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Okinawan Festivals And Observances
This is an overview of festivals and observances found in the Okinawa Islands, Okinawa Prefecture of southwestern Japan. The Okinawan culture is noted for extreme diversity. The following list is based on south-central Okinawa, and may not be applied to northern Okinawa. Miyako and Yaeyama hold substantially different festivals and observances. Unless otherwise noted, dates are according to the traditional lunisolar calendar. The categories below ("January - May" and "June - December") are artificial, created for ease of article navigation. January - May observances *31 December (solar calendar): ''Tusinuyuru'' (New Year's Eve). Amid celebration, garlic is used in different ways (according to local tradition) to banish and keep away evil spirits. '''Wakamizi'', the year's first drawn water, is set out as an offering to ancestors. *1 January (solar calendar): ''Sjoogwachi'', (Standard Japanese: ''Shōgatsu''; New Year's Day). Local religious leaders hold first rites of the New Year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival constitutes typical cases of glocalization, as well as the high culture-low culture interrelationship. Next to religion and folklore, a significant origin is agricultural. Food is such a vital resource that many festivals are associated with harvest time. Religious commemoration and thanksgiving for good harvests are blended in events that take place in autumn, such as Halloween in the northern hemisphere and Easter in the southern. Festivals often serve to fulfill specific communal purposes, especially in regard to commemoration or thanking to the gods, goddesses or saints: they are called patronal festivals. They may also provide entertainment, which was particularly important to local communities before the advent of mass-produc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, but it probably comes from the Dutch or Portuguese language, which originally borrowed it from Malay or Kannada. In bamboo, as in other grasses, the internodal regions of the stem are usually hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross-section are scattered throughout the stem instead of in a cylindrical arrangement. The dicotyledonous woody xylem is also absent. The absence of secondary growth wood causes the stems of monocots, including the palms and large bamboos, to be columnar rather than tapering. Bamboos include some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost an hour (equivalent to 1 mm every 90 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nakagusuku, Okinawa
is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2016, the village has an estimated population of 20,030 and a density of 1,300 persons per km². The total area is 15.46 km². The ruins of a gusuku ( Ryukyuan castle), Nakagusuku Castle, are also in this village. It is famous for its ancient Chinese dance, ''Tafaku'', which has been handed down for generations. The village is well known among Okinawans as an agricultural farming village, with its staple crop being sugar cane (Okinawan: wuuji. Japanese: satokibi). It is also known for its white or yellow colored carrots. Ryukyu University is partially located within Nakagusuku, and partially in the neighboring town of Nishihara. Nakagusuku features one of the largest percentages of people of Okinawan descent who immigrated overseas out of all the districts in Okinawa. Geography Nakagusuku village is made up of 18 different aza (Okinawan: mura). Every aza has its own unique subculture. The 18 aza ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanshin
The is an Okinawan and Amami Islands musical instrument and precursor of the mainland Japanese (). Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings. Origins Its close resemblance in both appearance and name to the Chinese suggests Chinese origins, the then-Ryūkyū Kingdom (pre-Japanese Okinawa) having very close ties with Imperial China. In the 16th century, the reached the Japanese trading port at Sakai in Osaka, Japan. In mainland Japan, it evolved into the larger , and many people refer to the as or due to its snakeskin covering. The is considered the soul of Okinawan folk music. Played by youth as young as 2, to older people aged 100 or more, there is a in most Okinawan homes. It is the center of small informal family gatherings, weddings, birthdays, other celebrations, community parties, festivals. The is held in great respect among the Ryukyuan culture, and is often viewed as an instrument that carries the voice of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nakijin, Okinawa
is a village located in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 9,529 and a population density of 239.00 persons per km2. The total area is 39.87 km2. Education The village operates its public elementary and junior high schools. * Nakijin Junior High School ( 今帰仁中学校) * Amesoko Elementary School (天底小学校) * Kaneshi Elementary School (兼次小学校) * Nakijin Elementary School (今帰仁小学校) Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education operates . Notable people *Seiji Shimota, novelist * Shun Medoruma, novelist See also *Nakijin Castle is a Ryukyuan '' gusuku'' located in Nakijin, Okinawa. It is currently in ruins. In the late 14th century, the island of Okinawa consisted of three principalities: Nanzan to the south, Chūzan in the central area, and Hokuzan in the north. Na ... Notes External links * Nakijin official website Villages in Okinawa Prefecture Port settlements ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marionette
A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms of theatres or entertainment venues. They have also been used in films and on television. The attachment of the strings varies according to its character or purpose. Etymology In French, ''marionette'' means "little Mary". In France, during the Middle Ages, string puppets were often used to depict biblical events, with the Virgin Mary being a popular character, hence the name. In France, the word ''marionette'' can refer to any kind of puppet, but elsewhere it typically refers only to string puppets. History Ancient times Puppetry is an ancient form of performance. Some historians claim that they predate actors in theatre. There is evidence that they wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ie-shima
, previously romanized in English as Ie Shima, is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa Island. The island measures in circumference and covers . As of December 2012 the island had a population of 4,610. Ie Village, which covers the entire island, has a ferry connection with the town of Motobu on Okinawa Island. Iejima is generally flat. The most notable geographic feature is a peak called Mount Gusuku (or "Tatchuu" in Kunigami) at a height of 172 meters. The mountain resembles a volcano but is actually an erosion artifact. Alternately called "Peanut Island," for its general shape and peanut crop, or "Flower Island," for its abundant flora and more sizeable crop, Iejima draws tourists by ferry, especially during late April when the Ie Lily Festival begins. The Youth Excursion Village accommodates campers for 400 yen a person and includes access to a good beach. The YYY Resort and Hotel located just east of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nago, Okinawa
''Nagu'', Kunigami: ''Naguu'' is a city located in the northern part of Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 61,659 and a population density of 288 persons per km2. Its total area is 210.30 km2. History Nago Castle was built in the 14th century and served as the home of the Aji of Nago Magiri. Nago had always been one of the major settlements in Northern Okinawa, and a major port along with Unten. Nago Magiri became Nago town in 1907. Nago was upgraded to city status on August 1, 1970 with the merger of nine smaller towns and villages. Nago hosted Expo '75 in a park which utilized a monorail train to move tourists to each exhibit. Its most popular exhibit was the Japanese Floating City; similar to an oil rig, the city floated on large pontoons which allowed it to be moved. If the city was threatened with a typhoon, it would move close to shore, fill the pontoons with sea water and sit on the ocean fl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Katsuren, Okinawa
was a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is on the Katsuren Peninsula. It was founded around Katsuren Castle as in the 17th century, which then became Katsuren village in 1908 after the Ryūkyū Kingdom was annexed by Japan and the Magiri system was abolished. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 13,530 and a density of 986.87 persons per km2. The total area was 13.71 km2. On April 1, 2005, Katsuren, along with the cities of Gushikawa and Ishikawa, and the town of Yonashiro (also from Nakagami District), was merged to create the city of Uruma is a Cities of Japan, city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The modern city of Uruma was established on April 1, 2005, when the cities of Gushikawa, Okinawa, Gushikawa and Ishikawa, Okinawa, Ishikawa were merged with the towns of Katsuren, .... PhotographyKatsuren Photos HDR Photography of the Katsuren region of Okinawa. External linksTown of Katsuren website(archives)Urum ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uiryeong County
Uiryeong County () is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Uiryeong County has a population of 27,550 (2019) and is one of the least populated counties in South Korea. History In 1938, Lee Byung-chull, a resident of Uiryeong, founded Samsung in the nearby city of Daegu. On the evening of 26 April 1982, policeman Woo Bum-kon went on a shooting and bombing rampage through several villages in Uiryeong County, killing 56 people and wounding 35 others in the worst non-terrorist spree killing in history. Climate Transportation Uiryeong has a convenient location as it sits between Jinju to the west and Haman/Masan/Changwon to the East. A bus runs regularly from the bus terminal in Uiryeong-Eup to all major cities in South Korea. A bus journey to Masan or Jinju takes approximately 35 minutes and 45 minutes respectively from Uiryeong bus terminal, while the journey to Busan takes 1 hour. It is also possible to take a bus directly to Seoul from Uiryeong. The biggest pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lion Dance
F Lion dance () is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural and religious festivals. It may also be performed at important occasions such as business opening events, special celebrations or wedding ceremonies, or may be used to honour special guests by the Chinese communities. The Chinese lion dance is normally operated by two dancers, one of whom manipulates the head while the other forms the rear end of the lion. It is distinguishable from the dragon dance which is performed by many people who hold the long sinuous body of the dragon on poles. Chinese lion dance fundamental movements can be found in Chinese martial arts, and it is commonly performed to a vigorous drum beat. There are two main forms of the Chinese lion dance, the Northern Lion and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hell Bank Notes
Hell banknotes in Thailand resembling United States Dollar, and Thai Baht banknotes">Thai_Baht.html" ;"title="United States Dollar, and Thai Baht">United States Dollar, and Thai Baht banknotes Hell money () is a modernized form of joss paper printed to resemble legal tender bank notes. The notes are not an official form of recognized currency or legal tender as their sole intended purpose is to be offered as burnt offerings to the ancestor veneration, deceased as a solution to resolve their assumed monetary problems in the afterlife. This ritual has been practiced by modern Chinese and across East Asia since the late 19th century, and some Wicca-based faiths in recent years have adopted this practice. Early 20th century examples bore resemblance to minor commercial currency of the type issued by businesses across China until the mid-1940s. The identification of this type of joss paper as "hell bank notes" or "hell money" is largely a Western construct, since these items are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
