Okinawan Songs, An Introduction

I collected some YouTube videos featuring Okinawan songs, hoping that people who have never been to Okinawa can hear some portion of this island's music. (Okinawa was an independent kingdom up until 1879 when the kingdom nation was annexed to Japan. Okinawa, a group of many islands, is  the southernmost prefecture of Japan.)

Singer: Suguru Ikeda

Song Title: Shimanoh Hotoyo (Oh, Island People)

His song is a message to islands' people who left their home islands for lucrative life in large cities. Come back to your native island once in a while and let's take part in village festivals we enjoyed so much when we were young. Don't forget our festival songs. Never forget your native island. Oh, island people...This simple but straight message/song moves my heart.

Singer: Misako Koja

Song Title: Warabigami (My Precious Baby, A Gift From Heaven)

Misako Koja used be the leader of a quartet called "Ne-Nez" (Sisters). The first generation Ne-Nez disbanded many years ago, and currently the second generation Ne-Nez are active. Misako Koja came up with this song when she was blessed with her first grandchild. A baby is a great blessing given to a mother by heaven, the lyric begins. Maternal instinct is beautifully expressed in such a simple language. The lyrics are well-translated into English and beautifully sung by Hayley Westenra  from New Zealand (Her YouTube clip posted below). I'm glad that she decided to sing this song so that we can share the music with English-speaking people.

Singer: Hayley Westenra

Singer: Rimi Natukawa

Song Title: Hana (Flower To Everyone's Heart)

Written by: Shoukichi Kina

This song was a big hit almost 20 years ago in Japan, so it could be categorized as a classic J-pop. Where does the body of water that I see in a river travel?  Where do all Let yourself cry, and let yourself laugh. Cry and laughter are all part of your life and all too natural for us as human being...so goes the lyric. This gentle overview of human life duplicates with an image of one of the most beautiful natural phenomena, flower, a universally shared positive image which is nicely put into the English language and successfully sung by Heylay.

Singer: Hayley Westenra

Singer: Rimi Natsukawa

Song Title: Nada Sou Sou

Lyrics by: Ryoko Moriyama

Music by: BEGIN

Ryuko Moriyama is a talented Japanese jazz singer who can write clear messages. Although she is from the mainland Japan, she learned some Okinawan words through her regular visits to this southern prefecture. As she made many musician friends in Okinawa, she asked a famous Okinawan band called BEGIN to set her lyrics to music. The singer Rimi Natsukawa made many travel to BEGIN's studio, pleading them to let her sing the beautiful song. Currently, this song is sung by singers in many countries in many languages, including Hayley in English (below).

Singer: Hayley Westenra

Song Title: Nada Sou Sou (Tears For You)

Helios Shuzo, A Distillery That Revolutionized Awamori Rice Wine Making

The number of rent-a-car companies has rapidly grown in Okinawa as more travelers are willing to freely move from place to place within the island on their own by car. Major attractions by far are Shuri-jo Castle Park and Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, both of which are nationally built and currently under the administration of  the same park management foundation. Arriving at Naha Airport, many tourists rent a car in Naha, and drive along the beautiful road of Rout 58 all the way to Motobu, where the worldly known aquarium is located.


Nago City is often seen as a place to stop on the way from Naha City to the town of Motobu to have a quick lunch at an Okinawan style soba noodle shop. 


However, for those who are interested in the tours of distilleries, you can visit three fascinating establishments close to one another. 


Tsukayama Shuzou (Tsukayama Distillery) is known to be one of the oldest Awamiri distilleries in Okinawa, and the premise has been designated as a tangible national cultural property by the Cultural Agency of Japan in 2006.


Another place that offers an interesting tour is Orion Beer Brewery, just five-minute drive from Tsukayama Distillery. 


Helios Distillery is yet another place visitors can enjoy the study tour of Awamori making. I'd like to share some of the details about the distillery because I visited the place just today.


Founded in 1961 by Tadashi Matsuda, the history of Helios Distillery started from rum making as the founder considered of creating alcoholic beverage that would not rely on imported rice, for there might be a day, according to the founder, when it become impossible to import grains from abroad. If such case really happens, it would still be possible for us to make alcoholic drink because, in Okinawa, we have an abundance of sugar cane. That was an revolutionary idea back then, as few people in those days know about rum.


In 1991, this distillery revolutionized Awamori making yet once again when they introduced "Kura" brand. According to the company's internet site, they drew on their previous experience of rum making and their know-how of aging Awamiro rice wine in barrels.


Tours are offered four times every day (except Dec. 30 -Jan. 3) at 10:30AM, 1:30PM, 3:00PM and 4:30PM.
**The distillery will be closed to visitors when there is a overall maintenance or for other reasons. Confirm whether the tour is conducted or not, prior to your visit.


After a tour is over, visitors are invited to the shop where they can compare different lines of their products. For those who are in charge of driving (designated drivers), herbal tea will be served.

Helios Shop Counter. Visitors are required here to fill in
a simple tour application form. In case of a group participant,
any one person representing the group fill in the form.
You can also apply for the tour on line.
(To go to the online application, click here. Japanese language.) 

This storage is not included in the tour course.

Another storage where around 2000 barrels

of Awamori rice wine are stored and aged.

This building is a part of the study tour course

where short video about Helios Distillery is 

shown to visitors. The aroma of the rice wine

and the distinct smell of black malt filled

the air inside. White oak trees are imported

all the way from the North America, particularly

from Canada. A on-going project to create Awamori

with an aging period of 100 years is also shown inside

the storage. They started the project just ten years ago,

so it is going to be done in 90 years from now.

Many lines of products are exhibited at the shop.

The bottles at the center are Awamori with aging period

of five years. 

At the end of a tour, some samples are offered to

visitors for tasting. Awamori aged in oak barrels tastes

different from Awamori aged in ceramic jars.

Click here to see the direction to Helios Distillery from Naha Airport.

Akemio Festa 2011, Traditional Performing Arts of Villages

Okinawa is know around the globe as a place where karate was born, but this southernmost prefecture of Japan is also said to be an island of performing art. Music, dance and theatrical performance have been passed down from generation to generation. Countless number of classical Okinawan music schools and dance studios can be found throughout the island. Old and young, men and women alike are involved in one way or another with traditional performing arts.


Many rural communities in Okinawa hold annual harvest festival at the sacred area of each village, and what amazes me is the fact that the dancers are not professionals but villagers themselves in most cases. Those festivals are, traditionally, far and foremost, dedicated for gods who bring many blessings on the farm lands, a tradition that resembles Thanks Giving Day in its basic form of appreciation for good harvest. Thus, the element of entertainment is secondary, although the religious aspects of the cultural practice have been receding at an increasing speed--an alarming speed to the eyes of many older generations--and looked at more and more as a form of entertainment. Yet, we don'e need to consider that emphasizing recreational aspects of traditional activities are ruinous to the island culture. I think you can grasp my idea if you take Christmas as an example.


"Akemio Festa 2011," for that matter, can be categorized as a form of entertainment. Meio University, a local college, has been considering revitalizing the city hand-in-hand with various local groups and businesses, including each village community of the city. A team of students (many of them are studying tourism at the university) have long thinking about revitalization of Nago City and tourism promotion through the locally practiced performing art. They did extensive research and field works, visiting each community leader and explaining the concept of their enterprise one by one, gradually developing the mutual understanding with many of the community leaders, musicians and dancers. Yet, creating enough budget was the last and largest obstacle for them to run the project.


For the meantime, Okinawa Prefecture was preparing to allocate some budget for projects that will promote Okinawa's tourism through cultural activities. A number of corporations sought competing bids and among the several corporations were the university team.


With the financial backup from the prefecture government, the university team was ready to finalize all the program details and their dream came true in the form of Akemio Festa.


Akemio is an Okinawan word that describes the moment in which a cove or a large body of water starts to gain radiance as the water awaits a break of the day. Nago City's traditional name is a city of Akemio, thus the festival was name as such.  


The first program was held last week. Here, I put up the list of remaining programs throughout this months. 


Click here to see the direction toNago City Public Market from Naha Airport shown on Google Map.


March 12th (Sat.) 5PM-7PM, performers from Awa Community.
March 19th (Sat.) 5PM-7PM, performers from Miyazato Community.
March 20th (Sun.) 5PM-7PM, performers from Yabu Community.
March 21st (Mon.) 5PM-7PM, performers from Agarie Community.
March 27th (Sun.) 5PM-7PM, performers from Gusuku Community.


Admission is free.
Free parking space is available at Nago Fishery Port.


To get to the public market building from the port, use a pedestrian overpass in front of the port gate to get across National Highway 58 (Route 58). Continue walking toward the downtown area (opposite direction from the port), pass a 5-story yellow building with a large green artificial lizard cringing on the wall facing the port, till you get to Nago Cross Section. (Be careful not to mistake it with Gusuku Cross Section.) At Nago Cross Section, you'll see two large yellow signs of karaoke place, one of which has a cartoon cat drawn on it. The market building is on the other side of the karaoke place. You may be hearing music coming from the market area. 


Click here to see the direction of Nago Fishery Port (Google Map)


Click here to see the direction from the port to the market building (Google Map)

The first day of Akemio Festa last week.

Members from a karate school in Umusa community

demonstrated some types of the martial art,

like this stick fighting. 

Remember "Yumangi Cafe," nestled in the forest of Nangusuku Hill, Nago City, Okinawa, Japan

View from the third floor of Nangusuku Hill observation deck.

(There are two decks on the hill, the north deck & south deck.)

This is filmed at the north deck on the 3rd floor.

I was in time for the closure of Yumangi Cafe, nestled in the beautiful forest of Nangusuku Hill. I wrote earlier in my blog that the hill is home to Hikanzakura type of cherry trees. Although the flower viewing has already been over, the hill can still offer an environment you can have a relaxing time.

I've been trying to introduce this wonderfully located cafe for the last two months. Unfortunately, today (March 6, 2011) was the last business day for the cafe. The entire hill is managed by the prefecture government, including the structure. A coffee shop manager has been renting the place.

As unfortunate as it sounds, we have two pieces of news which should please all of us. First of all, a cafe will reopen at the same place next month as another manager is going to rent this cozy space. (I'll let you know when I find out the details.)

Secondly, the manager has been preparing to open a cafe, this time in the township of Motobu, on a hill overlooking the East China Sea with a view of picturesque Ie Island in the distance. The place, she says, is close to Kajinho Cafe which is known among the locals and tourists from the mainland Japan to be one of the best cafes in Okinawa. She said she and her employees have spent the last ten years in order to establish the new cafe. What's more? They have already had three couples holding wedding ceremonies at their place.

So, I'm very much looking forward to going to those two cafes, one in Nangusuku Hill and the other in Motobu.

For the mean time, I posted some photos on my blog in appreciation for Yumangi cafe and for the staff of giving me a relaxing environment and the great coffee.

We will no longer see the sign.

It says "Scenic Cafe Yumangi" in Japanese.

 This well-kept flowerbed has offered

a warm welcome to customers.  

A view from the window.

I first thought the trees were blocking the view.

Soon found out that strong sun light is soften by the green

leaves, making book-reading, for example, gentler on my eyes.

Small bouquets in the mini tin buckets.  

Small plants and a water color painting

in a frame no larger than a coffee cup

casually sit on the sidelines, on the window frame

and the table.

You can drink coffee inside or on the upper levels,

as your fancy takes you. 

Click here for the location of the place indicated on Google Map.

Kishimoto Gift Shop, Closing-Out Sale, Nago City, Okinawa, Japan

Kishimoto Gift Shop on Nago Main Street is having a closeout sale throughout this month. After more than 43 years of business on this street, the owner decided to retire, and having no one to succeed her shop, she will close the place at the end of this month (March, 2011). The street 43 years ago was different in many ways from today. The street was the only shopping district in this city, where the shops and eateries on this street enjoyed locational advantage up until a wider national route was paved and larger shopping centers with large car pools were established at the outskirts of the city. This is yet another closure of a long established business on the main street. But, I'm not here for analyzing how much the business environment has changed. I'd like to simply pass this information on to those who are looking for Okinawan memorabilia.

This short video shows the location of the shop.

If you happen to live in Okinawa, try finding Hinpun Banyan

Tree on the main street. Kishimoto Gift Shop is just 

two-building away from the tree. Easy to find the large yellow

sign and the poster on the font window saying "SALE."

On this shelf, several Ryukyuan lacquer wares are displayed.

Okinawa used to be an independent kingdom where lacquer

wares were important trade items. Hot, humid climate here

provided an ideal environment for lacquer ware production.

If you would like to see more of the other items displayed inside the shop, please e-mail me at:  sr-uechi@auone.jp

I'll post more photos as soon as possible.

The shop is open from 10:00AM - 8:00PM every day until the closure on March 31st. 

A pay parking lot is nearby.

Click here to see the location of Kishimoto Gift Shop on Google Map (Route from Naha Air Port to the shop.)

SAKURA Wine, a beautiful cherry flower blossoming in a wine glass

Sakura Wine. As the name suggests (Sakura means cherry in Japanese), this wine solely designed and made to be consumed in the spring. If you are planning to visit any good place for cherry blossom viewing in Japan, this particular wine should become an ideal accompaniment for your social gathering under a spreading cherry tree in a full bloom.

My wife bought this particular wine product, which I had never seen in Okinawa. Checking the product label, I found out that L'ORIENT WINE, a winery in Koushu City, Yamanashi Pref. created this product. (URL of the winery, in Japanese & Korean: http://www.wine.or.jp/shirayuri/)

For those of you who rather prefer wine of full body, I should mention that this particular product is very light. Maybe too sweet for some. My wife prefer very light wine, so please consider this piece of information as a personal opinion. But, other than that, it can make a perfect aperitif if you invite guests for a picnic under a full-bloom cherry tree. Before you open the bottle, show it to your guests, particularly the actual light pink cherry flowers (two of them inside) that seem to be blossoming in the bottle.

A photo of the wine poured into a wine glass.

Look how beautifully the flower opens in the glass (the bottom).

The hibiscus design on my glass was etched by

a good friend of my wife and I, given to us a few years ago.

The glass with a flower inside.

A photo taken from above.

My wife bought this particular wine at "A Price," a whole sale store chain that operates a store in Nago City. You can purchase this product on line at http://www.wine.or.jp/shirayuri/cart/winelist.html

Cherry flower viewing season in Okinawa is over, but for those who live in or visiting other regions of Japan, best season is yet to come. Study cherry flower front line forecasts and research in your area a good place to have a picnic under fully blossomed cherry trees. Do this beforehand and carefully organize your picnic, and consider also about bringing delicious meal and some good tasting sake or wine that goes well with it. Have a quality time at least once a year with your family or good friends, and one of the good season to do this is during the flower viewing season. This is the way to blossom happiness in your heart, is it not?

Antique Shop on Nago Main Street, Okinawa, Japan

Whenever time permits, I walk through the back streets of Nago City in search for interesting places to visit. Even in this small island of Okinawa (about 1,500 kilometers away from Tokyo), the society has been totally motorized and the traffic information on road congestions given by the local radio stations is something drivers hear every day. There are many households that own two or more cars. The amount of time spent for walking dramatically declined and all we can see while driving are billboards and large signs of shops along highways. You never know how much you miss if you move around only by car.

Travelers love to take a walk on streets and discover things along the way. My wife and I walked streets of Shanghai last summer. We stopped wherever we found any interesting thing or shop, and enjoyed every bit of our discovery. So, it's natural to assume that tourists visiting Okinawa would like to walk through streets on the island. With this view in mind, I take time to walk, discovering things on my own, introducing myself to the owners of new shops or eateries, or hearing latest developments of long-established small business entities like Antique Nagahama near Nago Cross Section.

As far as I remember, the last time I went into the shop was fifteen years ago or more. But it is the first time that I meet Mr. Nagahama, the shop keeper. He was so kind to show me around the inside, which is filled with items he has collected for many decades from all over the world. 

We conversed for about an hour and half. He had so many stories to share with me. At one time, he went to Brazil to meet Okinawans who immigrated to the country on the other end of the globe. One of the item he wanted to collect was B-Yen, a currency issued by the U.S. military during the years of the military occupation of the island after WWII. (The reversion of Okinawa to Japan took place in 1972.) The shopkeeper knew that many of the Okinawan immigrants took B-Yen bills with them to Brazil. At a dinner table with Okinawans during his visit, he asked if they still kept B-Yen, and he was surprised to find out that the host made phone calls to other Okinawans nearby and asked them to bring the old currencies over if they had kept some. Soon, many Okinawans gathered at the host's house and brought him the bills they kept for so many years.


At another time in Brazil, he found a mansion. As he knocked, he was greeted by the master's wife. He soon found out that she was originally from England and lived there for good. He remembers it was a fortunate meeting because he made a purchase of a few items decorated in the gorgeous residence.


I cannot upload photos of the items he displays inside his shop, which is quite crammed with collected items. But, he allowed me to upload the photos of rare telephone cards, which are rather new items among his collections. Before the age of cell phone, telephone boxes stood at a certain distance along the shopping streets all over Japan. Telephone boxes, however, are quickly disappearing as it became inevitable for Nippon Telephone and Telegram--NTT, for short, is a telephone giant in Japan--to adopt with the shift of communication tools from telephone to cell phone. As less and less people bothered to find a nearest telephone box, the revenue plunged and it became impossible to maintain thousands of telephone boxes throughout Japan. So, telephone cards are already a thing of the past. Although I don't personally know anyone who collect telephone cards, I'm sure there must be many. (Telephone cards issued by NTT is only usable in Japan. It functions as a prepaid card.)


The telephone cards shown below were created by Okinawa branch of the telephone company. They printed a few works of famous Okinawan painters. Mr. Nagahama told me those telephone cards are not created anymore.

An Okinawan  Court Dance Performer.

Painter: Koukan Yanagi

 Shuri Castle In Bygone Days.

Painted by Shousei Yamazato.

 Tribute Vessels Anchoring In Naha Port. 

Antique Nagahama is located on Nago Main Street (Nago Ohdouri).
Opens on weekdays from 3PM - 7PM. Closes on weekends and Japanese holidays.


Tel: 0980-52-1722 (Japanese only)


The shop is very close from this blog's author, if you need any help in terms of interpretation.


Click here to see the location of the shop on Google Map.

Antique Nagahama on Nago Main Street

The 14th Annual Worldwide Home-Made Food Fair, Nago City, Okinawa, Japan

Do you have any plan for this coming Saturday yet?
If you don't, consider going to the 14th Annual Worldwide Home-Made Food Fair, hosted by Nago City Cultural Exchange & Friendship Committee. This international event is slated for Saturday, March 5th, 1PM-3PM at Nago City's newly built public market building.


This year, nine teams from different countries take part in the food fair. Those teams (Peru, Korea, Philippine, Nepal, Italy, China, Brazil, Argentine, and the North America) will prepare dishes as if those cuisines are brought right out of the home kitchens back in each of those countries.


Many foreign students attending Meio University will also take part in this unique event, bringing with them homely tastes from their own countries, something their mothers would cook when they return to or revisit their homelands.


Visitors to this event will enjoy entertainments performed by the local people and some of the participating teams. You might want to explore this new public market building which houses sweets shops, fresh food and processed food stores.

Visitors need to purchase a 1,000-yen ticket. If you purchase in advance, the food ticket will come with a special feature. To buy a ticket in advance, please call Nago City Cultural Exchange & Friendship Hall at 0980-51-0123.

(Please note that this food ticket is exclusively for the dishes served by the food fair participating teams on this day. Other food products regularly sold in the market building are not include. For your convenience, please bring Japanese currency, because dollar bills or any other currencies are not likely to be accepted.)

Free parking space is available at Nago Fishery Port for this event. So, park your car at the port, and walk toward the downtown area about 300 meters. Use the pedestrian overpath in front of the port to get across Route 58. Continue walking and pass the five-story yellow building with a huge artificial green lizard hanging on the wall. Soon, you'll come to Nago Cross Section and the public market building is on the left side, across from Lindon Bakery.

Click here to see the the route from Naha Airport to Nago Public Market on Google Map.

Click here to see the route from Nago Fishery Port to Nago Publich Market on Google Map 

Click here to see the route from Naha Airport to Nago City Cultural Exchange and Friendship Hall on Google Map.

Standing at a corner, you will see those yellow

signs of Karaoke Manekineko.

A bakery at a corner, across from the public market.

The same bakery from a different angle.

At one of the four corners of Nago Cross Section.

Those yellow buildings are the newly built public market,

where the food fair takes place on March 5th.

 Try finding this banner. You'll see a drawing of the earth

on the upper left corner of it, and also the national flags

of the participating international teams. 

 Miyagi Confectionery & Coffee.

Note that food tickets for the food fair cannot be used

to buy sweets or coffee at the place.

Another confectionery in the public market.

Again, food tickets for the fair cannot be used.