Okinawa: Paradise in the Land of the Rising Sun
Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県, Okinawa-ken, Okinawan: Uchinā) is one of Japan's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of the largest and most populous island, Okinawa Island, which is approximately half-way between Kyūshū and Taiwan. It takes two and half hours from Tokyo, two hours from Osaka, and one hour from Kagoshima to fly to Okinawa Naha Airport.
The population is about 1.27 million in the whole prefecture. The climate is subtropical with an average temperature of 70 degrees F year around. During June to October, many typhoons pass over Okinawa.
Climate and nature
The island is largely composed of coral rock, and rainwater filtering through that coral has given the island many caves, which played an important role in the Battle of Okinawa.
Okinawa is said to have the most beautiful beaches in all of Japan and normally enjoys temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius for most of the year. Okinawa and the many islands that make up the prefecture boast some of the most abundant coral reefs found in the world. Rare blue corals are found off of Ishigaki and Miyako islands as are numerous species throughout the chain. Many coral reefs are found in this region of Japan and wildlife is abundant. Sea turtles return yearly to the southern islands of Okinawa to lay their eggs. The summer months carry warnings to swimmers regarding poisonous jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures. Okinawa is a major producer of sugar cane, pineapple, papaya, and other tropical fruit, and the Southeast Botanical Gardens represent tropical plant species.
Brief History
Unlike other parts of Japan, Okinawa has its own, separate history. Okinawa was a independent kingdom called Ryukyu in the 15th century. After the Satsuma (Kagoshima) of Kyushu, Japan, invaded Ryukyu in 1609, Ryukyu came under the power of China and Satsuma. In order to build a modern nation, and under Europe's influence, Japan integrated the Ryukyu in its society and changed the name of the islands to Okinawa prefecture in 1879.
During World War II, ground battles were carried out involving civilians in Okinawa. From 1945 Okinawa was under the control of the US Military until 1972. Okinawa is still occupied by many US military bases.
Although there have been struggles between Okinawa residents and the Japanese government, Okinawa conserves its unique traditions from the Ryukyu kingdom, including the language, arts, and music.