What is the difference between okinawa and japan

Of course every part of Japan is different to the rest in some defining way, but Okinawa is still more different than that. Before then it was its own nation known as the Ryukyu. The Ryukyu people had their own myths, religion and even language. You can still see evidence of some of the stories from Ryukyuan history in the figurines called Shisa all over Okinawa.

And their language is now recognised as an official dialect of Japan. In fact a lot of the buildings in Okinawa have a somewhat Soviet feel to them. Others look so run down they can even look a bit creepy. Naha Airport even shares its runways with American fighter jets. The further north you go on Okinawa Island, the more Japanese it gets. Not just Japanese — the more Okinawan it gets.

Okinawa is very isolated. The islands that make up the prefecture are spread out over km of the South China Sea, and only 49 of them are inhabited. Okinawan houses also typically have a pair of Shisa a cross between a dog and a lion on their roof or flanking the gates to protect the houses from evil. I actually don't think I have ever seen a house without Shisas our the front!

Okinawa has it's own language : Although Japanese is the language heard everywhere on the island, the Okinawans have their own language, Uchinaguchi, which is in decline but can be heard in traditional songs and local theatre.

Don't worry though, if you are coming to Okinawa and speak Japanese, you will be fine. Are there any other differences you have noticed between Okinawa and mainland Japan? Powered by Blogger. Differences between Okinawa and Mainland Japan Tags: Japan , Okinawa , Tokyo. Newer Post Older Post. Sea Change Okinawa. You Might Also Like. Unknown 9 April at Unknown 11 January at Newer Stories.

Older Stories. As a result, although Ryukyu is now a part of Japan as "Okinawa" and a lot of cultures are now shared, Okinawa still contains a lot of uniqueness. In this post, I will examine some aspects of Okinawa that make the region and its people differ from the rest of Japan. When I ask other Japanese people about Okinawa, they often mention how the people from this southern part of Japan have different personalities: they are more open and honest.

It is generalizing, but the Okinawans I know show more emotions, more openly, and they are louder than average even during my first time meeting them. Apparently Okinawans also look slightly different. I put these terms in quotes because those were words used by the Okinawans I know. The differences likely came from the relationship Ryukyu Kingdom had with other countries back then.

Either way, the interesting thing is that Japanese people can often identify people from Okinawa just from how they look. Of course, Okinawa is very different in its climate too.

Being down south, Okinawa is much, much warmer than the rest of Japan. Even in winter, the temperature in Okinawa can hit around 20 degrees while the rest of the country is experiencing single digit temperatures.