Ishigaki & Okinawa Honto

Watch some footage taken by my Japanese friend on a recent trip to Okinawa, set to the song "Surf Goddess" by This Spy Surfs, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network (music.podshow.com).

Okinawa, part of the Ryukyu island chain south of the Japanese archipelago, has 49 inhabited and many uninhabited islands, surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. In the north, the Yanbaru forest fans out, home to a rich biodiversity including many protected and endangered species.

Tourists can enjoy diving and snorkeling at the beautiful beaches or watch the amazing whale sharks and manta rays at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Honbucho on Okinawa Honto (the main island).

Different cultures and customs are deeply rooted in the Okinawa area as it was once a separate country called the Ryukyu Kingdom until it became part of Japan in the Meiji Era, and these unique customs and traditions can be experienced at places such as Ryukyu Mura.

日本列島の南、琉球列島にある沖縄は49の有人島と多数の無人島からなります。美しい珊瑚の海に囲まれ、北部には山原と呼ばれる森林が広がっており、天然記念物など貴重な生物が生息しています。

美しいビーチではダイビングやシュノーケルを楽しむ事が出来ます。また、本島本部町にある沖縄ちゅらうみ水族館の世界一大きなアクリパネル越しに見るジンベイザメとマンタは迫力満点です。

歴史的には明治時代に日本に編入されるまで琉球王国という一つの国であった為、異なる文化・習俗が根付いており、これらの様子は沖縄琉球村などで体験する事が出来ます。