Emperor's visit to Okinawa reflects imperial family's close ties to the island. Here is why he cares

On what was his seventh visit to Okinawa, Naruhito was joined this week by his wife and daughter for a tour of the southern island and its history. Naruhito’s father, the 91-year-old former Emperor Akihito, especially cared about Okinawa.

kAm~? yF?6 ab[ E96 :D=2?5 H:== >2C< E96 g_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 6?5 @7 E96 q2EE=6 @7 ~<:?2H2[ H9:49 =65 E@ 962GJ p>6C:42? EC@@A AC6D6?46 @? E96 :D=2?5[ 6G6? 27E6C E96 ?62C=J b_ J62CD @7 &]$] @44FA2E:@? 6?565 😕 `hfa]k^Am

kAmw6C6 😀 H92E E@ @H 23@FE ~<:?2H2VD 9:DE@CJ]k^Am

k9amu:6C46 32EE=6k^9am

kAm&]$] EC@@AD =2?565 @? E96 >2:? ~<:?2H2 :D=2?5 @? pAC:= `[ `hcd[ 368:??:?8 2 32EE=6 😕 E96:C AFD9 E@H2C5 >2:?=2?5 y2A2?]k^Am

kAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2A2?\@<:?2H2\HHa\C6>2:?D\FD\>:=:E2CJ\3df36d43c77bgggg76_b7g6hga`b7f76Qmq2EE=6 @7 ~<:?2H2k^2m =2DE65 F?E:= =2E6 yF?6[ <:==:?8 D@>6 a__[___ A6@A=6 — 23@FE `a[___ p>6C:42?D 2?5 >@C6 E92? `gg[___ y2A2?6D6[ 92=7 @7 E96> ~<:?2H2? 4:G:=:2?D] x? 2==[ E96 :D=2?5 =@DE 23@FE @?6 BF2CE6C @7 :ED A@AF=2E:@?]k^Am

kAmx? xE@>2? E@H?[ H96C6 E96 32EE=6 6?565[ E96 C6>2:?D @7 >@DE @7 E96 H2C 5625 C6D:56 😕 2? @DDF2CJ 2E E96 }2E:@?2= (2C s625 !6246 |2FD@=6F>]k^Am

kAmxE H2D E96 7:CDE A=246 }2CF9:E@ 2?5 9:D H:76 t>AC6DD |2D2<@ 2?5 E96:C ab\J62C\@=5 52F89E6C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2A2?\AC:?46DD\2:<@\3:CE952J\DF446DD:@?\6>A6C@C\d675d5`7de23cbe6b_5ccgde34f`b753Qm!C:?46DD p:<@[k^2m G:D:E65 @? (65?6D52J H96C6 E96J =2:5 2 3@FBF6E @7 H9:E6 7=@H6CD 6249]k^Am

k9am!@DE\H2C J62CDk^9am

kAm~<:?2H2 C6>2:?65 F?56C &]$] @44FA2E:@? 7C@> `hcd F?E:= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2A2?\E@:=:E2CJ >2:?E2:?D 2 AC6D6?46 E96C6 5F6 E@ ~<:?2H2’D DEC2E68:4 :>A@CE2?46 7@C D64FC:EJ 😕 E96 !24:7:4]k^Am

kAm!C:G2E6 AC@A6CE:6D H6C6 4@?7:D42E65 E@ 3F:=5 &]$] 32D6D[ 2?5 E96 32D6\56A6?56?E 64@?@>J 92>A6C65 E96 8C@HE9 @7 =@42= :?5FDECJ]k^Am

k9amt>A6C@CD EC:65 E@ >2<6 2k^9am

k9am>6?5Dk^9am

kAm|2?J ~<:?2H2?D 766= E96J 92G6 366? D24C:7:465 7@C E96 >2:?=2?5 😕 E96 H2C 7@F89E 😕 E96 ?2>6 @7 w:C@9:E@[ E96 8C2?572E96C @7 t>A6C@C }2CF9:E@]k^Am

kAmq:EE6C 766=:?8D H6C6 7C6D9 😕 ~<:?2H2 😕 E96 `hf_D[ H96? >2?J A6@A=6 D2:5 E96 6>A6C@C D9@F=5 E2<6 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ]k^Am

kAmp<:9:E@[ H9@ H2D 2=>@DE 9:E 3J 2 |@=@E@G 4@4:=J @3D6CG6 2 >@>6?E @7 D:=6?46 7@C E96 G:4E:>D @7 E96 32EE=6] xEVD @?6 @7 E96 7@FC <6J 52E6D 96 D2:5 D9@F=5 ?6G6C 7@C86E[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 2E@>:4 3@>3:?8D @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2A2?\9:C@D9:>2\2E@>:4\3@>3:?8\FD\_a_6c_722fgbaabc_7cabd7he26`7354Qmw:C@D9:>2k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2A2?\?282D2<:\3@>3:?8\2??:G6CD2CJ\ag3e`2`5c37`_gf4e5gh_`7f4_ebgdhhQm}282D2<:k^2m @? pF8] e 2?5 pF8] h[ 2D H6== 2D E96 pF8] `d 6?5 @7 E96 H2C]k^Am

k9am}2CF9:E@VD 6>A2E9J 7@C ~<:?2H2k^9am

kAm}2CF9:E@ 92D A=65865 E@ 7@==@H 😕 9:D 72E96CVD 7@@EDE6AD 2?5 C6A62E65=J 6IAC6DD65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 E@ C67=64E @? 2?5 C6>6>36C E96 H2CE:>6 9:DE@CJ]k^Am

kAmx? u63CF2CJ[ }2CF9:E@ DEC6DD65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 E6==:?8 E96 EC2865J @7 (@C=5 (2C xx E@ J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@?D[ AC@>:D:?8 E@ 96=A AC@>@E:?8 E96 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 9:DE@CJ 2?5 E96 56E6C>:?2E:@? 7@C A6246]k^Am

kAmw6 2?5 9:D 72>:=J @? (65?6D52J G:D:E65 E96 r@C?6CDE@?6 @7 !6246 |6>@C:2=[ H9:49 😀 6?8C2G65 H:E9 E96 ?2>6D @7 23@FE ad_[___ H2C 5625 @? xE@>2?VD |23F?: w:==] %96J 2=D@ G:D:E65 2 A6C>2?6?E H2C 6I9:3:E 2E E96 E@H?VD ~<:?2H2 !C6764EFC2= !6246 |6>@C:2= |FD6F>[ H96C6 E96J >6E E96 DFCG:G@CD 2?5 36C62G65 72>:=:6D]k^Am

kAm~? %9FCD52J E96J =2:5 7=@H6CD 2E 2 >@?F>6?E 4@>>6>@C2E:?8 23@FE `[d__ A6@A=6 :?4=F5:?8 9F?5C65D @7 D49@@= 49:=5C6? <:==65 😕 2 &]$] E@CA65@ 2EE24< @? E96:C 6G24F2E:@? D9:A %DFD9:>2 |2CF @? pF8] `hcc] %96J G:D:E65 2 >FD6F> 565:42E65 E@ E96 EC2865J 2?5 >6E H:E9 2 ?F>36C @7 DFCG:G@CD]k^Am

kAm}2CF9:E@ 2?5 |2D2<@[ 😕 2 >6DD286 C6=62D65 E@ y2A2?6D6 >65:2[ C6?6H65 E96:C A=6586 E@ A6246 2?5 D2:5 E96:C 52F89E6C 566A=J E@@< E@ 96C 962CE ~<:?2H2? A6@A=6VD 9:DE@CJ @7 92C5D9:A]k^Am

k9am|@56C? AC@3=6>Dk^9am

kAm~<:?2H2 C6>2:?D 9@>6 E@ E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 23@FE d_[___ &]$] EC@@AD DE2E:@?65 😕 y2A2? F?56C 2 3:=2E6C2= D64FC:EJ A24E] %96 :D=2?5[ H9:49 244@F?ED 7@C @?=J _]eT @7 y2A2?6D6 =2?5[ 9@DED f_T @7 &]$] >:=:E2CJ 724:=:E:6D]k^Am

kAm#6D6?E>6?E 2?5 7CFDEC2E:@? CF? 566A 😕 ~<:?2H2 3642FD6 @7 E96 962GJ &]$] AC6D6?46] %96 :D=2?5 7246D ?@:D6[ A@==FE:@?[ 2:C4C27E 244:56?ED 2?5 4C:>6 C6=2E65 E@ p>6C:42? EC@@AD[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E2:H2?\6=64E:@?D\;2A2?\49:?2\6I:E\A@==D\34d`eb3hdbbc2bf67deaa66h5ghb5fg2Qms6??J %2?>2<:k^2m[ E96 8@G6C?@C @7 ~<:?2H2[ 92D D2:5]k^Am

kAmu@==@H:?8 2 D6C:6D @7 2==6865 D6IF2= 2DD2F=E 42D6D 282:?DE =@42= H@>6?[ E96 &]$] >:=:E2CJ 2?5 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?E 96=5 2 7@CF> 😕 |2J E@ 5:D4FDD H2JD E@ :>AC@G6 D276EJ 2?5 4@>>F?:42E:@? 2?5 28C665 E@ C68F=2C:K6 E96:C >66E:?8]k^Am