ADVERTORIAL
The Ultimate Okinawa Travel Guide: Japan’s Tropical Paradise
Beyond the neon glow of Tokyo and the manicured temples of Kyoto lies a version of Japan that feels entirely separate from…
ryukyu
ADVERTORIAL
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
With Japan’s New Money Out, Whither the 2000 Yen Bill?
There's a lot of excitement around Japan's new money. But what will happen to the increasingly rare 2000 yen bill?
SOCIAL MEDIA
2chan Founder Hiroyuki Under Fire for Insults of Okinawans
Controversial 2chan founder Hiroyuki is spurring controversy again with remarks that Okinawan residents say are discriminatory.
BOOK REVIEWS
“Night in the American Village” Gives the Women of Okinawa a Voice
Akemi Johnson has created a great work of social and oral history granting primacy to the experiences of Okinawan women.
CULTURE
Hajichi: The Banned Traditional Tattoos of Okinawa
These tattoos, native to the Ryukyuan people, were once banned from being practiced. Now, they're making a comeback.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
What’s Up With Okinawan Names? A Language History
Why are Okinawan names difficult for even mainland Japanese speakers? How the languages of the Ryukyu kingdom survived - despite attempts to…
HISTORY
Saigo Takamori: Hero of the Meiji Restoration
How the "last samurai" Saigo Takamori escaped exile and changed Japan forever - before he rebelled against the new state he helped…
FEATURED
The Indigenous Ryukyu People of Okinawa
Discover the history of the indigenous Ryukyu people, the culture that inhabited Okinawa before it was ever even a part of Japan.