I am half Okinawan. My mother and my Uncle moved from Okinawa to America when my mother was eight years old. In June 2013, I visited Okinawa, Japan for the first time. My mother was able to reunite with her family after many years. My sister and I were able to finally meet our family. My Uncle moved back to Okinawa when he was an adult and he got engaged to a Japanese woman. My family and I visited to attend their beautiful wedding. This trip was an amazing and memorable experience. In December 2018, my mother received some unfortunate news that my grandmother had passed. We returned back to Okinawa and attended her funeral. We were able to meet with our family once again and visit the temple where our grandmother's shrine resided. 

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   The first time I visited Okinawa, I was really amazed by the marine life. I went snorkeling, and I saw a blue starfish and some black sea cucumbers. I also went deep sea fishing with my family. We caught many species of fish that I have never seen before including a bright red parrot fish. We also tried to go swimming at a beach and a lifeguard showed us a book filled with pictures of poisonous marine life and he pointed out the designated swimming area. I had no idea that Okinawa had such diverse marine life and that there were so many poisonous species.

 

   This abundant marine life in Okinawa impacts the food culture there as well. We visited many fish and seafood markets in Okinawa. These markets were huge and filled with all types of seafood. They were selling ginormous Tuna that was half of my height, sea urchins, and much more. We just browsed in these markets and we didn’t buy much. However, we did try a lot of different seafood at restaurants. I ate the head of a Tuna, eel, japanese deer, and japanese duck. Also my family would invite us over to their house on New Year’s Eve and they would cook a whole buffet for us. One of our relatives made us sushi and sashimi with the fish that he caught. We also had sumo soup and new years soup. My dad drank pear saki, Orion (Okinawan beer) and a plum saki that my relative made. 

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   One food item that was really unique in Okinawa was goya. Goya is a vegetable that looks like a cucumber with warts on it. Goya is known to have a lot of health benefits and people believe that it contributes to the long life expectancy in Okinawa. Some of the oldest people on Earth are Okinawan. My great uncle whom we met, died at 103 years old. There is a long life expectancy especially in northern Okinawa. Northern Okinawa is less urban and the people there get their food from fishing off of the cliffs and gardening. Many northern Okinawans grow Goya and their diet mostly consists of fish, Goya, and rice. Their simple and whole food lifestyle contributes to their long life expectancy. 

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   Okinawa is a small island but it has a diverse culture. Northern okinawa is very different from southern Okinawa. The middle of Okinawa is more urban, and there are more buildings, skyscrapers, and roads. Also, Okinawa itself is very different from mainland Japan. Okinawa used to be an independent country and was ruled by the Ryukyu kingdom. These islands became heavily influenced by trade. Okinawan culture is a mix of different influences because of all of the trade with China and other countries. Therefore, the Okinawan culture is very different from mainland Japanese culture.

 

   One thing I loved about the Japanese culture was that people were very nice and the customer service was excellent. As soon as we boarded the plane, we immediately saw the difference between American customer service and Japanese customer service. It seems like Japanese culture in general really values respect and customer service. Also, I learned that in Japan, employees always bow when they say thank you. For example, whenever we went to the grocery store to buy food, the cashier would always bow and say thank you. The flight attendants would bow when entering or leaving the plane and servers would bow after delivering our meals. This was interesting because we don’t have this type of behavior in America and I didn’t know how to react at first. I learned that it's typical for us to bow back and I started to bow when we went to the grocery store or any restaurants. 

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   Another obstacle that I faced was language. My mom forgot Japanese and no one in our immediate family knew the language. Luckily, my Uncle Scott relearned the language and he was our interpreter throughout the whole trip. I also had a relative who went to an American university and learned English and a great aunt who knew some English from talking to the American marines on the island. So, they helped interpret a few conversations as well. However, it was very difficult to communicate with everyone in my family because there were so many family members and only a few interpreters. This was a difficult problem to overcome but usually my Uncle Scott was around to interpret and if he wasn’t then we would try to read body language and gestures in order to communicate. However, I want to learn Japanese so that one day I can communicate with everyone in my family. Even though we couldn’t speak the language, I still learned a lot from my family. 

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   Last time I visited, my great aunt showed me many photo albums of my mom and Uncle Scott as a child as well as my grandma Sueko. I have never seen those photos and before this trip, I knew little to nothing about my grandma and my mother’s childhood. We also visited the neighborhood where my mom was raised and we went to a nearby park that she used to go to as a child. It was such an incredible way to learn more about my mother and my grandmother. My family also gave us my grandmother and my mother’s old kimonos. They dressed us in these kimonos which was such an unique experience. Kimonos are a huge part of Japanese culture. There are many steps and layers to putting on a kimono and I had many aunts help me put it on. It took a long time but it was well worth it!

 

   Another important part of Okinawan culture is Shisa dolls. In Okinawa there are statues called Shisa and they are everywhere. They are half lion and half dog. They are similar to gargoyles and they are normally on rooftops or near the entrance to houses and palaces. These statues are normally in pairs. The meaning of the statues derives from Okinawan mythology. The people of Okinawa believe that Shisa protects them from evil spirits. One statue has an open mouth to ward off evil spirits and the other statue has a closed mouth to keep good spirits. Shisa is influenced by China but is native to Okinawa. These statues are not found in the rest of Japan like Tokyo. 

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   Another thing that I learned about Okinawan culture is Seijin no Hi (Adult Day). When I last visited Okinawa, I was 20 years old. In Japan, when you turn 20 you become a legal adult. Seijin no Hi is a coming of age celebration for all of the 20 yr olds in the city. These young adults all dress up in their finest clothes ( kimonos, suits, etc) and they go to a ceremony where the mayor will make a speech. Some governments give them gifts. This celebration is very important in Japanese culture and a lot of 20 year olds take traditional Japanese photos during this celebration to remember this important day. In Japan, you are also allowed to drink at the age of 20. So, it was a very unique and interesting experience to be in Japan when I was 20 years old. I did not take part in the celebration and I didn’t take any photos. However, next time I visit I plan to take some traditional Japanese photos. 

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   Now, my family and I try to visit Okinawa every five years. This way we are able to stay in touch with our family and explore more of Japan and its culture every trip. I also would like to teach English in Okinawa. Hopefully, I can become closer to my family and learn the language.