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Utaki
Utaki (御嶽) is an Okinawan language, Okinawan term for a sacred place, often a Grove (nature), grove, cave, or mountain. They are central to the Ryukyuan religion and the former Noro (priestess), noro priestess system. Although the term ''utaki'' is used throughout the Ryukyu Islands, the terms ''suku'' and ''on'' are heard in the Miyako-jima, Miyako and Yaeyama Islands, Yaeyama regions respectively. Utaki are usually located on the outskirts of villages and are places for the veneration of gods and ancestors. Most gusuku have places of worship, and it is theorized that the origins of both ''gusuku'' and ''utaki'' are closely related. These places usually face east, due to the Ryukyuan_religion#Nirai_Kanai, mythical origin of the gods and spirits in the East, or southeast, south, or southwest in a few places. There are different theories about these places' origins. One reasonable explanation is that they were created by the Jōmon period, indigenous people from the Jōmon p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunuhyan-utaki
is a sacred grove of trees and plants (''utaki'') of the traditional indigenous Ryukyuan religion. It is located on the grounds of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa, a few paces away from the Shureimon castle gate. The ''utaki'', or more specifically its ,Kadekawa, Manabu. ''Okinawa Chanpurū Jiten'' (沖縄チャンプルー事典, "Okinawa Champloo Encyclopedia"). Tokyo: Yama-Kei Publishers, 2001. p56. is one of a number of sites which together comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site officially described as ''Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu'', and has been designated an Important Cultural Properties of Japan, Important Cultural Property by the Government of Japan, Japanese national government."Sonohyan utaki." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia")Ryukyu Shimpo(琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 14 February 2009. While the gates were once opened only for the king, today they are always closed, and so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sefa-utaki
, meaning "purified place of Utaki," is a historical sacred space, overlooking Kudaka Island, that served as one of the key locations of worship in the native religion of the Ryukyuan people for millennia. Later as a part of assimilation of Okinawa by Japan, it was shifted to serve as a Shinto shrine. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu'' in Nanjō, Okinawa. Sefa Utaki is on the Chinen Peninsula, and has been recognized as a sacred place since the earliest period of Ryukyuan history. According to ''Chūzan Seikan'', this was the spot where Amamikyu, goddess of creation, made landfall on Okinawa. The shrine area itself comprises a number of caves and overhanging ledges opening to the east and south among towering rock formations of a high promontory over the sea. All buildings have been destroyed, but the outer and inner precincts can still be traced.Kerr, George H. (1953) ''Ryukyu Kingdom and Province before ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noro (priestess)
(, sometimes or ) () are priestesses of the Ryukyuan religion at Utaki. They have existed since at least the beginning of the History of the Ryukyu Islands#Gusuku period, Gusuku period (late 12th century) and continue to perform rituals even today. They are distinct from (psychics), but are classified as ("godly people"). History According to the and , the first were the daughters of Tentei-shi, who was a descendant of the creation goddess, Amamikyu. The first daughter became the first (), and the second daughter became the first village priestess (). The god of fire gave a piece of fire from Ryūgū-jō to each to create a village hearth, from which each family in the village would take fire to maintain their own family hearths. The maintained the royal hearth. The were charged with conducting official rituals and ceremonies for their respective village. The was charged with conducting rituals and ceremonies on behalf of the entire kingdom, and traveled with the king t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gusuku
often refers to castles or fortresses in the Ryukyu Islands that feature stone walls. However, the origin and essence of ''gusuku'' remain controversial. In the archaeology of Okinawa Prefecture, the ''Gusuku period'' refers to an archaeological epoch of the Okinawa Islands that follows the shell-mound period and precedes the Sanzan period, when most ''gusuku'' are thought to have been built. Many ''gusuku'' and related cultural remains on Okinawa Island have been listed by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO as World Heritage Sites under the title ''Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu''. Philological analysis The ''Yarazamori Castle, Yarazamori Gusuku Inscription'' (1554) contains phrases, "pile ''gusuku''" (くすくつませ) and "pile up ''gusuku'' and ..." (くすくつみつけて); apparently, ''gusuku'' in these phrases refers to stone walls. In the ''Omoro Sōshi'' (16th–17th centuries), the term ''gusuku'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miyakojima, Okinawa
is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, located on the Miyako Islands. As of 2025, it had a population of 53,035. History The modern city of Miyakojima was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of the old city of Hirara, the towns of Gusukube, Irabu and Shimoji, and the village of Ueno (all from Miyako District). As a result of the merger, Miyako District only has one remaining village. Geography Since the city was created by merging several towns that were located on different islands, the city of Miyakojima consists of multiple islands. The islands administered by the city include: * Ikema-jima * Irabu-jima * Kurima-jima * Miyako-jima * Ōgami-jima * Shimojishima Several of the islands are connected by bridge. * Miyako-jima and Ikema-jima * Miyako-jima and Kurima-jima * Miyako-jima and Irabu-jima * Irabu-jima and Shimojishima: connected by six bridges (they are very close together) Ogami-jima is the only island that is not connected by bridge a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and Amami Islands, Amami) and Okinawa Prefecture (Daitō Islands, Daitō, Miyako Islands, Miyako, Yaeyama Islands, Yaeyama, Senkaku Islands, Senkaku, Okinawa Islands, Okinawa, Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako Islands, Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), and Yonaguni as the westernmost). The larger ones are mostly volcanic islands and the smaller mostly coral island, coral. The largest is Okinawa Island. The climate of the islands ranges from humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfa'') in the north to tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification ''Af'') in the south. Precipitation is very high and is affected by the rainy season and typhoons. Except the outlying Daitō Islands, the island chain ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and cover . The islands are located southwest of the Miyako Islands, part of the Ryukyu Islands archipelago. The Yaeyama Islands are the most remote part of Japan from the main islands and contain Japan's southernmost ( Hateruma) and westernmost (Yonaguni) inhabited islands. The city of Ishigaki serves as the political, cultural, and economic center of the Yaeyama Islands. On maps dating to the 1700s, the Yaeyama Group of Islands appears as the "Majico Sima Group", "Nambu-soto Islands", "Nambu Soto", and the "Taipin Islands". Name The name ''Yaeyama'' literally means "multilayered mountains", and is related to the native name ''Yaima'' in Yaeyama, which possibly comes from a reconstructed Proto-Ryukyuan form ''*jajama'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nago, Okinawa
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 293 persons per km2. Its total area is 210.30 km2. Geography Nago City is located in the northern part of Okinawa Island and with an area of 210.33 km², it represents 9.2% of Okinawa Island’s surface, coming third behind Taketomi (334.02 km²) and Ishigaki (229.00 km²) in Okinawa Prefecture, but first on Okinawa Island. The city is bordered by the sea both on the west and the east. About 10% of the city area is occupied by U.S. military bases. Administrative divisions The city includes fifty-six wards. *Abu (安部) *Asahikawa (旭川) *Awa (安和) *Bīmata (為又) *Burikena (振慶名) *Futami (二見) *Gabu (我部) *Gabusoka (我部祖河) *Genka (源河) *Goga (呉我) *Henoko (辺野古) *Inamine (稲嶺) *Isagawa (伊差川) *Katsuyama (勝山) *Kawakami (川上) *Kayō (嘉 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Misako Odani
Misako Odani (小谷美紗子) (born November 4, 1976, in Miyazu, Kyoto-fu), is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and pianist. Misako, whose songs make heavy use of the piano, began playing the instrument at age seven, and studied abroad in Australia in 1994. Since entering the music industry in 1996, she has released eight albums, and many singles. Her most recent album, Koto no Ha (ことの は), was released in May 2010. Discography Filmography *April 21, 1999 ''弾き語る'' (Hikigataru), a compilation of music videos and behind-the-scenes clips of recording sessions. References External linksOfficial Website (Japanese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Odani, Misako 1976 births Living people Japanese pianists Singers from Kyoto Prefecture 21st-century Japanese pianists 21st-century Japanese women pianists ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
