Published on 12, July, 2020
I have noticed a few people mention an interest in Japan and i just had this youtube video pop up.https://youtu.be/BAg208UG7OwSorry, i'm terrible with names and couldn't remember who it was who expressed the interest in Japan.
It wasn't me, but I was stationed in Okinawa for most of 2001.
Hi All My Friends Are Autistic, that's really interesting. How did you findit there? I've heard it is hot and beautiful and the people can have a more relaxed energy than in some other Japanese areas.
Hi! Thanks for explaining :) It does make sense as, and I haven't read up on this, they were probably their own people before being brought into 'Japan' somewhere down the line. A large tug o' rope festival sounds like great fun. We used to have that as one of the events in Sports Day at school - it was my favourite.
Hi! From what they taught us in the intro-to-the-island classes and regular discussion with locals, the cultures are quite different. It was sometimes even inconsiderate to call an Okinawan "Japanese". They preferred Okinawan. I spent a few days at Yokosuka in mainland Japan, and from that limited experience, it seemed that the Mainlanders were more serious and focused, while the Okinawans were more laid back. The Okinawans were also more open and friendly in public.
For those of us that are familiar with this and while the comparison is not exact, I liken it to Puerto Rico and the USA. PR is part of the USA, flies the American flag, and all Puerto Ricans are American citizens, but PR definitely has its own distinct culture.
Fun fact: At the time, Okinawa held the world's largest tug o' rope festival every year. They would close off an avenue, lay down a rope that was about waist high which had smaller ropes stemming out, and anyone could come up and grab a stem when it was time to pull. The celebration also had a parade with music and those large multi-person dragons. It was a blast.