Okinawa: A People and their Gods

by James C. Robinson

Okinawa is a fascinating account of the most unusual religious practices of the Okinawan people.Subject throughout their long history to many foreign influences, the Okinawan people still retain to a remarkable degree a strong reverence for their prehistoric animistic beliefs. nevertheless, in accommodating themselves to the infiltration of Buddhist, Confucian, Shinto, and Christian influences they have been most receptive, with the result that what might seem confusing, illogical, and inconsistent to others, is quite compatible to them.This brief but authoritative account not only correlates present-day practices with their historical development, but also takes notice of current trends and likely future developments in Okinawa.The text is enhanced with sixteen significant photographs and with nine full-page maps to guide sightseers to Okinawa's most culturally significant places.

Genres: History

110 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking for a book on the history of Okinawa that wasn't focused solely on World War II, this work on religion caught my eye. The book is chiefly an examination of the history and culture surrounding traditional Ryukyuan religion, which Robinson explores in solid, if brief, detail, focusing, as per the title, specifically on how the religion has been practiced on the island of Okinawa. The opening of the book highlights kami veneration, the female-oriented leadership of priestesses and other religious personages, and ritual practice. The history of the religion is intertwined with that of Okinawa itself, and the various outside influences, especially from religions such as Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity are mentioned as well. Robinson's knowledge seems a bit less assured when discussing how these outside religions influenced Okinawan beliefs (he does refer to the excellent book Shinto: The Kami Way, but some aspects of Buddhism do not seem to be explained so clearly), but he does convey the impact that the mixing of traditions has had on society up to the mid-20th century.

Published in 1969 by a Christian chaplain, the language and attitudes are somewhat dated, though perhaps not as much as one might expect; Robinson keeps an open and inquisitive attitude throughout. The book is sometimes organized a bit haphazardly; in the middle, one suddenly finds a detailed guide of many of the famous religious sites. This might be somewhat jarring to the narrative, but even 55 years later, it still turned out to be nice to have as a reference while visiting Okinawa on holiday. While I would like to read an in-depth treatise on Okinawan spirituality, this book does offer a rare English-language glimpse into the religion for its time period.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very good overview of Okinawan Religion. It leaves out many of the festivals and popular rituals, however. I had to scour the internet to gather said information.

[Victor Hugo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a nice book discussing the basics on religions in Okinawa. What I liked the most is how the author writes, in a very didactic way.