{Okinawa}...another post

I want to fill you all in on a little bit about Okinawa. I love learning new things and love sharing them. Some people don't care to hear about it and so it isn't exciting telling them, BUT when i write it out and post it i receive a lot of satisfaction because i feel like maybe there is someone who will enjoy reading it and i have fun telling about it. :) There is a TON still that i don't know, but i will tell you what i do know for now.

This island is 60 miles long and 18 miles wide. Yes, it takes us about a 5 minute drive to get to the beach outside the gate. The population size in Okinawa is 1,318,218 people. There is a significant American influence here. Mainland Japan doesn't want hardly any of our bases on that land, so they stuck the MAJORITY of them down here in Okinawa.

Okinawans like being called Okinawans, not Japanese. It all has to do with what happened during WWII and how the leaders of mainland Japan didn't want the war to occur on mainland so they used Okinawa has their scapegoat. They had only just owned Okinawa for about 30 years at that time. Okinawans got the shaft because of that.

When Okinawa was their own kingdom, along with the TONS of other islands surrounding it, they were called the Ryukyu Kingdom. There is a lot of Chinese Influence here and lots of things they have and do here are derived from the Chinese because during that time they did lots of trading with the Chinese(for hundreds of years). And actually during the 14th and 16th century the Ryukyu Kingdom was an established trading hub between several Asian Countries because of the Island's convenient geographic location.

When people think of Japanese alcohol they usually refer to it as Sake or Osake. BUT Okinawa's Spirits are known as Awamori and Kusu, not sake.

There are many types of sushi; Nigiri Sushi, Gunkan-sushi, Maki-sushi, Temaki-sushi, Chirashi-sushi, Inari-sushi.

Goya is a bitter melon that lots of people eat here on Okinawa. It can be traced back to East India and Southern Asia. It is a VERY bitter melon. It looks like the HULK version of a cucumber. :)

Okinawa's meat of choice is PORK. And they love SPAM.

There are MANY caves all over the island. The caves were the Okinawans safe place of refuge during the war. The caves are a reminder of the war and carry Historical Significance. Most of the caves are located near the beach.

Dragon Boat Racing is a big event here. The dragon is a symbol of power and it is said that they govern the clouds and rains, and rule the rivers, seas , and oceans.

There is a HUGE tug of war that occurs here in Okinawa, located in Naha. It's a HUGE event. The rope used in the tug-of-war is the largest rope made from natural materials in the world. The streets are packed, just like NYC ON new years eve, with people who want to be a part of the tug-of-war. The history of tug-of-war in Asia goes back to 71 A.D. in China. A tugging contest was held to decide which religion, Buddhism or Taoism, was superior. Tug-of-war in Japan always carry some kind of religious implication.

Okinawan tombs can be found EVERYWHERE on the island. They are usually fairly large(larger than any you will see in the states), but becoming more rare because of space considerations. During the battle of Okinawa the tombs were used for protective shelter by the Japanese forces. But many tombs were destroyed during the war.

Okinawa is surrounded my many many small islands. And the south part of mainland is filled with tiny islands. I think they call that certain area "99 islands".

Okinawa has tons of castles on it. They are known as Gusuku. There are a total of 38 confirmed castle sites in SOUTHERN Okinawa dating back to the 14th century. You can go see what remains, which is usually the wall and foundation.

Many people in Japan and Okinawa practice Shinto and the Chinese version of Buddhism.

The Battle of Okinawa occured in 1945. It was a sad sad situation. Over 200,000 civilians, Japanese, and US service members were killed.

It's so fun learning about the many traditions(and there are many!) that they have here. It is one of the safest places in the world and also one of the most beautiful. The houses aren't beautiful, BUT the scenery is. And it is one of the best locations in the world for scuba diving and snorkeling.

There are many celebrations and festivals here, usually ocurring between march and october.