People from the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa have shared their traditional dancing, music and history at an international event in Germany.
The 10-day event OkiNoWar WEEK 2026 began late last month in the German capital, Berlin. OkiNoWar is a coined word that combines Okinawa and no war.
On Friday, artists from Okinawa danced to music played with the prefecture’s traditional three-stringed musical instrument, the sanshin. Spectators applauded the dancers dressed in colorful costumes. Martial artists demonstrated karate.
Photos depicting Okinawa’s turbulent history — mainly the postwar period under US rule — are on display. Among them are ones of the 1970 riot in Koza, the old name for Okinawa City. Angry local residents set US military vehicles on fire after a vehicle driven by a US soldier hit an Okinawan.
A visitor in his 30s said Berlin’s postwar destruction and division left many challenges for Germans, but they have been overcome. He said he can relate to what people in Okinawa have gone through.
Sugama Riko, a traditional Okinawa dancer who lives in Berlin, organized the event. She said she hopes visitors will take home the message that people can build relationships even if they have a language barrier.
AloJapan.com