Okinawa.com

People lined the streets on Sunday, August 5th, to watch the lively dance and music collaboration of the different groups. The taiko drums reverberated, the music sounded, the dancers sweat and energy mixed together with the supportive cheers and claps of 100,000 sets of hands from the audience. This is eisa season.
Continue reading →

Konan is in!!!
Konan High School, Naha City, Okinawa, was the first team to officially make it to the Japanese National Summer Baseball Tournament. It will be their first appearance there in 28 years. The National Tournament is played at the sacred Koshien Baseball stadium in Hyogou Prefecture, right outside Osaka.
Continue reading →

Typhoon 4 as it is known in the Japanese media has passed Okinawa on it’s way to Kyushu. People are sweeping debris off the streets and most businesses are open again. The typhoon hit yesterday around noon. I was staying at a minshuku in Naha during the storm. The building would shudder at times.
Continue reading →

July 29- August 5 Naha City festival of 10,000 person Eisa dancer drumers. Eisa is the traditional moving drumming art of Okinawa. The week long festival culminates with a parade of 10,000 performers. The official web site in Japanese is at http://www.kokusaidori.org/eisar2007/index.html

Postponed due to Typhoon!  (was July 14) Okinawa’s biggest fireworks show held at Emerald Beach at Ocean Expo Park on the Motobu Pennisula. Music starts at 4pm, 10,000 Fireworks start at 8pm.
http://okipa678.rsjp.net/ocean_park/index_e.html

Traditional Okinawa houses are charming and connect to the human spirit. However most of the postwar construction is pretty appalling. I recently talked talked to the publisher of Okinawa ni Sumu (Living in Okinawa) magazine. His current issue has a beautiful example of blending a traditional form with contemporary construction. http://www.okinawa-sumu.com/book01/index.html (the page uses Adobe Flash and you must click through to see the photos)

July 7-8 Okinawa’s biggest rock festival held at the outdoor Field Stage of Okinawa City featuring more than 20 bands.  More info at  http://www.ocvb.or.jp/card/en/0140000159.html

Festival of contemporary Japanese musicians and fireworks.
July 14 Saturday Tickets 3500 yen
Ferries from Tomari Port or Motobu.

Byron Jones has been adding articles to the Research/History section of this web site including articles on Seefa Utaki, Ryukyuan Creation legends, and various Okinawan kings.