 | |
| Okinawa Prefecture | |
| Capital | Naha |
|---|---|
| Residents | 1.460.652 (2021) |
| surface | 2,280.98 km² |
| website | www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp/, www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp/site/chijiko/kohokoryu/foreign/english/, www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp/site/chijiko/kohokoryu/foreign/chinese-s/, www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp/site/chijiko/kohokoryu/foreign/chinese-t/, www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp/site/chijiko/kohokoryu/foreign/korean/, www.pref.okinawa.lg.jp/site/chijiko/kohokoryu/foreign/spanish/ |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | |
| location | |
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Okinawa(Japanese: 沖 縄 県, Okinawa-ken) is an island chain between the Japanese south and the Chinese province Taiwan. It is the southernmost prefecture of Japan. About half of the 150 or so islands are inhabited.
For “mainland Japanese” a visit to the Ryūkyū Islands, which stretch over 1200 km, has a certain exotic touch. Especially the light sandy beaches, which are not found on the main islands, are an attraction. For short-term tourists coming to Japan from Europe, the lengthy journey, at least by ship, will not fit into the schedule any more than a trip to the Bonin Islands.
Regions
Okinawa Prefecture is made up of the archipelagos
- 1 Okinawa Hontō, Main island with small ones in front
places
On a land area that is smaller than that of Luxembourg, 1.4 million people live, almost three times as many people as in the Central European miniature state. Large parts of the islands are still not usable as American military bases, whose low-flying aircraft cause a huge noise problem, especially on the main island, as a restricted area.
- 1 Naha(那覇), the administrative seat
- 2 Ginowan
- 3 Ishigaki
- 4 Itoman
- 5 Miyakojima
- 6 Nago
- 7 Nanjō
- 8 Okinawa
- 9 Tomigusuku
- 10 Urasoe
- 11 Uruma
Other goals
Of Naha From there are ferries to the offshore islands, including Zamami.
See the Main article on Kagoshima Prefecture regarding the northern archipelagos of the Ōsumi, Mishima, Tokara and Amami islands.
Daitō Islands
The three small ones located 360 km to the east Daitō Islands(大 東 諸島) can also be reached by plane since 1997. Operates ferries Daitō Kaiun 6-7 times a month for around ￥ 11,000 from Naha.
Senkaku Islands
The uninhabited eight small Senkaku Islands are disputed between Japan and China (both governments). Due to the lack of infrastructure, trips there are at best possible with your own yacht (and “closed port” permit), but whether it would be advisable for political reasons is another question.
background
The Ryūkyū Kingdom, which was united at the end of the 15th century, was an independent “vassal” of the two large neighbors in ancient times. Since an invasion in 1609 by the samurai of the Satsuma-han out Kagoshima claimed to be its master suzerane. As everywhere in East Asia, however, the regularly paid tributes (which were offset by correspondingly valuable counter-gifts) served as a cover for trade relations between countries that were officially completely different from the Outside world (Japan from 1615, China under the Manchus).
The aforementioned invasion served the newly arisen Meiji state Demanding "respect" from the Ryukyu king in the 1870s. In 1879 a troop was finally dispatched to occupy the palace with four hours' warning and exiled the king to Tokyo. He was allowed to live there as a third-class Japanese nobleman.
Okinawa became Japan's first colony. Although the residents are and were Japanese citizens, they are still discriminated against in a variety of ways on the mainland. In planning the defense of the main islands, the military in the Pacific War accepted the foreseeable extermination of the civilian population in 1945 with approval. The island chain was administered directly by the American military until 1972. Even today, with a share of 0.6% of the land area in total Japan, the burden of 75% of the bases of the American occupation forces is borne.
Since the 1980s, protests against these conditions have risen again and again, especially after the frequent rape or murder (for non-professional reasons) of locals by GIs. These have intensified since the first Abe government took office, which is increasingly engaged in the re-militarization of Japan, as more parts of the country are to be left to the Americans. Nevertheless, there is no serious independence movement, if only because the Japanese state security has always taken rigorous action against any kind of radical opposition.
language
The terms Ryūkyū and Okinawa are often used synonymously to denote the archipelago or prefecture, although foreigners find it easier to pronounce the latter. The term used in Japan Nansei-shotō(南西 諸島) for the entire chain of islands is unknown abroad.
In Naha you can use standard Japanese to communicate, but a number of words of Chinese origin have found their way. English is more widespread than in other areas because of the large number of US troops.
There are several dying out Ryūkyū languageswhose vocabulary, which can be derived from Japanese, is sixty percent in the worst case and which are otherwise not understandable for the Japanese. These languages, known as “dialects” in the sense of the central state, are only actively spoken by the older generation on the outlying islands. Television and the migration to the big cities, which has been taking place everywhere in Japan for decades, has led to an aging of rural regions, so that the languages not taught in schools can be expected to become extinct in the next few decades.
getting there
Most travelers are likely to come across the international Naha Airport (OKA) come. Practically all major Japanese cities have direct connections several times a day. At the end of 2017 were from Tokyo Haneda Airport single ￥ 13000-25000 and return ￥ 35000-40000 due, the flight time is around 3¼ hours. (Details in the local article.)
- Duty free purchases
Those who fly back from Okinawa to the heartland can buy goods for up to ￥ 200,000 in the duty-free shop of the domestic terminal (or in the city center, the purchases are then handed over at the airport).
By boat
There are daily ferries Kagoshima in 25-26 hours to Naha. Operators are A-line and Marix-Line. They take turns driving the route for the same prices: Naze (Amami-ōshima) ↔ Kametoku (Tokunoshima) ↔ Wadomari (Okinoerabujima) ↔ Yoron (Yoronjima) ↔ Motobu (Okinawa) ↔ Naha (Okinawa) (total distance from ￥ 27,000). From Kagoshima at 6 p.m., to Naha the following day at 7 p.m.; return from 7.00 a.m., the next day 8.30 a.m. (There is a 7-day hop-on hop-off ticket for 2nd class, which has certain restrictions. You should get the help of a Japanese speaker to book.)
Overview of all ferries within the archipelago.
mobility
Dynamic cardsThere is no more rail traffic.
There are flights between Naha and the outlying islands at least once a day to: Ishigaki Airport, Hirara Airport, Kume-jima Airport, Kitadaito Airport, Maridor Airport and Yonaguni Airport. These routes are served by ANA or the regional offshoots of JAL, these are JTA or RAC. There are hardly any direct flights between the islands, almost always via Naha (or Kagoshima).
JAC offers one, only to foreigners who do not reside in Japan, outside the high season Okinawa Island Pass for 2 to 5 sectors (2018/9: ￥ 9720 each) on the routes Naha to Ishigaki (ISG), Miyako (MMY) and Kume-jima (UEO).
Renting a car only makes sense on the main island.
Tourist Attractions
Several species of lily originate from Okinawa and can be found in the wild.
A special aspect of Okinawan culture were the mausoleums for rich people and for aristocrats. According to the characteristic shape, these are so-called "turtle graves" (亀 甲 墓, kamekobaka). The influence of Chinese customs and of Feng Shui is obvious, but these are distant developments. Just as common was (or is, even if it is not affordable for very few families) the “reburial”, whereby after a few years the bones of the (partially) decomposed corpses with them Awamori- Liquor washed off and then buried again.[1] Most of the dead are cremated these days.
In spring, the date is calculated according to the traditional lunar calendar, an All Souls Day is celebrated Shimii(清明 祭).
activities
With the also as Ushi-zūmo闘 牛 大会, Togyu or Ushiōrasē) well-known "bullfights" neither humans nor animals are harmed. Rather, two animals, like boxers with weight classes, push each other out of a given area by the horns, the fights are interrupted as soon as an injury is recognizable. There are in Uruma Ishikawa-Multi-purpose hall ((石川 多 目的 ド ー ム 闘 牛場) as a separate stadium in which about twenty days of fighting are held per year (entry ￥ 2500-3000). Outdoor competitions are held on smaller islands.
The Cherry Blossom - the "viewing" of Sakura in spring, preferably in a group with a lot of alcohol under a tree - naturally in Okinawa it starts most likely, usually in the last week of January.
accommodation
Practically all accommodations on the smaller islands are family pensions, Minshukus. Prices are usually calculated per person, meals (which you have to book more or less compulsorily) cost extra. In 2018 you should calculate an average of ￥ 3000-6000 without anything. There are seldom surcharges for air conditioning or "towel rental."
Compared to the main Japanese islands, hostels are much cheaper (Overview), some of which are available from 1500-1800 in a dormitory bed. More realistically, one would expect around ￥ 3000.
Prices for upscale hotels start at ￥ 25,000-30000 for a double without anything, but you can easily spend double without getting a suite. If you speak Japanese, you may be able to book cheaper all-inclusive packages (often 2-3 nights) in the heart of the country.
 | Minpaku-Act 2018. A law has been in force since the summer that makes the private, commercial rental of living space subject to approval. Landlords have to offer a certain equipment, put up signs and keep guest registers. Furthermore, the respective municipality can impose additional requirements, such as limiting the number of days on which renting is permitted per year or the like. The basically law-abiding Japanese largely adhere to such rules, so that the number of cheap accommodations has decreased. According to newspaper reports, up to 80% of the offers on Okinawa have disappeared from the market in the first two weeks after the regulation came into force. The approval rate is only around two thirds. |
kitchen
The Chinese influence is evident from the fact that pork is on the menu much more often than in the rest of Japan. Tropical fruits such as papaya and pineapple grow on the islands.
Soki are long cooked pork ribs. They are often served with soba. Alternatively there is the soup sokijiru cooked with kombu seaweed and radish.
Rafute is pork belly cooked in awamori and soy sauce.
in the Okinawa Soba the noodles are not made from buckwheat, but wheat. Other ingredients are hard egg, pork ribs and belly, dried fish strips (蒲 鉾, kamabako) as well as red ginger and “Korean” style chillies for seasoning.
Hirayachi is the local Okonomiyaki variant.
Umibudō is a species of algae that only grows around Okinawa and the Philippine Sea (Caulerpa lentillifera). The “grapes” bursting in the mouth create a caviar-like effect. Served as an ingredient in salads or on its own as a side dish to sashimi.
Mimiga are boiled pig's ears cut into strips. They are often served with mayonnaise as a snack with schnapps.
KeihanRice (鶏 飯) is based on chicken soup with shiitake mushrooms. It is considered the specialty of the Amami Islands.
Champuru is any kind of roasted meat-vegetable mix. In addition to meat, the most common ingredients are bean sprouts, tofu, eggs and bitter cucumber (Momordica charantia, yep Goya).
Spam: With this culinary highlight of American canned food, the locals became known through the occupiers, it tastes just as little better in miso or as sushi than when it is fried in garlic and seasoned with Tabasco.
Taco rice is a recent invention, a fusion of Tex-Mex-Salsa based on Japanese ingredients. The whole thing is also varied with hot dog sausages.
Awamori(泡 盛), also known as Shima-zake(島 酒) is a "wine" made from long grain rice, which is not brewed like sake, but is made by distillation and then sold with 30-43% alcohol. The price increases with age. The extra strong variant Hanazake is 60% fire water that is traditionally drunk pure. Kōrēgusu(高麗 胡椒, kōrēgūsu) is a sauce made from chili peppers pickled in awamori.
Orion is the local beer brand that is based on American models and is therefore less likely to appeal to Central European visitors than other Japanese beers.
Sweet potatoes until the 1960s the Common people's staple foods usually have purple flesh.
nightlife
Outside Naha in the western style near that American Village in the local Sunabe district (砂 辺).[2] Prostitution has been banned in all of Japan since 1954, so it doesn't exist! However, like everywhere in the Soapland Let “soap” (which will have a correspondingly cleaning effect on the wallet). Karaoke etc. are available in every village.
security
If you stay away from American soldiers who are drunk or under the influence of drugs, the situation corresponds to that of the very safe Japanese heartland.
Statistics reaching up to 2004 have shown that since 1972 there had been a good 5157 serious crimes (533 of which were robbery, murder and rape) by soldiers against the Japanese civilian population. Only in the last few years have more criminal suspects been handed over to the Japanese judiciary (whose methods, especially in the preliminary proceedings, as in the US military, can be “torture”. Up to 23 days incommunicado including sleep deprivation are reminiscent of the South American dictatorships of the 1970s).
health
In principle, all snakes in Okinawa should be considered poisonous as the only non-poisonous species Akamata, the better to bite. Most of the islands have different types of Habu called vipers, this is the genus Trimeresurus. Bites are rarely fatal, but lead to a drop in blood pressure and paralysis. One should try to cover the wound (not bandage) and see a doctor within two hours of the bite. They are particularly aggressive in the spring to June. Pickled in Awamori- They are called liquor Habushu sold, the traditional method being to drown the animal in it, resulting in strong smelling beverages.
The nocturnal sea snakes of the species that live in coral reefs are also highly poisonous Laticauda semifasciata(エ ラ ブ ウ ミ ヘ ビ, Erabumi hebi) they are particularly aggressive in winter. Also the yellow-bellied one, which is widespread in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean Pelamis platurus is poisonous. Her name is Japanese Seguromi hebi(セ グ ロ ウ ミ ヘ ビ). You can also find them on the beach.
Stay away from Mukade(ム カ デ), up to eight centimeters long, with a brownish-black body and yellow legs. Their poison is extremely uncomfortable and causes swelling. First aid with an ice pack, then medicine. A popular saying goes that they always appear in pairs. It should not be crushed as it will attract more specimens.
Touching the hair of the pine processionary moths wandering in columns in late spring (毛虫, Te-mushi) can lead to a painful rash that lasts for weeks.
climate
The climate is subtropical. Most rain falls in May and June. Hurricanes are to be expected in the season from the end of August to November. The maximum daily temperatures in July / August can reach 35 ° C, the warm Kurushiro Current ensures that it never gets colder than 10 ° C even in winter.
literature
Okinawa will be in most Japan travel guides covered in one chapter.
- Walker, Robert; Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands: the first comprehensive guide to the entire Ryukyu Island chain; Tokyo 2014 (Tuttle); ISBN 978-1-4629-1431-9 [Endless information on the dimensions of individual islets in the sea, prices in US $, also explains the recreational facilities available in military bases. Hardly useful for Europeans.]
- Anhalt, Gert; Okinawa between Washington and Tōkyō: reflections on political and social development 1945-1972; Marburg 1991; ISBN 3927607045
- Goldschmidt, Richard; New Japan: Travel pictures from Formosa, the Ryukyu Islands, Bonin Islands, Korea and the southern Manchurian lease area; Berlin 1927 (Springer) [Of historical interest, stylistically in a condescending colonial pose.]
- Kaneko, Martin; Textile workers in Japan: the women from Buraku and Okinawa; Vienna 1993 (Böhlau); ISBN 3205980069 [Discrimination on the mainland]
- Loo, Tze May; Heritage politics: Shuri Castle and Okinawa's incorporation into modern Japan, 1879-2000; Lanham 2014 (Lexington); ISBN 9780739182482
- Pappert, Patrick; Yaeyama Ishigaki dialect: a representation of phonological and morphological characteristics; Marburg 2015 (Tectum); ISBN 9783828836310
- Vogt, Gabriele; Renaissance of the Peace Movement in Okinawa: Domestic and Foreign Policy Dimensions 1995-2000; Munich 2003 (iudicium); ISBN 3891296843
- : The Aloha Japanese. In:In Asia, Vol.3 (May / June) (2010), Pp. 18-23 (German). - Presentation of the former Ryukyu Kingdom as a travel destination.
Web links
- Official websites of individual islands or municipalities:
- Anami Islands (engl.)
- Kume-jima
- Minami-Daitō ("South Borodino Island") only jp.
- Kita-Daitō only jp.
- Visit Okinawa (engl.)
- Senkaku Islands (German)
- Overview of the ferry operators operating from Kagoshima
- Representation of Okinawa in Washington (Eng.), not only tourist information, also on problems of the military presence (from an official point of view)
- 琉球 独立 運動 資料 館 the "independence movement"
- Asia-Pacific Journal, online magazine of American salon socialists, but which gives a lot of space to anti-American voices regarding the military presence there.
- ↑This, too, is an ancient Chinese custom conveyed from Fujian via Taiwan. Described in detail in Prip-Møller, Joh .; Lohner, Henry; Buddhist temples in China; Norderstedt 2017, Vol. I, pp. 269f., ISBN 978-3-7448-7270-6
- ↑There is a list which nightlife spots are “off limit” for US military personnel.