The tomb of Shō Hashi, Sho Chu and Sho Shitatsu, three of the kings of the First Sho Dynasty I’ve been interested in tombs recently. This might sound a bit dark, but if you h ave ever visited Okinawa you will know that tombs are everywhere. Just on my morning drive to drop off my kids at school I see at least 10 separate tombs, including one of a former king, along with a sign advertising buying land for your family tomb. They are part of the landscape and culture and, in

A statue of John Manjiro at the John Manjiro Landing Place Monument in Itoman City, Okinawa I was first introduced to the historical figure John Manjiro through a presentation by a student nearly 20 years ago. Who knows why certain people and places remain in your mind? I honestly can’t tell you what any of the other students presented on that day or why he made such an impression. Perhaps it was because he was an unintentional immigrant and I could see parts of my own immig