Ryukyu History - Narratives of Displacement and Resistance through Art

We started off the day with an early morning, as we boarded and left the Hotel Yugaff Inn (with a minor hiccup) at around 9am after spending two nights in Nago. Even at that point in the day, we could feel the heat as we loaded our luggage into the charter bus. From the Inn, it took us about an hour to get from Nago to our next destination/excursion: kayaking in the Hija River.  

When we finally reached Kadena, Hija River. We were greeted by a our Kayaking instructor, who first directed us to changing rooms and where we could place our valuables. After changing, our instructor led us to a room, where he taught us about the importance of the Mangrove forests. He explained that the Mangrove trees were declining at concerning rates along the Hija River and around the world. Additionally, he passed around preserved exoskeletons of sea snakes that are commonly found in the river. 

 Following our indoor instruction, our instructor led us outside, insisted on us using the provided crocs and hats for sun protection, and told us to grab paddles. After he showed us the proper paddling techniques, we all partnered up and boarded our paddle boats. Along the way, our instructor occasionally paused to teach us more about the Mangroves and environment around us. After returning to the dock, most people changed out of their swim suits and returned onto the bus. 

From there, we were onto our next destination: a quick stop to a nearby farmers market (where a bushel of green grapes cost 1,300 yen!). Everyone went in and bought either a full meal or fruit, and, 30 minutes later, we traveled to Cape Zappa, a café that sold fried chicken burgers, various drinks, and desserts. The amount of food the café served definitely justified its price! 

After eating at Cape Zappa (though some had eaten earlier and chose to swim at the beach), we still had two more stops. We took a short bus ride and visited Chibichiri Gama Cave, where 87 people died on the second day of the American invasion during the Battle of Okinawa. Their passings were either due to suicide or to being killed by US soldiers. The pathway to the cave was riddled with spiders, various insects, and, according to a nearby sign, snakes are common in the area as well. When we reached the viewing area, we took a few moments and paid our respects to the victims of a tragic, horrific, and unimaginable event. 

Finally, the last leg of our journey was spent at the Yomitan Pottery Village, where we were free to tour the various shops and buy their various (mainly ceramic) products for about an hour. Afterwards, we all piled into the bus for an hour-long ride back to Naha, where we finally checked into our hotel rooms to rest after a long day.