1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Social Space among Okinawan Emigrants in Large Cities of Japan
| Project/Area Number |
09680171
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Human geography
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| Research Institution | Kurume University |
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Principal Investigator |
DOUMAE Ryohei Faculty of Literature, Kurume University, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (50062857)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1998
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| Keywords | social space / Okinawan people / Okinawan associations |
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| Research Abstract |
The purpose of this study is to elucidate the formation and special character of social space among Okinawan people of the mainland Japanese cities of Kawasaki, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka, and to see what light this may shed on the relationship between social groups and geographical space.
In search of work, many Okinawan emigrated both overseas and to the industrialized cities of mainland Japan in the economic panic of the late 1920s and early 1930s. In the mid-1920s, Osaka accounted for 43% of Okinawan emigrants to mainland Japan followed by Kanagawa Prefecture.
Okinawan emigrants to the cities of Japan formed both Okinawan associations and village associations (kyoyukai) comprised of people from the same villages in Okinawa which functioned primarily as mutual aid societies. Traditional villages in Okinawa are extremely tight-knit social units, so it is not surprising to see the formation of village-based social groups. Okinawans during this era tended to gravitate toward a limited number of districts within larger urban areas such as Kawasaki-ku in kawasaki City, Taisho-ku in Osaka, and Midori-ku in Nagoya. This congregation in specific districts permitted the establishment and practical functioning of mutual aid associations. There are even some Okinawa Community Halls which host various social functions.
Traditional types of Okinawan entertainment such as classical Ryukyuan dancing, shamisen music, and Ryukyuan drumming were, and still are, popular. Festivals are also organized, which promote interchanges with the long time residents of the surrounding districts.
These and other Characteristics of Okinawan emigrants to Japanese cities were observed in their daily lives in the context of how their lifestyles have been changing.
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