Ryukyuanist 23

roN6ff
The Ryukyuanist
NewsletterNo.23
Winter L993-94
Ishigakiasa tributeto MiyaraTcd
CONTENTS
Miyara TosoCentetnial.....,.....,..,
For thoseinterested
in lhe Miyaralinguistics,a convenienlslartisMiyara Tasb
Zenslw,22volumes,
complet.........../
David L. Howell: Culture as Commodity nt Sliraoi and
R y u l r y uM u r a . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2kenkyttno litobito (Peoplein Yaeyanra
Studies).(See
Book reviev' by Jo N. Martin: Deleoide KijimunE"......4
D issertatian ab stra cts: Tr,afto tr, Traftotr,'.ler a da.....,...6
M e m b e rn e w s . . . . . . . . . . . .
.........7
1
T'heRyulryualrst
No. 16 on thisbook).Miyara'scontributionswerenot limited to lhe studyof Yaeyamadialects.He systemalically
investigated
manydialectsof
Publicatiorts
......,................8 lhe enlireRyukyuanand Japanese
archipelagoes.
He
Aca\|forpapers...............
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . / 0specialized
in recordingliving dialectsby universal
Miyarafco( HHHI*
alsoknownas MiyanagaMasamori)(1893-1964)wasthefirst academical-
phoneticcodes.He later expandedhis researchto
etlmo-linguistics
andculturalarthropology.
YoungMiyarabeganhis workinglife as a common
laborerin Ishigaki.Savingenoughto pay for lhe
ly traineddialectologist
of Ryukyuanoriginwith a
doctor'sdegree.He wasbornandraisedi
in Ishigakiin
passage,
he first moved1oNaha,wherehe workedand
savedfor going1oOsaka.After a periodof workingand
southern
Ryukyu.In additionto thegeogr:aphical
disadvantagesof being far a'wayfrom cenrlers
of higher
savingin Osaka,he finally arrivedin Tokyoin December 1910.He cameonly with a primaryschooleduca-
youllg Miyaril was burdenerd
education,
with speeclr
defects.How he foundhir;way lo Tokyo,overcamehis
speechproblemsandroselo fameasa linguistis a great
tion.His studyat a Kandamiddleschoolwasinlerruptedby deteriorating
health,whichforcedhim to return
Miyara TosbCentenrial
fr
[
ed in 1984.For busyreaders,
thereis a chapter-length
biographyof Miyara in TakeshiMiki, l'aeyama
successstory,of which all Ryukyuans,especially
homefor trealmentandrest.He was ablelo resumehis
schoolingin Tnkyoin April 1914.To coverhis living
Yaeyamans,
arerightlypnrud.
The year1993marksthehundredtharnniversary
of
andschoolingexpenses,
he clerkedin a postoffice
duringtheday,andpeddledilatt1(femietrted
soybeans)
M i y a r a ' sb i r l h . I n t e l l e r : t u a lasu d s c h c l l a risn b o t h
Yaeyamaand Okinawahave organizeda seriesof
doorto doorin theevening.
Oneof his cuslomers
was a younglinguist,Maeda
conferences
and lecturesto celebratelhe Miyara cenlennial.In March 1993,in Ishigaki,there:was an exhi-
Tard Impressed
with Miyara'sintelligence
anddeterminalion,Maedahiredhim as a research
assistant.
In
bition of Miyara'sunpub,lished
researchdata.On the
openingday,Tcs6'sson, lrliyara TbshQslpokeabouthis
1919,Miyarau'asadmittedto KokugakuinUniversity.
In December1919,a studygroupmet at lhe Maeda
father.In June,the Universityof the Ryukyus'Center
for Okina*'arrLinguisticshelda two-day'conference
in
residence
and Miyaramet severalleadingJapanese
linguistsincludingKindaichiKyOsuke,thespecialist
on
- 1 -
the.Ainulanguage.Miyarramadea presenlationon
Yaeyamadialectsbeforethis group.SoonafterMiyara
was admittedto a wider circleof scholarsstudingculturesandlanguages.
It inr:ludedpeoplelike Yanagida
architectureand crafts evinces a muclt greater concern
Kunio, OriguchiShinobu,and Nikolai Nevskij,who
accommodatinga large volume of package-tour visi-
wereall alreadydeeplyinvolvedin RyuLTuan
Studies.
From 1924to 1943,Miyarawaswitlt lhe libraryof
10rs.
the ImperialHouseholdl\dinistry.In 1943,he establishedhis own institutefor Japanese
dialectology.
After
through a parking lol full of tour busesand running a
in literathewar, he wasawardedhis doctor'sdeg;ree
1ure.In 1954,he becami:a professorat Musashino
'Women's
College.He diedin 1964.
Miyarabelievedin the commonrootsof Japanese
r e c r e a l e do r r e l o c a t e ds l r u c l u r e s ,w h e r e e m p l o y e e s
for historical accuracy.The so-called Ainu kotan, ot
village, near lake Poroto in Shiraoi, on lhe other hand,
sacrificesall prelenceof authenticity in the interest of
The layoul of the sites is similar. After navigating
gauntletof souvenir shopsone entersthe "village" of
dressedin native attire demonstratecrafls of various
sorts,dispensecultural insights,zurdperform lraditional
songsand dances.Each has an animal act: visitors 1o
rurdthe commonancestryof
Shiraoi can view a cage full of torpid bears,while at
and Ryul'auanlanguages
peoples.He alwaysvigonously RyiliyuMura one can,for an additionalfee, visit the/rabu
andRyuLTuan
Japanese
s a t s u g g e s t e d pit, where the urrfortunatesnakesare forced to do battle
o p p o s e da n y t h e o r yo r , h y p o t h e s ti h
originsof Ryukyuans.
Quanelson lhis poirrt w,ithmongooses.
"southern"
n'ereparticularly
Takeo
A visit lo Shiraoi or Ry-riiytrMura can be little more
betweenhim and Kanazeki
ferocious.Wlry Miyarasofiercelyidentifiedwith Japan than a photo opportunity or anothsrstop on the extendremainsan unresolvedpuzzle.
ed, roving shoppingspreethat is the essenceof travel
for many Japanese.Both siles,however,offer worth-
Cultureas Commodityat Siliraoi andRyulquMura
By David L. I{ov,ell
As I notedin my earlir:rcontributionto TheRyuIryuanist(no. 15,Winter 1992),my interestin Okinawa
grewoul of an earlier(and.conlinuing)concernwith the
historyof Hokkaido.A'visit to Okinawairt January
while experienceslo visitors genuinely interestedin
tltatthe two placessltare
1992confirmedmy sertse
muchin common.HereI u'ouldlike to offer nty im-
reportspreparedby the museum researchstaff. Ulfor-
pressions
of Rylkyl Mura and the Ainu "village"at
are packShiraoi,whereRyukyuauand Ainu cultuLres
sigrred,with grotesquelyoversized,ferroconcretever-
touristsiina strilkingly
agedandmarketedto Japanese
similarway.I shouldnotr:at lhe oulselthatthis is not
ilrtendedto'be a scientific,or eveuparlir:ularlyr:bjec-
lral squarelhat servesas lhe site for lackadaisicalper-
tive, survey,but rathera tourist'simpressionislic
ac-
tional u'eaviug, sugar-making, pottcry-making, and
coullt.
othcr crafts and industries.One can eveu chat with the
local hislory and culture. At Shiraoi there is a snrall,
well-designed,and practically desertedmuseum,where
handicraftsand other examplesof Ainu material culture
are displayed.Ths museumsells books that introduce
Ainu culture to a lay audience,as well as specialized
t u n a t e l y ,t h e r e s t o f t h e c o m p l e x i s v e r y p o o r l y d e sions of traditional Ainu housesscatteredabout a cen-
The Ainu "village" at Shiraoi, a lowu on the Pacific
fonnancesof Ainu music and dance.
At Ryukyf Mura ofle cau seedemonstrationsof tradi-
$'omen who nrake and sell the delicioussdta andagii, a
Coast of southeastenrHolkkaido,and Ry-riiyuMura, an
doughnutlikecorfection. Unlike the architecturalcari-
hour or so by car from Naha, are standarddestinations
caturesat Shiraoi, the housesaud olher structuresat
for tourists.Visitors are presentedu,ith an overview of
Rynkyl Mura are authentic buildings that have been
traditional local culture that is intended Lo educa.teand
moved to the sile, u'ith the result that the visilor carrgel
e n t e r t a i nw i t h o u t c h a l l e n g i n gt h e i r n o t i o n s a b o u t
a senseof the rhythm of daily life in a traditionaldu.ell-
contemporaryJapaneseslociety.Of tlre tu'o, I greatly
irtg.
prefer Ry-uliy-uMura,
wherr:the presentatic,n
of tradlitional
-2-
T o u r i s t s a r r i v i n g b y b u s , u n d e r p r e s s u r et o " d o "
Hokkaido or Okinawa in a day or two get herded
theold manllersof theirancestors
for moneyamidstlhe
2
laugltler
of spectators."
through Shiraoi and R.yrky'uMurain aboutan hour or so.
No doubt for many visitors the visit is the only expo-
In thepostwarperiod,too,manyAinu havefoundit
sure to traditional local cr.rllurethey will receive.The
sites thus contribute to the formation of ordinary Ja-
difficultto resisttheeconomicopportunities
afforded
by Japanese
interestin them,while at the sametime
panesepeople's attitudes toward Airru and Ryukyuan
culture.I do not know u'hat people in Okinau'a think of
theyhavebeentroubledby therealization
thatoutsiders
all loo oftentreatlhem as a merespectacle.
In his
Ryrliyr-rMura;my impressionwas that it at leasterdoyed
autobiography,
KayanoShigeru,who becameJapan's
bestknou'nAinu as a resultof his unsuccessful
bid for
official support,if not financial backing On the other
hand, the presentationof Ainu cuhure artShiraoi has
a seatirr theupperhouseof lhe Diet h 1992,describes
h i s a m b i v a l e n c ae b o u th i s o w n e x p e r i e n c eass a
long been a sourceof conitroversy,as mrlmbersof the
local Ainu community have beenforced to balance
individual finaucial need and a desire tio educatethe
Japanesepublic, on the one hand, againsttthe threat of
The recenthistoryof Shiraoirevealsthe degreeto
which Ainu culturehasbecomea commoditydivorced
economic exploitation and a trivialization.of their culture, on the other hand.
L
from the actuallivesof Ainu people.As I notedabove,
Shiraoihasnongbecna populartouristdeslination.
This
Shiraoi has been a favorite destinationfor touriststo
Hokkaido for well over a century. Isabella Bird, the
is duemainlyto thefact thatit is conveniently
located
on the main routebetweenSapporoand Hakodate.By
aullror of UnbeatenTracks in Japan, stayed at lhe village in 1878.At that time, of course,Shir:aoiwas not a
theearly1950sShiraoihad becomeso popularthatthe
town government
becameconcernedthat lhe Ainu
themepark, but a functioning Ainu settlement(allleit in
a sensean artificial one, as the residenrlshad nnoved
lhere to seek employment in Japanese-runcommercial
fishing entelprises).Her in:pressionwas llhatthe clwellat Biratori, a larger Ainu village in the inlerior, and that,
in general, "the Ainos [slc] have reaped abundarrtlyof
the disadvantageswithout the advantag;es
of c,ontact
with Japanesecivilisation." I
A i n u v i l l a g e s r e m a i n e dp o p u l a r w i t h t o u r i s t s
nextlto LakePoroto.Souvenirshopsand olherbusinessies
catering1ovisitorsu'ererelocaledat the sanre
a
lime. Thus,insteadof seeinga functioningcommuuily, touristsnow remairtwilhin a deliberately
contrived
environment
that haslittle in commonwith traditional
Ainrucuhure,muchlessthe lives of theAinu residents
throughoutthe prewar period, so much so in facl rlhatirr
1941 lhe Japanesenationarlrailways commissionedthe
of contemporary
Shiraoi.
Sinceits relocationShiraoihasbeenthesiteof con-
eminent linguist, Kindaic,hiKycsuke, lo write a short
guidebook in English for foreign visitors. Although,
tinuingconlroversy,
mostnotablya disputethaterupted
betweena g.roupof activists(includingboth Ainu and
Kindaichi noted, "the young Ainu people of today'think
it is most humiliating to lhaveany sightseerscome to
lheir villages," and at any rale "there is lil,tle or n,olhing
in most of the villages now lhat may smack oi their
theirJapanese
supporlers)
andthe JapanTravelBureau
(iTlB). Four times between7979 alndi981 the JTB
advertised
a four-day tour to Hokkaidofor foreign
visiilorsit tlrcJapan Tirnes.Onehighlightof the tour,
lradition," youths in Shiraoi willingly shou'edvisitors
around in return for a fee, Speakirrgof Chikaburni, au
Ainu community near Asahikawa, Kindair:hi comrmented tlmt, "Money goes a long way here as well as elsewhere, it is true; but evenhere it is not omnipotent.
Many thoughtful Ainu people are ashamedto perform
neighborhood,
Iocatedat somedistancefrom the train
stalion,wouldsoonbe unableto accommodate
theflow
of louriststhroughits streets.Accordingly,in 1965the
artificialvillageto which touristsnow flock wasbuilt
ings therewere "much smaller,poorerrand dirtier" lhan
*
memberof a troupethal performedAinu musicfor
3
Honshuschoolchildren.
according1othe adverlisingcopy,was "a fascinating
visit.1oa realAinu villageat Shiraoito seethe ancient
customsandcultureof the famedhairyAinu." Offendedby thetoneof thead,particularlythereference
to the
pressured
activists
Ainu,"
the
the
JTB
to
issuean
"hairy
-3-
official apology,which it e'ventualiydid in May 1982.)
RyukyuMurasuggested
to me thattheybelongedto an
The point of this excursioninto the history of Shiraoi
alreadyclosedchapterof history,like theTokugau'ap e r i o db u i l d i n g sp r e s e r v e da t E d o M u r a , o u t s i d e
has been lo draw attention to the dangers of comLpartmentalizing culture as an exotic commodity. Japanese
visitors to Shiraoi can exposethemselveslo a versiionof
Ainu culture that allows them to go home satisfierdlhat
Kanazau'a,
and the nineteenth-century
structurescollectedat Meiji Mura,nearNagoya.In olherwords,the
presentation
of Ryukyuancultureand life al Ryukyu
Mura suggests
somethingdeadand gone,worthy of
presen'ation
in a museum,but no longera vital part of
anyone's
dailylife. In sum,asa reposiloryof Ryukyuan
they have paid their dues to muhiculturalism (e'ren if
few would phraseit that rvay) without ever having to
t h i n k s e r i o u s l ya b o u t t h e h i s t o r y o f A i n u - J a p a n e s e
relationsor the existenceof discriminationagainstAinu
life andcultureRy-rftylMuraservesa genuinely
valuable
purpose,
but I do hopelhatits exislcnce
dclesnot serve
in contemporaryJapan,A Japanesefriend who rvorks
with Kayano Shigeru in the Ainu community of Nibutani made a similar commenl about the lelevision
to excusetheauthorities
and conlcntpomry
Okinarvans
presen
from
ing asa living entityu'hatremainsof lheir
c a m e r a c r e w s t h a t c o m e i n s e a r c ho f m a t e r i a l f o r
dislinctive
culture.
human-intereststories:the reportersinvariably favor
featuresabout cute Ainu r:hildrenlearning traditional
Notes
1. IsabellaL. Bird, Utrbeaten
Tracksin Japart,2vols.
crafts or dance, as that allou.s them to presentAinu
c u l t u r e i n a w a y t h a t i s l i o t t h r e a l e n i n gt;o J a p i l n e s e
viewers.
I cannot help but vvorry lhal the tidy packagingof
Ryul'7uanculture at placesilike Ryiiryl Mura facilitales
the elimination of Ryukyuan elemenlsflrom the daily
lives of contemporaryOliinawans in much lhe same
way that Ainu culture has been removed from modenr
Hokkaido. By seeing Ryukyuan cullure as an exolic
relic of the pasl, Japanesevisitors are abl: to circunrv*
ent difficult issues,not ouly of the historicalrclationship betwcen Ryukyu and premoderuJapan,but also of
t h e i m p a c t o f m o d e r n J a p a r t e s eg o v e n r m e n lp , o l i c y ,
economicdevelopment,
and Americanmilitary occupation on Ryukyuan sociely.
Of course,circumslancesin Hokkaido and Okinawa
( Lnndon:JohnMurray,1880),2: 720-21.
2. KindaitifKindaichi]
Kyisuke,lirruLiJ'eandLegends
(fourist Library,36) (Tokyo:Boardof TouristIndustry, Japanese
Governmenl
Railn'ays,
19.1
l), pp.7681.
3. KayanoShigeru,
Airturto ll (Tokyo:Asahibunko,
1990),pp.132-138.
4. I{orie Toshio,"Shiraoichq " in KadokawaNihon
cltimeidaijitenhertsaniinkai, ed.,Kodokax,aNilrcn
Climei dai.iiten,\,o1.1, Flokkaido,
2 parts (Tokyo:
Kadokawashotcn,1987),pt. 7, p. (:07.
andlransclilrls
5. Thc textof thcapcllogy
oI all negotiatitrgsessions
are reprinlcdin NaritaTokuheiet al.,
eds.,Khulaikano naka no Aittu scDc/srrno kozo
(fokyo: Aliashishoten,1985).
are quite different: 1edn,r'less tlian one-half o,f oile
percent of the residenlsof Hokkaido ideutity as Ainu,
u'hile Ryukyuan culture is part of the heritageof the
Book ret,iex,:Suntki,Tenrko.DctcoiclcIiiiinruna. Cliba:
great majority of Okinau'ams.Still, it seemsto nre that
\'u koswttosu, 1990,
the way Ryukyuan cullure's contemporaryrelevanceis
Deteoide Kijinttun (Come Play \\'ith NIe, Kijintuna)is
being undermirredis analogouslo the processat work
a b o u ta g i r l , Y o s h i r t o b
, orn to an Antcrrican
f a t h e ra n d
in Hokkaido. A case in point is the disappearailceof
O k i n a w a nm o t h e rs h o r t l ya f t c r t h c b n t t i co f O k i n a r v a .
distinctive RyukTuarrarchiitectural styles. After vtisiting
This autobiographical
novel givcs tlrc circrrnrslatrces
of
RyIftyDMura I was quite aLstonished
to see a number of
her birth (hcr parenls never manicd) ald describesher
traditional housesstill in use in the rural districts of
l i f e a s a s c h o o lg i r l . T h e u ' o r k i s c s s c n l i a l l ya b o u t a
Okinawa islard and lhe Yreyama islands.I lhink I was
racially mixed child r.r,hostrugglesto find identity irr a
s o s u r p r i s e d b e c a u s el h t : p r e s e n c eo f l h e h o u s e sa t
lessthanenlighlenedsociety.
-4-
Yoshinois sensitiveabouther mixedblood.When a
U.S. plane crasheson her schoolplayground,killing
and injuring a numbero1[children,she feels 6;uilly
guardian of tradition and passesit on to her granddaughter. Tlrrough her Yoshino learns about ancestor
worship and other aspectsof Old Okinawa, including
becauseshe is half American.She is sensitivenot
withoutjustification.Only after heateddlebate
armong
the Iegend of Kijfununa. Umito is also for progress and
her teacherswas shepermittedto be classvaledictorian.
Somefelt that shecouldnot representher classbecause
M i c h i k o , a m i d w i f e , i s Y o s h i n o ' sf r i e n d a n d r o l e
model. Yoshino feels closerto her than to her own
shewasnot a pureOkinawan.
Being differentfrom othersmakesher uncomfort-
molher and wants to become a careerwoman like her.
Michiko is a Christian and worships irr a Catholic
able,but she is not ashamedof her Amrcricanb,lood.
Rather,she attributeshe,rsuccessin school to her
church.
instills in Yoshinr:lhe belief in educationfor u,oman.
There is a memorable dialogue between Toki and
Americanside.Sheis proud,willful, an.dsometimes Michiko towards the end of lhe story. The chapter is
rebellious.Shedoesnot he,sitate
to make.[ifemiserable significant in that it disclosesto the reader for the first
for thosewho are at oddswith her-- evena leacher.
Mrs. ShimozatoasksYoshLino
to fetch a lposterfrrr the
class."Do it yourself.I'm not your servant,"snaps
Yoshino.
Kijimurn is a red-hairedmischievousgoblin who
dwells in an old tree.Yoshlinoseesa friend in the crea-
wounded civilians. Toki was a patient lhere. Michael
was an attendingphysician, and Michiko, his nurse.
Michiko was secretlyin love with Michael. Unaware of
this, Michael eutrustsToki, pregnantwith his child, to
ture becauseshehasred hair and, at learstin her own
reckoning,shetoo is mischievous.
Michiko's care. His tour of duty in Okinawa having
enderd,the Navy senl him back to America. Michiko
Michael,Yoshino'sfather,appearsbriefly in therinitial chapter.He returnsto Okinawafive yearsaftrerthe
war to claim his daughter.'Ihe kidnappingis as actionpackedas a televisionshow.There is even a cXrase
scene.The child's relativesicomeafter Mjichael,carrying her grandmotheron their tricycle. Michael farilsin
t
lime a secret,a love triangle.At the conclusionof lhe
B a t t l e o f O k i n a u ' a ,a h o s p i t a l w a s s e t u p t o t r e a t
his kidnappingattemptand goesback to America,
neverlo retum.
Toki, Yoshino'smother,now marriedto an Olsinawan, is a iypical housewjifeand mother.She has the
dutilully looked afler Toki, and personallydeliveredher
baby. She named the baby girl Yoshino, after Mt.
Yoshino,famed for cheny blossoms,Michael's favorite
flower. In time Michiko came lo Iove the child, who
might have beenher own. Michiko embracedChristianity lo easethe pain of unrequiledlove for Michael.
The dialogue belween Toki and Michiko in effect
e x a mi n e s
woments
role
in
contemporary
society--career vs. family. Though successfulin her
careeras midwife, Michiko feels empty and is envious
usualproblemsof a motherrelating to Jherdaughter.
Toki's problemsare compoundedby havinga daughler
of T'oki, a wife and molher. Toki, on the other hand,
of mixedblood.
Umito, thegrandmother,,
is themostinterestingchar-
careerwoman. The story ends as Michiko prepares10
acterin the slory.Sheis lvise and caring;,and accepts
Yoshinounconditiorrally.
Sheis a productof the old
enteringa convent.
Okinawa,and prefersksmado(wood bunringcooking
stove)1othe modernkerosene
or propanestove."I
Japan.She wanls lo become a doctor like her father,
wonderfor how many peopleI havetendedthe fire
underlhis /lamedo," shemruses
asshesquatsbeforeher
studies,but when Michael ignoresher letter to him, she
enviesMichiko for her independenceand freedom as a
I e a v e O k i n a u ' af o r t h e V a t i c a nw i l h t h e i n t e n t i o n o f
Yoshino also leavesOkinawa to study medicine in
Miclhael.She would have liked to go 10America for her
feels rejected bolh by him and America. She says
stove.And shewantsto keepon teudingthe fire in
"good-by" to \er Kijimurd friend as her ship leavesthe
kamadountil Yoshino,hLerfavorite gratrddaulghter, Okinawan shore.
growsup to be an independent
u,oman.Umito is the
There is a touching moment when Yoshino, sitting
-5-
aloneon a beach,burnslrlichael'spersonalartir;lesin
studies).
herpossession:
his letters,photos,andclothes."Muslering courage,shestrikesa matchandputsit to lhe lelters
This dissertation
providesa hisloricalchronologyand
thematicsynthesisof an AmericanMilitary Govern-
first. They catch fire arrdthe flame spreadsto the
photosand the clothes.The portrail of Michael,in
mentcommandcommittedlo a mililary missionwhich
includedadulteducationin a culturalconlext.Relative
uniform, shrinksas it burnsandjumps ourtof lhe burning debris.Michael'sface twitchesand vanishesas she
to prolific American indoctrinationand propaganda
programs,adulteducationretainedcharacteristics
of
watches."
The novel is a kind of travelogueas well, brimming
with informationon Okinawa,its folk religio,nand
literature,festivals,lournaments,
flora andfauna.There
socialeducalionandlifelong learning,assistingfirst the
Okinawanzurdultimatelylhe reconslructionmovement
in poslwarOkinawa.Although Military Government
wasrepressive
in manyrespects,
it helpeddestitule
are alsodetaileddescriptions
of schoolevenls,sruchas
athleticmeets,music, and danceperforrnances.
These
factualelemenlsare given an episodeor two in an
attempt1oconfinethem'withinthe frameworkof lhe
Okinawanadultslea-rncriticalsocialand vocational
skills,which enabledthemto assumelheir respective
placein a symbioticrelationship
with the American
military.
novel.
Thereare somegooddescriplions
of nalureaswell.
Military Government's
hierarchical
disposition
contradictedthe democratic
preceptsit advocated.
Despite
For example,Kim Bay at night is visualJlyimpressive lhis fact, responsibility
for implementingpostwar
with the "ttvinklingyello,wlights"of theTenganvildemocracy
in theRyukyuIslandswas iuherentin Mililage,"sparklingredandlblueneonsignts"of thr:Kim
paradoxical
policyandadministration.
lary Government
military base,"flickerin6 fishermen'sfiire" of lFlenza fronnils inception,this democracywas inhibitedand
island,andso on.
prostratedby the impendentauthorityof Military
Numerouscharacters
wJilhJapanese
nameswrittenirr
Governmenft
velo. Evenas Okinawa'sstrategicimporkanji appearonceor lwice, neverto be seenagain, tancecoalesced,Americanmilitary objecliveswere an
whichwill be especiallyoonfusingto the foreigr readpriorityof theUnitedStatesCivil Administrafurherited
er. Adult opinionson complexissuessometimes
fall
tion in the Ryukyus(USCAR).
from themouthof a child,resultingin an unconvincing
Sevenyearsof MilitaryGovernment
in theRyutAus
characterization.
Informati,onal
detailsarr:too profuse,
clutteringandilterferitrglvith the flow of thenarrative.
inducedsignificantchangesin the lives of many
Okinawans.
postwarrecruitmentof new and
Deliberate
Someideas,on democrac'y
and educationL
for example,
arenot newandquicklybercome
tiresome.
necessary
skillsandthe existingintrusionof an imposing Western
culture,restricted
maintenance
andreinforcementof lradilionalRyukyuanvalues.With lhe
Nonetheless,
thedilemmaof a child of mixed*blood
in searchof identityis an intriguingtopicfor a novel.
d e m i s eo f O k i n a w a ' sa g r i c u l t u r ee c o n o m ym
, any
And Kijimwa is an apl innageryfor sucha child. The
Okinawans
lolerateKijirnutn asharmless;
in a way,they
Okinawanadultssecuredemployment
with lhe Americanmilitary.The realityof a wageearningeconomy
tolerateYoshino.
denotedan inevitabletransitionfor thoseOkinawans
whosefarmlandhadbeendestroyed
or expropriated
for
Jo N. ldartin
Dissertatianabstracts
baseexpansions.
Culturalinculcationwas nol a consequenceof disruptionin lhe transference
of the indige-
Trafton, Terry. Tlrc Real/;yof Paradox: A Historical
Study to,,4ssesstlrc Role:of Adult Education in the
nouscuhure,so muchasit wasa resultof particularand
definitivechanges
whichproducedthisdisruption.
DemocratizatiotrProcess:Administeredby Military
Govenrment
ilt Okhnu,q.l{orthemlllinois Universily,
In theend,therewasloo muchdisparityin thedemocraticmessage
and the reality which existedin postwar
1993.(Education,leaderr;hip
and educational
policy
Okirrawa.Defectivein manyways,this democracydid
-6-
rebuildingpr:ogramwith
coordinatea comprehensive
iesConference
at lhe VicloriaUniversityof Wellington,
opportunityandprosperity,For manyOkinawans,the
by a Military
absurdityof a democracyadministered
New Zealand;and in August, the 34th International
congresson AsianandAfrican Studiesat the University
Governmerrtcommandwas a paradoxwhi,chgenerated
ofHong Kong.
resentmenland a senseof distanceand isolation.and
wilh Japan.
impelledthedemandfor a rr:newedalliance,
Teny Trafton andJoyceTrafton arenow teachingat
the Universityof Maryland'sAsian campusin Okinawa. In additionto EnglishiSpeech
classes,
they are
Trafton,Joyce.Kado,ShodioandKaraledoasExamples
of Lifelong Learningin JapanandTheir Implications
for WesternLifelong Irarning. Northem lllinois University, 1993. (Education,leadershipand educat,ional
teachingRyukyuanhistory and culture in the Asian
studiesDepartment.
It is good to know that collegeIevel coursesin Ryukyuanstudieshavebeenestablished.
policy studies).
lifekrng learning
Db (michi),the Way,is a Japanese
In August1993,The RyukyuShimpohostedthe
JoumLalists'
GlobalIslandsSymposium.
HiroshiKaka-
of the
fundamental
to the dissemination
experience
as a
lraditionalandmartialartsof Japan.It is e.raminedl
zu, Slinichi )KyanandTakeshiMiki formedthe coreof
theorganizingcommitteefor thisevent.The Journalists
meansfor finding successand fulfillmerrt in lifelong
arerdrawnfrom
learningin Japan.Genuineexperiences
the conlextsof Kad:o(FlowerWay), Slndb (BrushWay),
and Karatedb@mpty-HandWay).Althoughonlythree
camefrom widely scalteredislandsof theworld like
Fiji, Hawaii,the Azores,PuertoRico, and sevefal
others.(Formore,seethepublications
sectiotrbelow.)
RichardPearson's
4l cientJapan(New York: George
areused,lhey
main"threads
" (Knd6,SlrctIZi,andKar atedD)l
are not individuatedbut rneshedlogetherwithin the
Inc., 1992)is laudedin a reviewappearing
Braziiller,
in
theJaunralo,fAsianSadies(August1993).
culluralfabric.
Japanese
wlto,while
Theteacheris a guidefor theparticipanls
of the art,
learningphysicaland merrtalcomponents
oll the art, the
exploreshis potentiality.Regardless
GeorgeDeVos'sSocial Cohesiotrand Alienation:
Minorities in tlre United Statesand Japan (Boulder,
Colorado:WestviewPress,1992)is reviewedsomewhatdisinterestedly
in anotherissueof the"/,4S(February 1993).Ravereviewshaveappeared
in otherjour-
resultanlspirituallrainingcanliberatethe learnerfrom
The ralionaland
that which obstruclsself-realization.
nals,ltou'ever.
becomemutuallybalanced.
intuitivesubsequently
to understand
a
The Westernreaderis challenged
In July 1993,LeonSerafimgavea lecture,oneof
threoirt the 1993 ShunzoSakamakiExtraordirrary
varietyof elementssuchas creativity,lhe role of lhe
teacher,the learner,the useof lime, andthe influences
of culturein theDDlifelonglearningarena.This research
urgesthe readerto adapta differentpoint c,fview whiclt
l"ectureSeries,at theEast-WestCenterof theUniversity of Hawaii.He gavea panoramicreview of Ryulauan
betweenEastandWest.
requiressensitivitylo contrasts
DDoffersmankinda polentialway to facilitateintercul-
In August,Koji Tairavisited"Nirai Kanai."Nirai
Kanaiis the world beyondin Ryukyuancosmology.
withoutdestroying
uniquecultural
turalcollaboration
contexls.
Onewho goesthereandreturnsis saidto live forever.
however,wasthefestivalof indigeKoji'sNirai )Kanai,
culture,historyand language.The Ryukyuanisthopes
to publishparlsof kon's lecturein thenearfuture.
nouspeoplesnamedNirai KanaiMalsurisponsored
by
oneof Okinawa'smostacclaimedcontemporary
musi-
Mernbertrcws
KiyoshiNakachi,basedat theUniversityof Guam,
in conferwasbusyduringthesummer.He participaled
a paper
encesat therateof oneper monlh,prese:nting
cianri,Mr. Kina Shokichi.
SteveRabsonandDavid Howellwill participate
togetherat the Meiji StudiesConference
at Harvard
eachtime: in June,the Par:ificScienceInter-Congress next May. David hasorganized
a panelon " 'Internal
AsianStudOthers'in lvfeijiSociety."He will give a paperon lhe
in Okinawa;in July,the lclth International
1
Ainu and the Meiji State;iStevewill presenta paperon
Okinawa(" 'Assimilation'in Okinawa:PTomotionand
Resistance");
a graduateStudentat Princeton,David
Ambaras, will ialk abouitthe Burakumrinand/orthe
blind; andHarumiBefu wjLllbe discussant.
two recompil ed Omoro Sosfti.The oiginaXOmoro Sosli
(in three books) were lost in rhe 1709 fire of rhe
Publications(X)
the Aniya" The original Aniya copy itself was lost in
the 1945 tsattle of Okinawa. However, many private
Ugusuku. In 1710, all Omoro in memory and records
were recompiled afresh and two copieswere made.
The master copy was submilted to the King. Another
copy was retainedby the family in charge of Omoro,
We are gateful for thr:following gifts of publications:
copieshad been made from i1 by severalOmoro
sclholarssuch as lfa Fuyu, NakaharaZenchu,Hokama
ShinjQToshio( ffiffiiff.tt|
Eiichi ( ,{'FfifRX*
) and l{aliasone,
), eds. Kr,gybsewyaku:
2l seiki no sentaku(Co.rporate
Strategy:Choi,ces
of
the21stcentury( A*r#j[f;- 2 1tt#eo]:Et^ ) trlaha:
Brain Okinawa,1993.2',49
pp.Y1,900.14 essaysin
honorof ProfessorSusumuMiyahiraon lhe occasion
S h u z e n ,a r n do t h e r s . T h e s e c o p i e s s t i l l e x i s t . T h e
Royal edition, becauseof its special status,was for a
long time inaccessibleto ordinary scholars.There are
imLportant
discrepanciesbetween lhe Royal edition
a n d t h e d e r i v a t i v e so f t h e A n i y a e d i t i o n . T l i e r e -
of his 60thbirthday.
p u b l i c a t i o no f t h e R o y a l e d i t i o n s h o u l ds t i m u l a r e
Asalr.iSltimbunWeeklyAERA, May 5-12, 1993.A
anotherround of Omoro studies.
specialeditionon Ryukyuanculture.Threheadingof a
Ishiliawa,Masahide( nlllWrt
), Sakugawa,Seiichi (
leadarticle:"Okinawawa bunkadoliuritsukoku"
yusei
( HRfi'&
IENUW*
), and Takara,
).
(Okinawa:A CulturallyIndependent
Country).
Ucltinaru kakusaika jidai $ime for internal internaEsaki,Gen( ifilJfg ), ed.Izumi:Jidai enookunmono
tionali2slion
h/f atrffi.fL4g+f( ). Naha: Kanko
(Fountain:
Presents
for Posterity( fi /Aft^,Ofg D
Scrkufussl,u,
1992.228 pp. An zurthology
of conlribuTokyo:
Seibunsha,
1991.461prp.
Y2,000.
Al
tionsby 6 authors,all on thefacultyof lhe Okinawa
6O ).
a n t h o l o g yo f n u m e r o u s h o r te s s a y sb y l e a d i n g
Urfversity.
Okinawans.
J-GIS '93 Organizing
Committee.
Jounnltsrs'Glohal
'93
Feifer, George."Okinavra:Afler the \/olcano"?fte
IslandSymposium A compilationof photo Atlantic(September
pp. 22-27.l photocopy.
199i1),
co'pies
of announcemenls,
reports,comments,
ediloriGekkanOkinatt,a( E TUn,f;[E), No. 206 (June/July
als,analyses,
speeches,
elc.of theu,orld'sislandarea
1993),No. 207(August/lSeptember).
journalists'symposiumheld irr Okinau'a,Augusl2.1HoseiUniversityInstitute.[or
OkinawanStudies.
S/Dro
zfi,7993,clippedfrom theRyulryuSlimpo.Several
(InstituteReport Ffi +ll ), No. 40 (frlarch 1993).
articlesarein EngJish.
HiroshiKakazu,KarenLupar24pp.
dus,and ShinichiKyan, all ISRSmembers,each
Idem.Ryulryuno ltbgen@ialeclsof Ryuk,p ffiI*A
ccrntribute
an article.The Lupardusarliclesetsoff
wiitha vivid descriptionof lhe event:"Fromall over
fi=
),No. 17 (1992). 777 pp. Containsthree
articlesled by Iha Kazumasa( ,{F&tTltr
theu'orld,journalistsdescended
on Okinau'athis
)
n ictionary:
" B e l t e l h e l m ' sE n g l i s h - L o o c h o o a D
ChineseDerivatives,"followedby "Hatomadialect
vocabularyrelatedto religiousrites" (No. 2) by Shinichi Kajiku ( Ini$:tfift') and "LinguaLfranca of
wr:ek.HavingarrivedSundayor Monday,theyu'ill
slormaboutthe islandsfor a week leamingas much
astheycan,andthenon Saturdaylheywill pourforth
their questions,
commentsand concerns.On Sunday
Okinawa"by TaliashiNagata( ;icHffifi )
Idem. Shbkebon"OmorolSos/rl"(lhe Royal Edition,
Omoroscsl,t( t5K4 fic66*?tj
)
(OkinawaResearch
MaterialNo. 14),editedby Higa
Minoru.Tol,ao,1993.290 pp. A reprintof oneof the
th,eywill bewhiskedup into the sky andau'ayfrom
us, andlife u,ill, for a while, returnto normal.But it
mayneverbe thesameagain.rr
Ka ,flo'okolokolonui
KanakaMaoli TIrcPeoples,IrtternationalTribunalHau,aii,1993 (August12-27,
-8-
1993). Program,scheduleand information.The
$14.95.A biographyof a New Yorkerwho helpedthe
authorduringhis collegeyearsin the United Statesin
the early 1950s.The benefactorwas originally from
the aulhor'sislandin Ryukau,Kikaijima (administra-
Tribunal is "an altemptto explain,in indigenous
terms,the continuingattacksagainslna Kanaka
Maoli andtheir growingresistance
to thoseattacks"
(p. 2). It is "a formal appealto the court of world
tively in KagoshimaPrefecturetoday).The book is a
opinion.[tt] will documentwrongs and provide historical, moral andlegal basesfor requiredremedies.t'
(p.e).
Kurima,Yasuo( *F'1*F
). "Okinawa ni okeru
kazokun0gy6keieino seiritsuzensi"(Historyof therise
Kimura,Masaaki( ^FJ[iEld ). Mu ta,iriku wa
Ryulryuni atta (fhe Continentof Mu was in Ryukyu
A-;t l*itffit,f.t:b.fc
personaltributeaswell as a valuableadditionto the
studyof Ryukyuanemigration.
of familyfarmsin Okinawa ft'ffi|;*1;lt $XffiH$f#HOFIf,frf-R ),in Kiki niokeru kazoku nogyd
,teiel(Familyfarmsundercrisis ftffil:*"'{t 674-ffi
) Tokyo: TokrL,rma
Shoten,1991.246pp. Y1,.300.
The title soundsface*
tious.The text is full of sreemingly
incrediblestories.
Bul the author,an eslablished
professorof geologyat
the Universityof the Ryukaus,is seriousabourtthe
hypothesis
lhat Ryulau was Mu. The bor:kis a geo-
g{t-gR*
/E^--IE
O
) edited by Toshihiko Isobe
( W&il4*tr: ), Ch. 6. Tokyo: Nihon Keizai
Hyoronsha,
1993.Y6,695.
NichibunkenNansletter ([nternationa] ResearchCenler
for Japanese
Studies),No. 14 (April 1993);No. 15
logicalhistoryof the RyukyuIslands.The mylhic
Continentof Mu is said 1ohavesunk in the Pacific
Oceancirca 12,000BP QleforePresent),During the
periodof 200.000BP to 15,000BB l;heRyukyu
islandswereparl of a lonl; promontoryprojectedinto
(Augusl199t3).
the seafrom the EastAsian continentvia loday's
Taiwan.Seismicupheavals
begancircaL
18,000BP
NotreDameSieishinWomen'sCollegeInstitutefor Life
StyleStudies.1992.
Nenpd(AnnualRepo $*ff ),
No. 6 (November).274 pp. Two articlesare relevant
to tr(yukyuanStudies.One is "Occupalionsand
mutualhelp in Yoron" by MasaharuKato ( ln# fr6
andvasl coastalareasof EhstAsia sankbelowthe sea
level in thefollowingmeilenia.The Ryukyupromon-
) . T h e o t h e ri s " H a w l e yC o l l e c t i o n "b y M a n a b u
Yokoyama( {ftilS
).
tory brokeup into numerousislandslhat we know as
the Ryukyustoday.The sealevel also rose after
O k i n a w aI n t e r n a t i o n aUl n i v e r s i l y ,B u s i n e s sa n d
Eccrnomics
Department,Journal of Businessand
18,000BP due1othe mr:ltingof ice as the last lce
Age cameto an end.Ryul:yuwas alreadyinhabitedas
Economics,Vol. 18, No. 2 (March 1990).40 pp.
Threearlicl:s in Japanese.
attestedby humanfossilsdiscovered
at lVlinatogawa, OkinawaIntr:rnational
University,lnstituteof RyuOkinawa,and datedbacli:to circa 1.6,00t0
BP. Since
kyuanCulture.MiyakoSlimoj ichbcharahokakushoNo.
then,seismicupheavalsffrrneandwent inLlhe Ryunrau
areamanytimeswith varyingdegrees
of severity.The
peoplehavesubsequently
evolved
Minatogawa-type
to becometoday'sRyultauans.
4 (Fieporton thesurveyof MiyakoShimojicho ES
Tt[FJ-EJflA+Fgg
). This is the Institute of
RyrrkyuanCulture'sArea StudiesSeries,No. 18
(1992).Thrreearticlesexaminehistory of schools,
Kinjo, Seitolr ( #fifr:H
).Ryulryuslnbunron
(Essayson the dispositionof Ryukyu ffiIfi{&rl"=ft )
YarLagida
l(unio'sKaijo no michi, and migration.
Also contai:ns
reprintof substantialhistoricalmateri-
exploraNaha:OkinawaTimes.1978.Provocative
lions of variousaspeclsof lhe 1879anne.rationof lhe
alson Kurirnajima.
Idem.Taramajimachosah*okuslto No. 1 (Reporton lhe
Ryul'1yuKingdomby Japan.The authoris a specialist
on modemChinesehistorly.
Koriyama,Naoshi.Anotlrcr'Bridge (her tke Pacific A
surveyof Taramajima *HFflHffiA+Rg+
)
(Ar,zaStudiies
Series,No. 1-9)(1993).Containsfour
articlesrespectivelyon geography,old songs,Iangua,ge,
vocabulary.
man.from an Island and His Americantl/i/e. New
York: VanlagePress,1993.xiii, 106 pp. Photos.
OkinawaUniversilyLibrary,Kanp-o(Librarynews
-9-
1993).8pp.
fC # ), No.15(Januani
Ryukyu Shimposha 1992. Shin Ryukyushi:
and Setf-Sustainable
"StrucluralImbalances
Devel-
A call for papers
TheRyulqtuanislNo. 30 would be arnappropriate
benchmark
lo commemorate.
Oneway to do sowould
be to expandit into a larger collectiohof serious
lhe handsof theeditorby January1995.The sizeof
an essaymay be 4,000- 5,000words.For further
opmentin an Island Economy:The Caseof the
KindailGendai lten (A new history of
OkinawanEconomy"(in Japanese).
Ryuklu:Modernandcontemporary
periods *ftfiSq.
Sakumoto,Tomokazu.1993.The BasicTlrcoryof
Eft .q,ftffffi=
Naha,
1992.
398
pp.
)
Intentational Business
MatwgementA bilingual text.
,'new
Y2,700.This completes
lhe RyukyuShrimpo's
Okinawallnternationa]
University.94 pp.
historyseries."For the previousissuesin this series. TaksraBen slisltu
@oemsof TaliaraBen HRru #
seeThe Ryulryuanist
Nc,.16 (Spring1992).
F ). Natra:MyakuHakkosho,1991.156pp.y9g0.
Ryu$tuUniversityEconomicReview,No. 45 (March
TolryolOkinutt,a
Bunkakuslrin ( R,B-t+ffiX{LrB,fF ),
1993).Containsan articleby Hajime Obhiro,earlier
No. 41 (Jruly1993),No. 42 (September
1993).
presented
at the 1992rneetingof the International Uclinanclru:,
Vol. 41 (August1993).A specialfestival
Small IslandsStudies,A\ssociation
in lhe Bahamas:
issue.
essayson themesin RyukTuan
studies.lflre 30thissue
is duein Falt 1995.Sincetheproductionof a substan-
in1lormation,
contactKoji Taira,Instituteof labor and
Industrial Relations,504 E. Armory Avenue,
Champaign, IL 61820; rel. (217)333-1,4g3:
tial volumetakestime,tlhemanuscripts
shouldbe in
FAX,(21.7)244-4091,.
TlteRyulquanisris a quarlerlynewsletterof the InternationalSocietyfor RyukyuanStudies,an
affiliate of
theAssociationfor AsiianStudies.Edilors:Koji Tairaand EitetsuYamaguchi.publisher:Shinichi
Kyan,
ExecutiveDirector, oliinawa labor aniJEconomicResearchlnstitute,1-1 Higashimachi,Naha,
okinawa,
900,Japan.Annualsulbscriptions:
insttitutions,
US g20; individuals,US $10 (i=pecial
ratefor students,
US
$5); payableto Koji Taira,c/o Programin RyukyuanStudies,Centerfor EasiAsian andpaciflc Studies,
Universityof Illinoisa1.
Urbana-Champaign,
910SouthFifth Street,Champaign,
IL 61g20U.S.A. Tel.217333-48s0
-10-