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Okinawa Prefecture: Encyclopedia BETAFree Encyclopedia |
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Mergers*On April 1, 2002, the villages of Gushikawa and Nakazato from Shimajiri merged to form the new town of Kumejima.*On April 1, 2005, the cities of Gushikawa and Ishikawa and the towns of Katsuren and Yonashiro (both from Nakagami District) merged to form the new city of Uruma. Prior to the merger, both Gushikawa and Ishikawa were forced to merge into one city because both cities weren't making enough renevues for the prefecture *On October 1, 2005, the city of Hirara and the towns of Irabu, Gusukube, Shimoji and the village of Ueno (all from Miyako District) merged to form the new city of Miyakojima. *On January 1, 2006, the town of Kochinda and the village of Gushikami from Shimajiri District merged to form the new town of Yaese. (Merger Information Page) *On January 1, 2006, the town of Sashiki and the villages of Tamagusuku, Chinen and Ozato (all from Shimajiri District) merged to form the new city of Nanjo. (Merger Information Page) DemographyOkinawa prefecture age pyramid as of 1 October 2003 (per 1000's of people)
Okinawa Prefecture age pyramid, divided by sex, as of 1 October 2003 (per 1000's of people)
*Source: Japan Statistics Bureau (総務省 統計局) Climate and nature
Okinawa is said to have the most beautiful beaches in all of Japan and normally enjoys above 20 degree Celsius weather for most of the year. Many coral reefs are found in this region of Japan and wildlife is abundant. Sea turtles return yearly to the southern islands of Okinawa to lay their eggs. The summer months carry warnings to swimmers regarding poisonous jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures. Okinawa is a major producer of sugar cane, pineapples, papayas and other tropical fruits. Okinawa has a very large proportion of population living to one hundred years of age. It is attributed to their healthy diet rich in pork, sea vegetables, and fish. Okinawa also has the highest life expectancy rate in the world, with native men living on average to 90.1 years and native women living to an average of 93.2 years. Language and culture
Due to its location and history, Okinawa is also more ethnically diverse than other parts of Japan. Okinawans are a unique blend of Malay from Formosa and Philippines, Chinese from China, and Japanese (Yamato) from Japan. Perhaps Okinawa's most famous cultural export is karate, probably a product of the close ties with, and influence of China on Okinawan culture. Karate is thought to be a synthesis of Chinese kung fu with traditional Okinawan martial arts. A ban on weapons in Okinawa for two long periods after the invasion and fored annexation by Japan during the Meji Restoration period also very likely contributed to its development. Another traditional Okinawan product that owes its existence to Okinawa's trading history is awamori—an Okinawan distilled spirit made from indica rice imported from Thailand. The people of Okinawa maintain a strong tradition of [[pottery], textiles and glass making. Other prominent examples of Okinawan culture include the sanshin, a three-stringed Okinawan instrument, closely related to the Chinese sanxian, and ancestor of the Japanese shamisen, somewhat similar to a banjo. Its body is often bound with snakeskin (from pythons, imported from elsewhere in Asia, rather than from Okinawa's poisonous habu, which are too small for this purpose, but are sometimes used to make habu awamori). 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. KarateKarate originated on Okinawa. There are several styles, among them being Shotokan, Shorin-Ryu, Uechi Ryu, Goju Ryu, Isshin-Ryu and Shorinjiryu.In popular culture* Yukie Nakama, popular Japanese TV drama, movie actress and singer, is from Okinawa prefecture.* Gackt, popular rock/pop musician is from Okinawa prefecture. * Orange Range, a very successful and popular alternative rock group are from Okinawa. * Namie Amuro, popular Japanese singer, is from Okinawa Prefecture. * The Kitano Takeshi movie Sonatine is largely set on Okinawa. * The Karate Kid, Part II, starring Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio, is set in Okinawa, but was actually shot in Hawaii. * The Japanese televised drama series Ruri no Shima is largely set on a small island in Okinawa, with additional shooting done in Naha. * Hattori Hanzo, a fictional character from the Kill Bill series (named after the historical Hattori Hanzo) lives in Okinawa. * Shinichiro Watanabe's Samurai Champloo is in part based on Okinawa culture. Architecture
Many roofs also display a roundish statue of a lion or dragon, called a shisa, which is said to protect the home from danger. Roofs are typically red in color and are inspired by Chinese design. US Military ControversyWhile the US military presence provides employment for the residents of the communities near the bases, many Okinawans feel that their livelihood and human rights have been violated throughout the 50 years of the postwar era by high-level noise pollution from military drills, aircraft accidents, environmental destruction, and the many crimes committed by U.S. military personnel.Consequent problems of military crimes (including extraterritoriality), a base-dependent local economy, and other issues continue to arise in Okinawa, and have their roots arising from the early post-war period. On September 4, 1995, three U.S. servicemen raped a 12-year old girl, sparking off some of the largest anti-military protests in recent history.[1] In November of 1995, a group called "Okinawan Women Act Against Military Violence" was organized to raise awareness of the crimes committed by US military personnel on the island. TransportationAir transportation*Aguni Airport*Hateruma Airport *Ieshima Airport *Ishigaki Airport *Kerama Airport *Kita Daito Airport *Kumejima Airport *Minami Daito Airport *Miyako Airport *Naha Airport *Shimojijima Airport *Tarama Airport *Yonaguni Airport Highways*Okinawa Expressway*Naha Airport Expressway *Route 58 *Route 329 *Route 330 *Route 331 *Route 332 *Route 390 *Route 449 *Route 505 *Route 506 *Route 507 Rail*Okinawa Monorail*See also Rail transportation in Okinawa PortsThe major ports of Okinawa include*Naha Port [2] *Port of Unten [3] *Port of Kinwan [4] *Nakagusukuwan Port [5] *Hirara Port [6] *Port of Ishigaki [7] United States military installations* Kadena Air Base* Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler (link) ** Marine Corps Air Station Futenma ** Camp Courtney ** Camp Foster ** Camp Hansen ** Camp Kinser ** Camp Mctureous ** Camp Schwab ** Northern Training Area * Naha Military Port * Naval Facility White Beach * Naval Hospital, Okinawa * Torii Station * Camp Shields See also* Ryukyu Islands* Ryukyuan people * Okinawan Samurai * Ryukyuan history * Ryukyuan religion External links* mahae plus - Okinawa Travel Information *News ** Japan Update, news and information about Okinawa in English (updated every so often) ** Okinawa 1988-1991 Blog, reporting news about Okinawa. *Geography and maps ** Google Maps *Photographs ** Pictures of Okinawa ** Okinawa Photography ** Wonder Okinawa *Culture ** Ryukyu Cultural Archives ** Okinawa Prefecture Official Home-page ** The Okinawa Centenarian Study *History ** Kumejima Okinawa - MSN group site dedicated to the US battle for Okinawa in World War 2. *Misc **The Contemporary Okinawa Website - History, culture, news, book reviews, historical documents, links, opinions ** Okinawa Geocaching - site for geocaching (treasure hunt with GPS) in Okinawa. ** Okinawa Peace Network of Los Angeles - Useful information on the U.S. military base controversy.
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