Nyhee dehbiru Okinawa
Arriving in Okinawa we must adhere to the mandatory Japanese health check. This meant standing in a 40 minute line, which snaked through the ship. All passengers hand in a health questionnaire, which asks if you've had a sore throat, vomitting, jaundice, fever, and any number of other ailments during the past four weeks. Ernie lied and said he had not, even though he had the flu while in Sun Valley at the end of September. We teased him about getting arrested by the Japanese authorities. The actual test is called a "Quarantine Thermal Monitor", which is a thermal imaging camera designed to measure body temperature as you merely walk by. It's not the rectal thermometer that Steve kept looking forward to.
Okinawa is the southernmost area of Japan, and consists of 57 islands. It was once the kingdom of Ryukyu. Today Okinawa is making a concentrated effort to restore the traditions of the once glorious Ryukyu Kingdom. Okinawa is called the island of songs and dance. Did you know that Okinawans have the longest lifespans in the world? The people are laid back. One of their slang phases is "nannkuru naisa" which means whatever happens happens.
At the port (which is in the city of Naha) we hired a couple of taxis, and were immediately impressed with how clean they were. The cabs have custom fitted white seat covers and the seat backs for the front seats have covers which resemble white crochet work. Presumably they wash these frequently because they were crisp and pristine. Many of the vehicles are teeny versions of mini-vans, made by the various Japanese automakers. We don't see these boxey little things back home, although with the rising price of oil, we probably should be driving them!
We wanted this port to be a learning experience, about what happened here during WWII, so we knew it would likely be a humbling day. We started at the former Japanese Navy Headquarters. Over 100 steps lead you underground into the narrow tunnels and rooms where the officers and crew lived. The spaces were very cramped and one can only imagine how they must have smelled.
Okinawa was the last island taken by American forces before the final assault on Japan in November 1945. During the Japanese occupation of Okinawa, the local men were forced to join the military, while women and young girls also performed work to help with the war effort. The Okinawans suffered terribly during the occupation and as a result of the onslaught. For example, it was common for the Japanese to shoot babies who were crying because they were concerned that the noise would give away their locations to the enemy. During the Japanese occupation, the Okinawan people were forbidden to speak their native slang because the Japanese thought this might be evidence of conspiracy and suggestive of spy activity. People could be shot for disregarding this imposed rule. By the time the Battle of Okinawa was over (the actual battle lasted 90 days), 100,000 Okinawan people had lost their lives and the island was completely and totally devasted. In the years following people lived in refugee camps, and tried to recover some normalcy.
The atrocities of this period are well recorded in musuem at the Perfectual Peace Memorial Park. The museum is very well done, and was opened on the 50th anniversary of the war's end. Outside the grounds are expansive, with the names of all who lost their lives in Okinawa inscribed in marble. The monument walls cover a lot of territory. The names of all the civilians are listed, as well as Japanese troops and Allied soldiers.
To lift our somber moods, the last stop was at the Shikinean Garden (a world heritage site), which is designated as a national place of scenic beauty. It was constructed in 1799, for the recreation of the Ryukyu royal family and to entertain foreign guests. The garden is designed in the "kaiyu" style, which means the paths take you in a circular direction, with a large pond in the center. Take your shoes off and wander through the simplistically elegant Japanese Udun Palace. This wooden structure with a red tile roof is built in a formal style that was exclusively permitted to the upper class. The Udun has fifteen rooms.
From the gardens one can also view the panorama of the area, and the city of Naha. It's not particularly interesting. The buildings are boxey, and utilitarian looking in shades of white and beige. Since the entire city was destroyed during the war, everything has been built after WWII.
We found it odd that we couldn't find a bank or an ATM, but vending machines abound. There are so many of them, it's comical. It's not uncommon to see two or three within the same block. Most dispense beverages -- juices and water, or sodas.
The last cab driver we had was a riot. Very expressive and engaging, even though his English was limited. When he found out we are from Ichiro's city, he was so delighted, we thought he might drive off the road. We all started chanting "Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro". When he saw the immense size of the Sapphire Princess (16 stories high), he gave us a loud, enthusiastic "OOOOHHH", and pretended to cry that he couldn't come with us.
Our stay in Okinawa was short, only about five hours, but very educational.
Nyhee dehbiru means "thank you", an Okinawan expression. NYHEE DEHBIRU!
Mataya (see you)!
Okinawa is the southernmost area of Japan, and consists of 57 islands. It was once the kingdom of Ryukyu. Today Okinawa is making a concentrated effort to restore the traditions of the once glorious Ryukyu Kingdom. Okinawa is called the island of songs and dance. Did you know that Okinawans have the longest lifespans in the world? The people are laid back. One of their slang phases is "nannkuru naisa" which means whatever happens happens.
At the port (which is in the city of Naha) we hired a couple of taxis, and were immediately impressed with how clean they were. The cabs have custom fitted white seat covers and the seat backs for the front seats have covers which resemble white crochet work. Presumably they wash these frequently because they were crisp and pristine. Many of the vehicles are teeny versions of mini-vans, made by the various Japanese automakers. We don't see these boxey little things back home, although with the rising price of oil, we probably should be driving them!
We wanted this port to be a learning experience, about what happened here during WWII, so we knew it would likely be a humbling day. We started at the former Japanese Navy Headquarters. Over 100 steps lead you underground into the narrow tunnels and rooms where the officers and crew lived. The spaces were very cramped and one can only imagine how they must have smelled.
Okinawa was the last island taken by American forces before the final assault on Japan in November 1945. During the Japanese occupation of Okinawa, the local men were forced to join the military, while women and young girls also performed work to help with the war effort. The Okinawans suffered terribly during the occupation and as a result of the onslaught. For example, it was common for the Japanese to shoot babies who were crying because they were concerned that the noise would give away their locations to the enemy. During the Japanese occupation, the Okinawan people were forbidden to speak their native slang because the Japanese thought this might be evidence of conspiracy and suggestive of spy activity. People could be shot for disregarding this imposed rule. By the time the Battle of Okinawa was over (the actual battle lasted 90 days), 100,000 Okinawan people had lost their lives and the island was completely and totally devasted. In the years following people lived in refugee camps, and tried to recover some normalcy.
The atrocities of this period are well recorded in musuem at the Perfectual Peace Memorial Park. The museum is very well done, and was opened on the 50th anniversary of the war's end. Outside the grounds are expansive, with the names of all who lost their lives in Okinawa inscribed in marble. The monument walls cover a lot of territory. The names of all the civilians are listed, as well as Japanese troops and Allied soldiers.
To lift our somber moods, the last stop was at the Shikinean Garden (a world heritage site), which is designated as a national place of scenic beauty. It was constructed in 1799, for the recreation of the Ryukyu royal family and to entertain foreign guests. The garden is designed in the "kaiyu" style, which means the paths take you in a circular direction, with a large pond in the center. Take your shoes off and wander through the simplistically elegant Japanese Udun Palace. This wooden structure with a red tile roof is built in a formal style that was exclusively permitted to the upper class. The Udun has fifteen rooms.
From the gardens one can also view the panorama of the area, and the city of Naha. It's not particularly interesting. The buildings are boxey, and utilitarian looking in shades of white and beige. Since the entire city was destroyed during the war, everything has been built after WWII.
We found it odd that we couldn't find a bank or an ATM, but vending machines abound. There are so many of them, it's comical. It's not uncommon to see two or three within the same block. Most dispense beverages -- juices and water, or sodas.
The last cab driver we had was a riot. Very expressive and engaging, even though his English was limited. When he found out we are from Ichiro's city, he was so delighted, we thought he might drive off the road. We all started chanting "Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro". When he saw the immense size of the Sapphire Princess (16 stories high), he gave us a loud, enthusiastic "OOOOHHH", and pretended to cry that he couldn't come with us.
Our stay in Okinawa was short, only about five hours, but very educational.
Nyhee dehbiru means "thank you", an Okinawan expression. NYHEE DEHBIRU!
Mataya (see you)!
posted by Sniglet's Mom @ 10:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home