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Ryukyuan culture are the cultural elements of the Ryukyu Islands, which today are a part of Okinawa Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture. The traditions and customs of Ryukyu are distinctive from that of mainland Japan, due to its former independence as the Ryukyu Kingdom and because of its geographic isolation.

The extent of Ryukyuan culture can be observed in the Okinawa, Amami, Miyako and Yaeyama Islands, where the indigenous Ryukyuan people live.[1] In the northernmost Tokara and Ōsumi Islands, the inhabitants there are Yamato Japanese.

Languages[edit]

Main article: Ryukyuan languages
Map of the Ryukyuan languages.

Traditionally, the historical area of the Ryukyu Kingdom spoke the Ryukyuan languages, which are listed below.

They all belong to the Japonic language family, making them sister languages of Japanese.[2][3]

The Ryukyuan languages are descendants of an ancestor language known as Proto-Ryukyuan, although many details about it remain unclear. There are two theories regarding its origins:[2]

  1. Proto-Ryukyuan was originally spoken in Kyushu, but was brought southward towards the Ryukyu Islands.
  2. Speakers of Proto-Japonic arrived in the Ryukyu Islands, and Proto-Ryukyuan emerged as a result of isolation from the Japanese mainland.

Both theories agree on the fact that a Japonic language was brought over to the Ryukyu Islands from Kyushu. The exact timeframe of this migration is a subject of scholarly debate, but estimates are generally within the first milennium AD.[2] Based on the lexical, phonological and grammatical features of the Ryukyuan languages, the Japanese-Ryukyuan split likely occurred before the 8th century.[4]

During the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the Ryukyuan languages were widely spoken throughout the local populace. However, when Japan annexed Ryukyu in 1879, policies were imposed that greatly restricted the use of them.[5] During World War 2, people who spoke Okinawan were executed by the Japanese military for "spying".[6] Because the languages faced decades of stigmatization, all of them are now endangered according to UNESCO.[3][7] Younger Ryukyuans are almost entirely monolingual in Japanese,[8] although regional variations of Japanese have arisen in the islands as a result of a language mixing between Standard Japanese and a substrate from the Ryukyuan languages. In Okinawa, they speak Okinawan Japanese and on the island of Amami Ōshima, they speak Amami Japanese, or Ton-futsūgo.[9]

Politically, the Ryukyuan languages are classified as dialects by the Japanese government, and it's common for Japanese people to refer to them as hōgen (方言).[10] Outside of Japan, most linguists insist they are languages in their own rights.[4]

Religion[edit]

Main article: Ryukyuan religion

The Ryukyuan religion are the indigenous beliefs of the Ryukyu Islanders. It centers around the veneration of both deities and ancestors.[11] While its practices are animistic, there are notable influences from other faiths, including Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.[11]

Origins[edit]

(adding Ryukyuan beliefs about the origin of the earth soon)

Religion played a huge role in the class structure of the former Ryukyu Kingdom, as priestesses held great power. Religious leaders were generally female, as women were believed to be spiritually stronger.[11][12] This belief upholds in local society as well, with the oldest female in the household performing all of the rituals.[11]

Music[edit]

Main article: Ryukyuan music

Ryukyuan folk music plays a heavy role in the modern culture of the Ryukyuan people. A common genre of classical Okinawan music, known as Eisa (Okinawan: エイサー, Eisaa), incorporates traditional folk songs and dances.[13][14] Taiko drums are a key part of eisa music,[14][15] and it's generally accompanied by the sanshin, a three-stringed instrument that originates from the Chinese sanxian.[16] In the 16th century, the sanshin was brought over to Osaka, where it became the Japanese shamisen.[16]

The musical culture of the Amami Islands diverge from that of Okinawa. While the Amami version of the sanshin has a similar build, there are differences in the material and sound.[17][18] Amami music also uses distinct vocal ranges.[17] In recent years, a genre from the Amami Islands known as shima-uta has gained popularity throughout all of Japan as a result of its usage by contemporary singers, including Chitose Hajime and Kousuke Atari.[19]

Many Ryukyuan songs have its origins in folktales. For example, the song Asadoya Yunta tells the story of a beautiful lady from Taketomi Island, who received a marriage proposal from a Ryukyuan government official.[20] Songs like Tinsagu nu Hana are based off of Confucian teachings.

Ryukyuan musical organizations can be found outside of Okinawa, typically in areas with a Ryukyuan diaspora, such as Hawaii,[21] Brazil and Peru.

Cuisine[edit]

Main article: Okinawan cuisine

Historically, the cuisine of the Ryukyu Islands were influenced by China, Southeast Asia and other places as a result of extensive trade in the region.

Common Okinawan dishes include goya champuru, Okinawa soba and rafute.[22] Contemporary dishes have also been created as a result of American military presence, with the most popular one being taco rice.[22] Okinawan cuisine is generally meat-based, with pork being the most popular ingredient.[23] For a long time, the staple dish of Okinawa was the sweet potato, which has been in use for over 400 years.[24][25]

The cuisine of Okinawa are well-known for its health benefits.[26][27] Compared to the mainland Japanese, Okinawans are 40% more likely to become centenarians.[27] This is in large due to the characteristics of traditional Ryukyuan food, which are high in carbohydrates but low in calories and fat.[26][27] Although Okinawa Prefecture once ranked the highest in average life expectancy across Japan, it lost that title due to the popularity of fast food.[28]

In the Amami Islands, the most popular local dish is keihan rice, which is a chicken-based soup.[29][30]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ryukyuans (Okinawans)". Minority Rights Group. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  2. ^ a b c "An Introduction to Ryukyuan Languages" (PDF). LingDy. Retrieved September 15, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b Heinrich, Patrick (2014-08-25). "Use them or lose them: There's more at stake than language in reviving Ryukyuan tongues". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  4. ^ a b Pellard, Thomas (July 2011). "The historical position of the Ryukyuan Languages". HAL Archives. p. 58.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Assimilation Practices in Okinawa". www.uchinanchu.org. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Jon (2015-03-30). "The Battle of Okinawa: America's good war gone bad". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  7. ^ "Classes offer a small way to save an endangered language in Okinawa". CGTN America. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  8. ^ "Wannabe rockstar keeping Okinawan language alive". BBC News. 2010-10-09. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  9. ^ Anderson, Mark. "Studies of Ryukyu-substrate Japanese". Routledge Handbook of Japanese Sociolinguistics.
  10. ^ Heinrich, Patrick (2008-11-04). "Reappreciating Okinawa's languages, while there's still time". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  11. ^ a b c d "What Is The Ryukyuan Religion?". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  12. ^ Bell, Rosamund. "WOMEN IN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE RYUKYU ISLANDS: STRUCTURE AND STATUS" (PDF). University of Oxford - School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Traditional Performing Arts". VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  14. ^ a b "The 10,000 Eisa Dance Parade (Okinawa Prefecture) - Dancing at Japanese Festivals - Travel - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan". web-japan.org. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  15. ^ "The traditional art of Okinawan Eisa | Japan Experience". www.japan-experience.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  16. ^ a b "Do You Know the Traditional Japanese Instrument Made of Snakeskin?". Japan Info. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  17. ^ a b "Amami music - SamuraiWiki". wiki.samurai-archives.com. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  18. ^ Hemetek, Ursula; Marks, Essica; Reyes, Adelaida (2014-11-10). Music and Minorities from Around the World: Research, Documentation and Interdisciplinary Study. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-7094-8.
  19. ^ "Flying the flag for shima-uta: three things to know about Atari Kousuke and Chitose Hajime". Flying the flag for shima-uta: three things to know about Atari Kousuke and Chitose Hajime | Bandwagon | Music media championing and spotlighting music in Asia. 2018-06-11. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  20. ^ "Focus on Rekion: Okinawan Folk Music Asadoya Yunta (安里屋ユンタ) | Japanese Collections". Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  21. ^ "Sacred Sounds of Ryukyu". The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
  22. ^ a b "Okinawa Food Guide". www.japan-guide.com. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  23. ^ "Okinawan cuisine". Bento.com. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  24. ^ Earth, Down to (2011-11-11). "The Okinawan Sweet Potato: A Purple Powerhouse of Nutrition". Down to Earth Organic and Natural. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  25. ^ Beresford, Jack. "Sweet potatoes could help you live to 100 - but there's a catch". The Irish Post. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  26. ^ a b "What Is the Okinawa Diet? Foods, Longevity, and More". Healthline. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  27. ^ a b c Robson, David. "A high-carb diet may explain why Okinawans live so long". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  28. ^ Onishi, Norimitsu; Times, New York (2004-04-04). "Love of U.S. food shortening Okinawans' lives / Life expectancy among islands' young men takes a big dive". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  29. ^ "Regional Cuisine of Amami Oshima". City-Cost. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  30. ^ "Keihan". www.japan-guide.com. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
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