Okinawa: The exotic Japan
沖縄：エキゾチックな日本
The islands of Okinawa: the only part of Japan that enjoys a subtropical oceanic climate. The region is blessed with clear blue oceans, plentiful deposits of coral reef and mangrove forests, as well as the largest subtropical laurel forest in all of Japan, called ‘Yanbaru’, located in the northern area of the main island. With such an abundance of unique flora, a wide variety of distinct fauna can be found, including Okinawa rails and Iriomote wildcats, as well as being home to other nationally protected species in the southernmost islands of Japan, one of the most precious ecosystems on the planet.
In the year 2000, the islands’ Gusuku sites and related properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, nine sites in total scattered throughout the islands that have captivated the hearts of visitors with their majestic soaring ramparts and eternal romantic appeal, were designated as
UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while in 2010, Kumiodori — established as a form of entertainment to greet envoys from China during the islands’ Ryukyu Kingdom period of history — was registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The islands — formerly their own independent kingdom — have been gaining attention worldwide in recent years for retaining and perpetuating all of the unique cultural artefacts that make Okinawa so special, its music, dance, colourful handicrafts, and diet (which is said to lengthen lifespan). The islands of Okinawa are exotic in and of their own right to the people of Japan. Every year the country welcomes a huge number of visitors, both from the rest of Japan and from abroad, and providesthem with the gift of new discoveries.
国内で唯一、亜熱帯海洋性気候に属する沖縄。青く透き通った海や豊かなサンゴ礁、マングローブ林、「やんばる」と呼ばれる本島北部地域に広がる日本最大級の亜熱帯照葉樹林など、特有で豊かな自然が残っており、ヤンバルクイナやイリオモテヤマネコなど国の天然記念物をはじめとする多様な動植物が棲んでおり、世界的にも貴重な生態系をつくりだしています。
2000年には、そそり立つ城壁の雄姿や絶景で人を魅了するとともに、悠久のロマンを感じさせる「琉球王国のグスク及び関連遺産群」が世界文化遺産に認定。
2010年には琉球王国時代に中国からの使者をもてなすために生まれた「組踊」がユネスコの無形文化遺産に登録されるなど、かつて独立した王国として栄えたこの地には、音楽や踊りなどの芸能から色鮮やかな工芸品、長寿につながる食に至るまで、独特の文化が現代にまで受け継がれており、世界から注目を集めています。
日本人にとってもエキゾチックな魅力を醸す沖縄。毎年、国内外から数多くの観光客が訪れ、新たな発見の喜びに心を震わせています。
Traditional Dance & Music
伝統芸能
The island of dance and music
The islands of Okinawa have become known as an archipelago of song and dance because of all the varieties of performing arts that have been passed down through successive generations of islanders, from the eisa dances held to mark the end of the bon season, to kumiodori — which has been called ‘Okinawan opera’ — the islands’ rich tradition of dance has been popular since ancient times at all levels of Okinawan society.
歌と踊りの島
王侯貴族から庶民まで親しんだ音楽、そこに踊りを組み合わせた琉球舞踏、琉球のオペラとも言える組踊、旧盆の際に先祖の霊を送るエイサーなど、様々な種類の芸能が受け継がれる沖縄は、「歌と踊りの島」と呼ばれています。
©国立劇場おきなわ
Kumiodori
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
The islands are home to musical theatre traditions melding together music (performed with instruments such as the sanshin, koto, flute, kokyu, and drums), spoken dialogue, and dance. This form of entertainment was originally developed to be performed before envoys from China visiting the Okinawa royal family. It has since become one of the islanders’ chief cultural artefacts and is proudly performed for people from all over the world.
組踊
UNESCO無形文化遺産
音楽（歌三線・箏・笛・胡弓・太鼓）とせりふ、踊りによって構成される歌舞劇。琉球王朝時代に中国皇帝の使者を歓待するために生まれ、宮廷芸能として発展した。琉球文化を代表する伝統芸能であり、沖縄が世界に誇る舞台芸術だ
Ryukyuan Dance
This style of performing art was encourage and patronized by the royal Ryukyu government to create a form of entertainment that could prove helpful when the kingdom was conducting foreign diplomacy. In addition to traditional, classical dance, Ryukyuan Dance includes the ‘zo odori’ as well as other creative individual styles of dance that were primarily developed by individual dancers after World War II.
琉球舞踊
琉球王国の外交に役立てようと王府が力をいれて育てた芸能。伝統的な古典舞踏や雑踊のほか、主に戦後になって舞踏家たち主体で生み出された創作舞踏などがある
©国立劇場おきなわ
Folk Performing Arts
Forms of folk entertainment have been directly handed down from generation to generation throughout the archipelago that comprises Okinawa. Even today the people of the various islands continue to hold these events, performances, and rites featuring a wide range of different performing art styles.
民俗芸能
沖縄の島々や各地域で脈々と受け継がれている民俗芸能。今も多彩な芸能が各地域の年中行事や祭事で披露されている
Transmission and Development of Ryukyu Culture
Okinawa has numerous of traditional crafts handed down since the days of Ryukyu Kingdom, such as pottery, lacquerware, dyed goods, and textiles. There are also an increasing number of works produced by young artists, which combine a new aesthetic sensibility while carrying on the traditions maintained since long ago.
琉球文化の継承と発展
やちむん(焼物) と呼ばれる陶器、漆器、染物など、沖縄には琉球王国の時代から受け継がれてきた様々なジャンルの伝統工芸があります。そして現代の若手アーティストたちもまた、長年の伝統を保ちながら、新たな美的感受性を生かして作品を制作し続けています。
Yachimun (pottery)
Having a serene sense of warmth, while this form of earthenware is praised for its practicality, the variant known as Tsuboya ware is also renowned for its high level of artistry and serves as the medium of choice for many living National Treasure potters.
やちむん（焼物）
おおらかで温かみがあり、実用性が重視されている一方で、芸術性も高い壺屋焼がよく知られており、人間国宝も輩出している
Bingata (dyed goods)
Sumptuary laws originally forbade anyone except royalty and warriors from wearing bingata garments, representative of dyed goods in Okinawa, and famous for their rich, brilliant, attractive colours, including yellow, red, blue, purple, and violet.
紅型（染物）
沖縄の染物の代表格で、かつては王族や士族のみが身に纏うことを許されたとされる。黄色、赤、青、紫、桔梗色など色の豊かさ、鮮やかさが魅力
©OCVB
Ryukyu Lacquerware
An important export of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, this elegant traditional handicraft was a favourite of the royal family. Using a combination of scarlet and black, the pieces display wild, free-spirit, and vivid patterns.
琉球漆器
琉球王国の重要な輸出品で、王族たちも愛用した格調高い工芸品。朱と黒の二色を基調とし、鮮やかで自由奔放な紋様を描きだしている
©OCVB
Karate
Okinawa is home to the martial art of karate, famous everywhere and practiced by 130 million people worldwide. Through difficult, disciplined training, practitioners temper their bodies, polish their spirits and sharpen their minds through a martial art that places great emphasis on decorum and politeness. Karate, also called “the martial art of peace”, will be featured in
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Festival of Peace.
空手
沖縄を発祥の地とする空手は、世界中に普及し、１億３千万人の空手愛好家を有するまでに発展している。厳しい鍛錬を通して身体を鍛えるとともに、心を磨き礼節を重んじる「平和の武」として、平和の祭典である2020年東京オリンピックの正式種目として採用された
©沖縄県
Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
Okinawa was originally home to the Kingdom of Ryukyu which produced many cultural landmarks and has its own unique heritage and history that has risen in popularity throughout the world. One symbol of Okinawa’s vibrant past are the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, registered in 2000 as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and made up of five Gusuku (castles) and four sites of ancient ruins.
琉球王国のグスク及び関連遺産群
かつて琉球王国として独自の歴史を刻み、世界に誇る文化を花開かせた沖縄。その象徴ともいえるのが世界遺産(文化遺産)で、5つのグスク（城）と4つの遺跡が2000年に「琉球王国のグスク及び関連遺産群」として登録されています。
Shuri-jo site
Formerly the seat of Ryukyu royalty, this palace remains a symbol of the islands’ vibrant and colourful culture with its scarlet-toned colour scheme.
首里城跡
かつての琉球国王の居城。赤を基調として鮮やかな色彩が琉球文化を象徴している
©国営沖縄記念公園：首里城公園
Sefa Utaki
Sacred area where Ryukyu royalty would hold important national events during the Ryukyu Kingdom Period, the area is still revered and adored by vast numbers of people.
斎場御嶽
琉球王朝時代に国家的な祭事が行なわれていた聖地。現在も多くの人々から崇拝されている
©OCVB
Nakagusuku-jo site
This Gusuku-style castle was completed during the 15th century and features technically magnificent curving walls that overlook both the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
中城城跡
15世紀に完成したグスクで、高い技術で造られた曲線の美しい城壁から見晴らす東シナ海と太平洋の眺望は絶景
©中城城跡共同管理協議会
A Wellspring of Longevity: Kusuimun
Since antiquity, the people of Okinawa have believed that health springs from the medicinal properties of diet, and this positive philosophy towards healthy eating can best be described in the islanders’ own word, “Kusuimun”, which means dishes that act as medicine, suggesting that good food will lead to good health and a long life. The cuisine of the islands has long been recognized for providing balanced diets as well as helping extend the lifespan of those who follow them in their regular diet.
長寿の源「くすいむん」
沖縄では古くから、医も食も源は同じという「医食同源」という考え方があり、健康的な食事のことを「くすいむん＝薬になるもの」と呼ぶ。自然の恩恵を受け育った沖縄の食材とバランスのとれた食事は長寿の源として広く知られている
Awamori
This distilled spirit has been made according to traditional brewing techniques handed down since the days when kings and queens ruled the islands of Okinawa. Made using black koji mold originating from Okinawa as well as rice-malt made from indica rice imported mostly from Thailand, an unrefined mash is then created using water and yeast and fermented for two weeks, making a completely mash-based spirit. As time passes and the liquor matures it acquires a milder, more mellow aroma and is reborn as “vintage awamori.” The drink is an excellent accompaniment not just to Okinawan cuisine but also to both Japanese and Western dishes, helping to enhance their intrinsic flavour.
泡盛
琉球王朝時代から伝統的な製法で作られてきた蒸留酒。沖縄が原産の黒麹と主にタイから輸入したインディカ米を米麹にして使用し、それに水と酵母を加え、もろみにして２週間程度発酵させ「全麹仕込み」として製造する。時とともに熟成が進むにつれ、まろやかで芳醇な香りが特徴の「古酒」として生まれ変わる。沖縄料理だけでなく、和食や洋食など様々なスタイルに合い、料理の味を引き立ててくれる
©OCVB
Champuru
One of Okinawa’s most famous dishes combines tofu, meat, and a variety of different vegetables all sautéed together to make Champuru, whilst the rest of the islands’ cuisine features dishes made with pork, seaweed, and locally caught fresh fish.
チャンプルー
沖縄の代表的な料理には、豆腐と肉、数々の野菜などの食材を炒め合わせる「チャンプルー」をはじめ、豚肉、海藻、地元で獲れた新鮮な魚などを使ったものがある
©OCVB
Prefecture information
Okinawa Prefecture, made up of 160 different islands, is located in the lower southern half of the Nansei Archipelago which extends from the tip of Kyushu to Taiwan. With its excellent access from major East Asian cities, it acts as a southern entrance to Japan. The country was formerly an independent entity known as the Kingdom of Ryukyu, which vigorously engaged in trade with other surrounding nations. After World War II, the island fell under United States occupation whereupon the cultures of East and West began to mix and intermingle, giving birth to a unique cultural identity. The only prefecture of Japan that is classified as subtropical, Okinawa enjoys a year-round warm climate, often attracting a yearly amount of over 9.5 million visitors to the islands’ gorgeous blue oceans, rich verdure, and unique culture.
県情報
九州から台湾につながる南西諸島の南半分に位置する沖縄県は、広大な海域に点在する160の島々から成る。日本の南の玄関口として東アジアの主要都市からもアクセスが良い。かつては琉球王国として独立しており、近隣諸国と活発に貿易を行なっていた。また第二次世界大戦終了後にアメリカ統治下にあった時期もあったことから東西の様々な文化が混ざり合った独特の文化が育まれている。日本で唯一亜熱帯に属している県で、一年を通して温暖な気候であり、美しい海をはじめ豊かな自然や特色ある文化に惹かれて訪れる観光客は年間950万人を超えている。
EN l www.visitokinawa.jp
J P l www.okinawastory.jp
