местных магазинов и рынков ценники на товары сопровождаются иероглифом 円.

Город Наха

История острова Окинава

В XIV-XIX вв. на острове Окинава существовало королевство Рюкю, поддерживавшее тесные связи с Китайской империей. Столица островной страны располагалась у стен замка Сюри, резиденции верховного правителя, принявшего титул «ван». На острове существовали и другие замки феодалов рангом пониже.

Королевство было поглощено Японской империей в 1879 году. С той поры остров стал центром префектуры Окинава. Последний король Сё Тай был свергнут и отослан к императорскому двору, его потомки и сегодня живут в Токио. Самобытный рюкюанский (окинавский) язык с течением лет был почти забыт. Сегодня этим диалектом владеют лишь немногие островитяне старшего поколения и ученые, изучающие древние свитки.

Весной 1945 года военно-морской флот США и американская авиация начали одно из крупнейших сражений Второй мировой войны в Тихом океане – битву за Окинаву. Здесь располагалась сильная группировка японских войск. В ходе боев практически все старинные города Окинавы и островов архипелага обратились в руины, бомбежки уничтожили многие памятники архитектуры. Знаменитый средневековый замок Сюри, где размещался штаб японских сил, сгорел дотла.

Битва за Окинаву

После разгрома императорской армии союзниками в августе 1945 года, победители создали Военное правительство США на островах Рюкю с центром на Окинаве. Архипелаг был возвращен под управление правительства Японии в 1972 году, но военные базы США существуют здесь и в наши дни.

Через несколько лет после деоккупации на острове проходила Всемирная выставка Expo’75. На месте экспозиции был создан ландшафтный парк Экспо, выстроен океанариум Okinawa Ocean Expo Aquarium и другие туристические объекты. В 2002 году для океанариума возвели новое помещение.

Любопытно, что из префектуры Окинава происходят многие популярные звезды японских поп-групп, яркие солисты различных направлений рок-музыки и национальной эстрады. Вероятно, причиной тому служит большая, чем в консервативной Японии, интеграция в западную культурную среду.

С островом связаны и другие интересные факты, отличающие его от метрополии. К примеру, Япония традиционно считается страной долгожителей, но на острове Окинава людей, достигающих 100-летнего возраста, в пять раз больше, чем в других регионах страны. Исследователи объясняют этот феномен высоким качеством минерализованной питьевой воды и рационом питания островитян, активным образом жизни, доброжелательными социальными взаимоотношениями.

География

Остров Окинава со спутника

Остров Окинава – крупнейший в архипелаге Рюкю, расположенном в южной части Японии. С близлежащими островами Окинава соединяется дамбами и мостами.

С севера на юг гористый остров протянулся на 106 км, ширина суши составляет 11 км. Береговая линия изрезана бухтами, мысами. Население острова превышает 1,38 млн человек.

Остров условно разделяют на три региона – северный, центральный и южный. Город Наха, административный центр префектуры Окинава, расположен в юго-западной части острова, а всего в префектуре 11 городов. Северная часть Окинавы представляет собой обширную зеленую зону. В этом гористом регионе простираются массивы девственных тропических лесов, заселенных птицами и животными.

Над заливом Кабира поднимается самая высокая на Окинаве гора Омото (525,5 м). В курортном городе Наго, расположенном в этой части острова, есть несколько природных достопримечательностей, привлекающих путешественников. Среди них – огромный парк Okinawa Fruit Land, где растут тысячи тропических фруктовых деревьев, Ананасовый парк. В деревнях на берегах моря выстроены пляжные отели. В коралловых бухтах на восточном побережье, в районе Наго, обитает последняя в Японии популяция дюгоней.

Южная часть острова Окинава сложена из известняковых пород и коралловых отложений. Здесь много карстовых пещер, наиболее известна 5-километровая пещера Гёкусэндо близ города Нандзё.

Климат

Остров Окинава расположен в зоне влажного субтропического муссонного климата. Лето здесь жаркое и дождливое. На каждый квадратный метр острова ежегодно выпадает более 2000 мм осадков. В июне-августе температура воздуха колеблется в пределах +29…+31 °С, в январе-феврале столбики термометров фиксируют +14…+19 °С.

Теплые экваториальные течения хорошо прогревают воды у побережья острова, купаться здесь комфортно круглый год. Пляжи закрываются только в период муссонных тайфунов, когда море сильно штормит.

Скалы в МанзамоМыс БусенаРуины замка Накагусуку

Достопримечательности острова Окинава

Главная архитектурная достопримечательность Окинавы – древний замок Сюри, с XIV века служивший резиденцией монархам королевства Рюкю. В облике крепости заметно влияние китайского дворцового зодчества. На территории резиденции восстановлены правительственные здания и храмы, разбит прекрасный парк. Входной билет обойдется в 820 йен (5,89 $), детский – в 310 йен (2,22 $).

Путешественникам, приехавшим на Окинаву в октябре, посчастливится побывать на грандиозном фестивале замка Сюри. Кроме того, в ноябре здесь устраивается праздник королевской династии Рюкю Сюри, а в январе в замковом парке Сюридзё отмечают Новый год.

Замок Сюри

В окрестностях города Нандзё, что в южной части острова Окинава, разбросаны руины еще нескольких старинных замков (гусуку). Древнейшая постройка – крепость Тамагусуку. По преданию, твердыню возвела богиня Амамикью, одно из небесных существ пантеона королевства Рюкю. От укреплений сохранилась лишь увитая лианами каменная арка, возвышающаяся среди тропических деревьев. Это живописное место почитается как священная роща.

На юге архипелаг Окинава замыкает небольшой остров Йонагуни. В зимние месяцы у его берегов собираются стаи акул-молотов. Зрелище парящих в глубинах гигантов привлекает экстремалов-аквалангистов.

Замок ТамагусукуСкалы острова Йонагуни

Арка под водой

В 1986 году один из ныряльщиков, наблюдавший за акулами, увидел на дне заросшие водорослями каменные образования. Они напоминали руины рукотворных зданий и пирамид, вымощенные плитами улицы, а также обширное овальное пространство вроде стадиона.

Датировать находки было невозможно, пока в одной из соседних подводных пещер не нашли сталактиты. Эти известковые «сосульки» под водой образоваться никак не могут. Они и позволили ученым определить, что горный ландшафт был затоплен водами Тихого океана около 12 000 лет назад, когда растаяли ледники на полюсах планеты. Так стало известно время гибели таинственного доисторического города. Однако когда сооружения были возведены – все еще неизвестно.

Впрочем, многие солидные ученые считают монументы естественными тектоническими образованиями. Недавно их бескомпромиссный скептицизм пошатнулся: ныряльщики сфотографировали полустертый барельеф быка на каменном монолите. К тому же, сторонники рукотворной версии монументов приводят еще один весомый аргумент – нигде в окрестностях подобных геологических феноменов нет.

Тайны Йонагуни привлекают дайверов со всего света, и они совершают все новые открытия, хотя сильные течения затрудняют исследования. К юго-западу от Окинавы, у группы островов Керама, аквалангисты обнаружили подводные лабиринты геометрических форм, а у побережья возле деревни Агуни-сон, что на острове Агунидзима, были выявлены цилиндрические колодцы. Оттуда по направлению к Тайваню видны подобия широких дорог, уходящих в морскую бездну. Все эти чудеса доступны туристам, имеющим навыки подводных погружений.

Подводные сооружения около острова Йонагуни

Развлечения

В городе Мотобу, что в северной части острова Окинава, действует один из крупнейших в мире океанариумов – Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. В его 77 резервуарах живут сотни видов рыб и животных – обитателей тропических морей. Впечатляет главный бассейн с акриловой панелью размером 8,2 на 22,5 м. Здесь можно понаблюдать за китовыми акулами, гигантскими скатами. Под открытым небом построен резервуар Coral Sea емкостью 300 000 л морской воды, где демонстрируются живые рифы, населенные колониями из 80 видов многоцветных кораллов. Интересно увидеть лежбище грузных морских коров, живущих у побережья Мексики, поближе рассмотреть огромных морских черепах, доставленных из Индийского океана.

Доступ туристов к аквариумам Тюрауми открыт ежедневно с 09:30 до 18:30. Входной билет стоит 2180 йен, детский – 1440 йен. На первом этаже работает кафе, где подают легкие закуски и освежающие напитки, мороженое, десерты.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Возле океанариума располагаются тропический дендрарий, ботанический сад Оморо, театр Окичан и водный парк, где устраивается шоу дельфинов. Представления в искусственной лагуне демонстрируются зрителям бесплатно. Напротив театра находится сувенирный магазин Okichan. На морском берегу работает детский парк с аттракционами – Kids Adventure Land.

В Ботаническом саду воссоздана традиционная деревня коренных жителей Окинавы эпохи королевства Рюкю. Здесь проводятся этнографические танцевальные шоу, звучит старинная музыка.

В тропическом дендрарии радуют глаз японские сады с чайными домиками, рощи декоративных деревьев. На поляне оборудовано поле для мини-гольфа, под кронами есть детские площадки с игрушками. Приветливые девушки, одетые в традиционные кимоно, преподают желающим уроки создания оригами, бонсая, икебаны и других японских поделок.

Тропический дендрарий
Ботанический сад ОмороШоу дельфинов в театре Окичан

Ландшафтный парк Оморо располагается на обширной прибрежной территории, где по аллеям курсируют открытые микроавтобусы, останавливающиеся возле примечательных мест, пляжей, магазинов и кафе. Проезд стоит 300 йен. За 500 йен можно купить проездной на весь день.

Путешествуя по острову, туристы найдут несколько интересных музеев. Наиболее полное представление об искусстве, истории, культуре и научных достижениях региона можно получить в музейном комплексе префектуры Окинава в городе Наха. Разносторонние тематические коллекции собраны в специально построенном здании. Отдельные залы посвящены природе и животному миру на суше и в прибрежных водах субтропического архипелага. В Комнате ощущений и прикосновений экспонаты можно потрогать, поставить научные эксперименты, а в медиацентре любознательные посетители рассматривают на дисплеях ценные артефакты, оцифрованные древние свитки и рисунки.

Музей префектуры Окинава

Стоимость билета в музей Окинавы – 410 йен, в арт-музей – 310 йен. Экспозиции открыты ежедневно с 10:00 до 18:00, в субботу и воскресенье – до 20:00. В здании работает магазин, где предлагаются тематические игры, картины на шелковой ткани, сувениры.

В тропическом климате Окинавы культовые японские вишни зацветают в январе. В этот период на острове проводится красочный фестиваль цветения сакуры. По мере продвижения весеннего тепла фестивальная эстафета передается все дальше на север, на другие острова Японии.

Цветение сакуры в Окинаве

В августе многочисленные гости приезжают на Окинаву повеселиться на Orion Beerfest – хмельном фестивале местного пива «Орион». В эти дни улицы заполняют парады музыкантов и танцоров.

Пляжи Окинавы

На побережье острова Окинава устроено немало хорошо оборудованных общественных пляжей. В 5 минутах ходьбы от океанариума Тюрауми расположен обширный Изумрудный пляж. Берег и дно бухты усыпаны белым коралловым песком, вход в воду пологий. Здесь можно поплавать в маске среди коралловых рифов, понаблюдать за морскими черепахами. Когда самки выходят на берег, чтобы отложить в песок яйца, часть пляжа закрывают для посещений.

Хорошие пляжи Хякуна, Мибару и Азама-Сансан находятся на юге острова, в туристическом городе Нандзё. После купания можно прогуляться по тропическим джунглям, осмотреть руины древних крепостей.

Несколько пустынных пляжей располагается на соседних островах. Путешественники добираются туда на прогулочных катерах. Среди туристов популярны дайвинг- и снорклинг-туры на пляжи морского заповедника на островах Керама. Прогулка на катере продлится весь день. Стоимость тура – 63 $, включая легкий обед.

Пляжи Окинавы

Покупки

Рынки в городах и поселках острова Окинава манят разнообразием тропических фруктов – всевозможных цитрусов, сочных ананасов и папайи, ароматных манго и маракуйи, а также прочих плодов, выращенных местными фермерами. Для желающих продавцы тут же приготовят соки.

Масса магазинов известных брендов ожидает туристов на Кокусай-дори, главной торговой улице города Наха. В этом же районе располагаются рестораны, ночные клубы. Крупный молл вы найдете в американской деревне Михама на северном побережье, еще один центр шопинга Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom ожидает покупателей в городе Китанакагусуку. Торговые центры на острове работают с 10:00 до 22:00.

Торговая улица в НахеТорговый центр Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom

На Окинаве стоит поискать особенные сувениры, отражающие сложившуюся на острове самобытную культуру. Любопытно прогуляться по старинной улице Цубоя Ячимун в Нахе. Здесь воссоздана атмосфера XVI столетия. Мостовая вымощена булыжником, в симпатичных домах размещаются мастерские и магазины ремесленников-гончаров. Традиционная окинавская расписная керамика в своеобразной технике Цубоя-яки высоко ценится коллекционерами. Интересные художественные работы и оригинальную посуду производят местные стеклодувы. Любопытно, что этим ремеслом окинавские мастера овладели только в середине 50-х годов XX века, а изначальным сырьем для изящных изделий послужили пустые бутылки из-под кока-колы, выброшенные из столовых американских военных баз.

Улица Цубоя Ячимун

Из путешествия по Окинаве туристы непременно привозят бутылочки фирменной рисовой водки авамори, которую производят только окинавские винокурни. Ее рецепт восходит к эпохе королевства Рюкю.

Особый вид длинного риса для приготовления сусла амавори традиционно завозится из Таиланда. Содержание спирта в напитке – от 30 до 60 %. Некоторые сорта передают наиболее полное послевкусие в горячем виде, другие же лучше разбавлять водой комнатной температуры.

Около 200 сортов напитка предлагается в специализированных салонах Okinawaya Awamorizo. Выбор облегчают советы мейстера и дегустация микроскопических доз, дающих представление о вкусе и букете ароматов той или иной марки. Если пожелаете, вас проведут в особый зал, где хранятся редчайшие и наиболее дорогие бренды авамори.

Чтобы наслаждаться напитком в истинно окинавском стиле, стоит купить специальные керамические графинчики каракара, пиалы и стаканы из стекла рюкю, а также традиционные глиняные тарелки для сервировки стола.

Не менее популярен и другой алкогольный сувенир – бутылка экзотического ликера хабушу с заспиртованной желто-зеленой гадюкой внутри. Он известен и как Okinawan snake wine (окинавское змеиное вино). В старину хабушу считался зельем, повышающим мужскую потенцию. Янтарный напиток изготавливается на основе выдержанного авамори с добавлением меда, ароматических трав и черной дрожжевой плесени кодзи. Бутылка змеиного ликера стоит от 90 до 250 $. Цена хабушу многолетней выдержки достигает 1100 $.

Водка авамориЛикер хабушу со змеей

В поисках недорогих подарков для друзей и родственников, загляните в сетевые магазины Can Do, Daiso или Seria, где любой товар продается за 100 йен (0,71 $). Ассортимент широкий: от наборов фломастеров до косметики, посуды и оригинальных кухонных принадлежностей. К примеру, в этих магазинах можно купить красивый бамбуковый веер с рисунком, а в больших универмагах стоимость такого опахала достигает 1000 йен.

Хороший выбор сувениров предлагается на втором этаже терминала вылета в аэропорту Наха, откуда туристы обычно отправляются домой. Найдите там кондитерский магазин Aragaki Chinsuko, где продаются десятки видов выпеченного здесь же печенья тинсуко, его рецептура была изобретена более 500 лет назад. Палитра вкусов хрустящего деликатеса разнообразна: от шоколада и меда до имбиря и кунжутной соли.

Местная кухня

Кухня Окинавы, известная также как кухня королевства Рюкю или рюкюйская, заметно отличается от традиционной японской кулинарии. На предпочтениях островитян сказываются культурные различия, исторические контакты с соседними регионами Кореи, Таиланда и Китая, климатические особенности, местные овощи и другие ингредиенты блюд. Так, из стран Юго-Восточной Азии на остров попали клубни сладкого картофеля (батата), плоды тропической лианы гойя (горькой дыни). Из китайской провинции Фуцзянь пришла мода на блюда из тушеной свинины, ощущается влияние тайских кулинарных традиций.

Ресторан Naha’s Treehouse

В отличие от остальной Японии, на Окинаве рыба не является главным компонентом полноценного обеда. Здесь редко используются грибы, не получили широкого распространения и популярные в стране роллы и суши – вероятно, из-за жаркого климата, не способствующего сохранению свежих морепродуктов.

На окинавскую кулинарию сильно повлияло американское присутствие, длящееся с 1945 года. В частности, здесь появилось производство ранее не известного хлеба, консервированных и маринованных продуктов, увеличилось потребление молока, мяса, яиц, круп, фастфуда.

На острове Окинава открыты тысячи ресторанов и кафе. Только в городе Наха зарегистрировано около 2400 кулинарных заведений. В основном, повара обращаются к национальной кухне, но здесь легко найти также рестораны с американскими и мексиканскими блюдами, с европейским, индийским и азиатским меню.

При выборе ресторана стоит обратить внимание на такой маркер: если на вывеске заведения есть изображение повара с ножом в руке, это означает, что посетителей ожидает кулинарное шоу. Здесь кухня и обеденный зал совмещены. Гости рассаживаются за широкой стойкой, огибающей плиту, и наблюдают за приготовлением своих заказов. При этом повара, словно настоящие артисты, ловко жонглируют ножиками, лопатками, перечницами и прочими кухонными аксессуарами. Некоторые блюда они поливают рисовой водкой авамори и поджигают, тогда на несколько секунд вспыхивает эффектный клуб огня. Зрелище обходится недешево, средний чек за обед с алкоголем составит не менее 100 $ с персоны.

Кулинарное шоуЯпонский обед

В заведениях с традиционной окинавской кухней можно пообедать за 30-50 $. К ним относятся рестораны с красноречивым названием Taste of Okinawa («Вкус Окинавы»). Здесь подают рис тако с говяжьим фаршем, помидорами и тертым сыром, мясной рисовый суп джуши, свиную грудинку рафуте, тушенную в соевом соусе. Стоит продегустировать окинавскую собу – горячее блюдо из лапши со свиными ребрышками, приправленными бульоном из водорослей с тертым имбирем. Для пикантного привкуса в тарелку можно добавить несколько капель корегусу – острого сладковатого соуса на основе ликера хабушу с обжигающим экстрактом перца чили. В качестве гарнира попробуйте салат из экзотических водорослей каулерпа, известных как морской виноград. Это блюдо было заимствовано у филиппинцев. Длинные стебельки, богатые йодом, усеяны прозрачными зеленоватыми шариками со вкусом океанской воды.

Из недорогой уличной еды популярны испеченные шарики такояки с начинкой из осьминога (тако), хираяти – стопка тонких блинов, переложенных луком, овощами, рыбными или мясными начинками, корейские оладьи чон с разнообразным наполнением. Обычно такие закуски запивают пивом окинавских брендов Asahi и Orion.

Где остановиться

В городах и поселках Окинавы хорошо развита индустрия гостеприимства. Туристам предлагается широкий выбор жилья – от скромных комнат в гостевых домах до апартаментов в пятизвездочных отелях. Больше всего гостиниц – более 400 – сосредоточено в Нахе. В туристическом районе Кокусай-дори, что в центре города, располагается один из лучших сетевых отелей Окинавы – Hyatt Regency Naha Okinawa 4*. Рядом находится торговая улица Тайхей-дори. Диапазон цен на суточное проживание – 121-209 $.

Изюминка отеля Loisir Spa Tower Naha 5* – горячий минеральный источник, наполняющий бассейны. Гостиница располагает собственным пляжем, из окон номеров открывается прекрасная морская панорама. Стоимость номеров – от 118 $.

Hyatt Regency Naha OkinawaLoisir Spa Tower Naha

Среди отелей средней ценовой категории туристы выделяют JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Naha (от 76 $ в сутки), Loisir Hotel Naha (56-72 $), Hotel Aqua Citta Naha (42-86 $).

Ценители роскоши, путешествующие по северной части острова, останавливаются в курортном отеле Ritz-Carlton Okinawa 5*, выстроенном в черте города Наго. В двух шагах от гостиницы находится пляж, рядом находится поле для игры в гольф. Стоимость проживания составит 391-598 $.

В деревенских гостевых домах комнаты сдаются от 15 $ в сутки, в молодежных хостелах можно переночевать за 34-42 $.

Транспорт

Japan National Route 58

Главная транспортная артерия Окинавы – платное шоссе № 58, проложенное с севера на юг. За проезд по магистрали взимается 1020 йен (7,32 $). По острову курсируют рейсовые автобусы, центральный автовокзал находится на Кокусай-дори в Нахе. Транспорт ходит по расписанию, в выходные дни рейсы выполняются чаще, чем по будням.

На острове хорошо развита служба такси, повсеместно доступен прокат автомобилей, мопедов, велосипедов. С другими островными регионами страны Окинаву связывают внутренние авиарейсы и морские пассажирские паромы. Центральный терминал паромного сообщения расположен в порту Томари (Наха).

Как добраться

В 3 км к юго-западу от центра города Наха расположен международный аэропорт Naha International Airport. От терминала прибытия в столицу Окинавы проложена монорельсовая дорога, стоимость проезда, в зависимости от расстояния, составляет от 200 до 290 йен. Туристам приходится часто пользоваться популярным монорельсом, для экономии можно купить однодневный проездной электронный билет за 800 йен. Из аэропорта в город удобно добираться и на автобусах с надписью Okinawa Airport Shuttle. Круглосуточно доступны такси.

Календарь низких цен на авиабилеты

— префектура. Включает 120 островов (часть из них необитаема) разного размера и общей площадью в 2256 кв. км, протянувшихся от южной оконечности японского острова Кюсю до северной оконечности Тайваня. Южная часть этой островной дуги образует архипелаг Рюкю, а его центральным и наиболее значительным островом является Окинава. Население — 1283 тыс. человек. Окинавцы называют свою родину Утина, а себя — утинантю, в отличие от Ямато (остальная Япония) и яматонтю — жителей остальных 46 префектур страны. Такое подчеркнутое дистанцирование становится понятным, когда знакомишься с местной историей. Архипелаг Рюкю на протяжении многих столетий был объектом вражеских нашествий — то с юга, то с севера. В 1429 г. Сё Хаси объединил различные островные кланы в единое королевство Рюкю и стал его первым коронованным правителем. В те времена суть дипломатических и внешнеэкономических приоритетов сводилась к одному — как наладить дружественные отношения с могущественной империей Мин в Центральном Китае. Королю Сё Хаси пришлось признать ленную зависимость от Китая, хотя она во многом носила чисто формальный характер. Дань китайским сюзеренам была сравнительно невелика, но зато открывала доступ к огромному потребительскому рынку империи, обеспечивала постоянный приток товаров с континента, а следовательно, и экономическое процветание королевства Рюкю. Различные делегации время от времени направлялись и на север, в Японию, ссориться с которой у окинавцев желания не было. К концу XV — началу XVI в. королевство достигло пика своего развития, а затем начался постепенный закат его могущества. Во многом это было связано с аналогичными процессами, протекавшими в самой империи Мин. Этим воспользовался воинственный клан Сацума с юга Японии. Его войска под руководством Симадзу Иэхисы в 1609 г. захватили не сумевшее организовать вооруженного сопротивления королевство Рюкю. Однако японское вторжение поначалу не принесло в жизнь окинавцев принципиальных перемен. Местная монархия была сохранена. Короли Рюкю все так же посылали миссии в Китай с ежегодной данью, и это, как ни странно, вполне устраивало японцев.Этот парадокс разгадать несложно. Дело в том, что, убоявшись вредного зарубежного влияния, особенно проникновения в Японию новейшего по тем временам европейского огнестрельного оружия, которое могло попасть в руки противников правительства, сёгун Токугава «закрыл» страну, запретив своим подданным под страхом смерти любые контакты с иностранцами. В этих условиях связи окинавцев с Китаем давали возможность клану Сацума обходить строгие запреты и пользоваться благами международной торговли. Полусамостоятельное королевство Рюкю просуществовало вплоть до 1879 г., когда в результате Реставрации Мэйдзи произошла административно-территориальная реформа Японии. Королевская семья была изгнана из дворца на Окинаве, а аннексированное королевство вошло в состав Японии в виде рядовой префектуры. О событиях тех дней жителям Окинавы и ее гостям напоминает великолепный дворец Сюридзё, служивший долгое время резиденцией королей Рюкю. Время не пощадило ни дворца, ни прочих памятников истории и культуры древних времен. Тем более что японские власти не были в этом заинтересованы. Поэтому на Окинаве гораздо более зримы следы иного важного в ее истории периода, не столь давнего и длившегося не так долго — с 1945-го по 1972 г. Более 200 тысяч человек, каждый третий житель Окинавы, пали жертвами штурма, предпринятого американской армией в последние дни второй мировой войны. В местах былых боев поставлено немало памятников. Но забыть о днях вооруженного вторжения и оккупации местные жители и так не могут. Американское военное, политическое, экономическое, культурное присутствие сохраняется здесь и поныне. Японцы часто называют архипелаг Рюкю островами сокровищ. Причин тому немало. Утверждают, например, что необитаемые островки гряды, не столь уж удаленные от проторенных морских путей, за свою многовековую историю не раз становились пристанищем для пиратов различных национальностей, а соответственно, и местом укрытия награбленного, различных кладов. Однако благодатный климат и богатые рыбой и прочей морской живностью воды, кораллы всех расцветок и редчайшие черные жемчужины, добываемые только здесь, — вот, пожалуй, и все сокровища островитян. Здесь не найдено ни нефти, ни угля, ни месторождений редких металлов, обнаружение которых в считанные месяцы может перевернуть экономику островов. А может быть, это к счастью. Иначе хрупкая и во многом неповторимая природа райских уголков могла бы пасть жертвой человека, способного взрыхлить, перекопать все окинавские холмы, взорвать пещеры и гроты, уничтожить коралловые рифы, пустить под топор пальмы, отравить окружающие воды отходами. До второй мировой войны окинавцы в основном жили сельским хозяйством и рыболовством. До 70 процентов рабочей силы было занято в выращивании, заготовке и переработке сахарного тростника. Война, превратившая плодородные угодья в поля сражений, нанесла невосполнимый ущерб аграрному сектору, лишив многих окинавцев средств к существованию. Последовавшая за этим американская оккупация добила местных фермеров, утративших право распоряжаться своими земельными наделами, принудительно изъятыми под военные базы США. Значительная часть работоспособного населения переключилась на обслуживание американцев как на самих базах, так и в магазинах, ресторанах, барах, кабаре, прачечных, парикмахерских, облепивших военные базы. Это позволяло прокормиться местным жителям, но экономике острова практически ничего не давало. После возвращения Окинавы под японскую юрисдикцию в 1972 г. правительство Японии предприняло немало усилий, чтобы вытащить острова из экономической ямы. В префектуру хлынул поток ассигнований. Создавать собственную индустриальную базу на острове невыгодно. Против этого и отсутствие развитой инфраструктуры, и проблемы с транспортом (Окинава — единственная префектура без сети общественного транспорта), и дороговизна электроэнергии, и нехватка пресной воды, и ненадежность связи с другими регионами страны, и высокая экологическая уязвимость субтропических островов. Единственной базой, на которой можно строить экономику префектуры, остается туризм. И в этом островитяне довольно преуспели. За два последних десятилетия здесь выросли отели международного класса, пансионаты, санатории, рестораны, центры водного спорта, музеи, ботанические сады, аквариумы. Карнавалы и прочие массовые действа здесь длятся чуть ли не весь год без перерыва. Развиваются сувенирный промысел, торговля кораллами, жемчугом, лаковыми изделиями, местной керамикой и текстильными поделками. Процветает огромная сеть местных ресторанчиков, специализирующихся на пряной, совсем не японской по вкусу кухне.