OkinawaN Culture, Customs and Traditions Essay Sample free essay sample

Remembering Ryukyu Not many people outside Japan know much about Okinawa other than it’s the southernmost district of Japan. But prior to going a prefecture. Okinawa wasn’t ever a portion of Japan. in fact. it did hold a separate faith. distinguishable civilization and its ain political system. which most likely contrasts the Nipponese domain ( Taira. 1997. p. 142 ) . In the yesteryear. Okinawa served as an international meeting topographic point for its adjacent states such as China. mainland Japan. Korea. Philippines and other states of Southeast Asia. The island enjoyed cultural dealingss from these states while its trade industry flourished ( Taira. 1997. p. 140 ) . Assortment is the trademark of Okinawan civilization. which is why it was besides labeled aChanpurucivilization. Chanpuru is an mundane dish prepared by the Okinawans by stir-frying miscellaneous veggies along with Tofu and porc. This dish represents Okinawa’s historical willingness to borrow cultural elements from foreigners and incorporate them with their ain. Another symbolic representative of this cultural merger is the brilliant Shurijo Castle. which incorporates Nipponese and Chinese architectural characteristics. Okinawans are a mixture of Malay from Formosa and Philippines. Chinese from China. and Nipponese ( Yamato ) from Japan. But culturally. they are closer to Filipino and Chinese than mainland Nipponese ( Minahan. 2002. p. 1458 ) . Well the Chinese had profound influence upon the indigens of Okinawa. this was in position of their version of the Chinese lunar calendar. the one-year rhythm of festivals.feng-shui( geomancy ) ( Hidekazu. 2003 ) . Confucian doctrine and pattern of hereditary ceremonials and rites ( Smits. 1999. p. 13 ) . Okinawans observe â€Å"ancestral veneration† a ritual they’ve likely learned from the Chinese every bit good. Okinawan’s believe their ascendants have the power to mediate with fate. which explains why they worship their dead ancestors—to give award. Although most of what’s seen at the small town is no longer portion of the Okinawans’ life today. some traditions born in the Ryukyu Kingdom epoch have lasted through t he old ages. Weaving is one illustration of their abiding tradition. This pattern makes usage of wooden looms to make designs and forms that mirrors Okinawa’s simpleness. Turning sugar cane and exporting sweet harvest is another long-standing usage on the island. which up to this twenty-four hours is conscientiously done by manus. Fabrics likeBingata.Bashofu. Tsuboya clayware. Ryukyu lacquerware and Ryukyu anil were merely a few of their admired wealths. It was nevertheless through Music. play. literature. even cooking particularly their diet. the Okinawans successfully foreground their strong cultural singularity. Karate on the other manus. has been considered as the most noteworthy cultural export of Okinawa. Karate is thought to be a combination of traditional Okinawan Martial humanistic disciplines with Chinese kung fu. It is believed to be the result of its close ties with China and its great influence to the Okinawan civilization ( Byrd. 2003 ) Unlike the reserved Japanese. Okinawans. are known for their courtesy. heat. generousness. and fairness ( Minahan. 2002. p. 1458 ) . Possibly the major differentiation between Okinawans and Nipponese can be drawn based on their gender dealingss. For the Japanese. particularly in the past. everything revolves around adult male and his domination. On the contrary. Okinawan civilization is built with a strong matriarchal orientation while the Japanese has strong patriarchal. In Okinawan civilization the adult male held a â€Å"political hierarchy. † while the adult female held a â€Å"religious hierarchy. † Together they work in harmonio usness to raise a household or land. In this island. a adult female appointed as the main priestess was about equal to that of the male monarch ( Sered. 1999. p. 13 ) . At present. Okinawa being a prefecture has non diminished its individuality in the shadow of Japan. Rather. Okinawan vivacious cultural patterns have contributed in battalion. strengthening the historical background of its female parent state. Mentions Hassan. I. ( 1997 ) . Fringy Literature at the Exploded Center: an Okinawan Instance.World Literature Today. 71( 1 ) . 13-21. Retrieved February 3. 2008. from Questia database: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o A ; d=95177717 Hidekazu. S. ( 2003 ) . On Cognitive Aspects of Rhetorical Time Reckoning: Metaphor and Image-Schema in Calendrical Divination in Okinawa.Asiatic Folklore Studies. 62( 2 ) . 291+ . Retrieved February 3. 2008. from Questia database: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o A ; d=5006598793 Hook. G. D. A ; Siddle. R. ( Eds. ) . ( 2003 ) .Japan and Okinawa: Structure and Subjectivity. New York: RoutledgeCurzon. Retrieved February 3. 2008. from Questia database: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o A ; d=108417693 Minahan. J. ( 2002 ) .Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups around the World( Vol. 3 ) . Westport. Connecticut: Greenwood Press. Retrieved February 3. 2008. from Questia database: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o A ; d=101434921 Sered. S. ( 1999 ) .Womans of the Sacred Groves: Divine Priestesses of Okinawa. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved February 3. 2008. from Questia database: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o A ; d=59783888 Smits. G. ( 1999 ) .Visions of Ryukyu: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politicss. Honolulu. HI: University of Hawaii Press. Retrieved February 3. 2008. from Questia database: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o A ; d=11250224 Taira. K. ( 1997 ) . 6 Troubled National Identity. InJapan’s Minorities: The Illusion of Homogeneity. Weiner. M. ( Ed. ) ( pp. 140-173 ) . London: Routledge. Retrieved February 3. 2008. from Questia database: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o A ; d=104119457