Okinawa and Its People--I

Author(s): Paul E. Steiner

Source: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 64, No. 3 (Mar., 1947), pp. 233-241
Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
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OKINAWA AND ITS PEOPLE-I*

By PAUI, E. STEINER

M.C. (S), U. S. Naval Reserve

Commander,
of Chicago)
(On leaveofabsencefromtheDepartment ofPathology,The University

between260 04' and 260 53' northlatitude

in the Ryukyu(Luchu,Loochoo, and 1270 38' and 128?20' east longitude.
Nansei,etc.) Islands,was invaded It is roughlyequidistant(350 miles) from
by UnitedStatesnaval and militaryforces Formosa, the China coast, and Kyushu,
on April1, 1945. The actual invasionwas the southernmostlarge Japanese home
precededby a prolongedbut intermittentisland, and slightlyfartherfromLuzon.
bombardmentby planes and ships which It lies in a northeastto southwestaxis.
began in October 1944. Our possession A largepeninsula,Motobu,projectsabout
side; a smaller
of this island was necessaryto deprive 10 milesfromthe northwest
theenemyofan important
stepin hischain one,Katchinor Katsuren,fromthe southofislandsand to serveas a base forfurther eastern shore; and another,the Chinen,
advances. Because of the nature of the fromthe southernend. The island shows
defense,particularlyin the heavilypopu- volcanic and corallineorigins,the latter
endoftheisland,thecombat predominating.The northerntwo-thirds
latedsouthern
was on a largrescale. As a result,the is rugged,rocky,and forested;thesouthern
countrywas heavily damaged and the thirdis rollingand broken,but wherever
and it contains
population extensively dislocated. Ad- possibleit is usedforfarming
of
most
the
inhabitants.
Shallow
valleys,
vance information
on these islands was,
small
for
into
divided
plots
farming,
in many respects,defectivebecause they
clad with
had been isolatedfromthe main commer- ravines,and coral outcroppings
cial, cultural,. and tourist currents. flat-toppedpines and cycads characterize
Because of theirisolatioin,however,they mostofthe island. The highestelevations
sector
had developedin certainculturalrespects are about 1,600feetin the northern
along independent andl originallines. and 500 feet in the southern. The coast
During reconstructionthe American line is protectedby reefs in nearly all
influencehas been so greatthat life as it places. Severalbeaches withcoastal flats
existed beforethe invasion is not being up to about a milein depthare found,but
reconstituted. Even before combat generallythere is an abrupt rise to the
stopped markedchangeswere observable interiorplateau behind a narrowcoastal
in thepeopleand theirlife. Someobserva- region. Innumerablesmall springsand a
tions on the old Okinawa might be of few large ones are scattered over the
interestto workersin the biologicaland island. Despite a heavy rainfall,no large
social sciences.
streamsarefoundbecauseofthenarrowness
Okinawa is a tropicalisland about 60 oftheislandand theextensiveuse ofwatermiles long and 3 to 8 mniles
wide, lying impounding
and -utilization
devices,which
hold
the
water
near
its
point
of fall.
* This articlehas been releasedforpublicationby
The
climate
is
good.
Temperatures
are
the Bureau of Medicine and Surgeryand the SecurityReview Section of the Officeof Public In- moderate:themaximum
in summeris over
formationof the U. S. Navy,. The opinions and 900, and the minimumin winteris in the
viewsset forthare thoseof thewriterand are not to
forties; the means range from 600 in
be consideredas reflecting
the policiesof the Navy
Januaryto 830 in July. There are no

island
KINAWA SmMA, thelargest

233

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234

THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

sudden variations in temperaturefrom poor. About five different

dialects were
day to day or fromnight to day. The foundin the Ryukyuianlanguage,threeof
humidityis high at all seasons. The them on Okinawa. Most of the older
annual rainfallof about 80 inchesis dis- people could not speak Japanese,which
tributedthroughoutthe year fromabout was introducedin the schoolssome years
10 inches in May and June, the wettest ago as part of theprogramof Japanization
months, to 4 inches in December. begunabout 1875and intensified
after1900.
are uncommonand mild.
Thunderstorms
During the campaignI had the opporTyphoons,up to two or threeper month, tunityto perform
a seriesof 150 necropsies
may be expectedat any timefromJuneto on native Okinawans. From these obserDecember,but only one to threeof them vations were derived anatomical and
each year are severe. They usuallycome pathologicaldata whichI have described
fromthe southeast,arisingin the regionof in "Anatomicaland Pathological Obserthe Mariana, Marshall, or Caroline Is- vations in Necropsies on Okinawans."
lands; gusts of windmay reach velocities (In Press: Archives
ofPathology.) Further
of up to 200 miles per hour duringsuch informationon life in the islands was
storms. Living has been admirably obtained by submitting,in interviews,
adapted to this violentnatural phenome- about 400 questions to eight Okinawan
non,as wellas to earthquakes,whichcan physiciansfromvarious towns and to a
number of English-speakingresidents.
be feltabout oncea month.
The populationofOkinawawas givenas Most of the questionsconcernedmedical
460,000. The racial originof thesepeople problems,but some of them dealt with
is obscure; theirearliestrecordedhistory social, economic,religious,and cultural
is said to date from605 A.D., although conditions. These two sourcesof informatheirfolkloregoes back several thousand tionweresupplemented
by personalobseryears. When asked whether they are vations during travel, with interpreters,
Chineseor Japanese,theyinvariablyreply about the island. Historicaland religious
that theyare neitherbut Okinawans. It informationwas obtained from several
is believedthat engraftedon the original other compilations and from native
racial stock,the Ainu, white (Caucasoid) Okinawans.
History. The earliest recorded event
people commonto theseand the Japanese
in
Okinawanhistorydates from605 A.D.,
ofChinese,
Islands,wereliberaladmixtures
a tradingmissionsentby theEmperor
when
Korean, Japanese,Filipino,and Malayan
triedto obtaininformation
China
of
in
about
a few
peoples. To these were added
and
make
a
trade
the
recent
Ryukyus
agreement,
communitiesin more
centuries,
Spanish, both withoutsuccess. Prior to that time
verysmallamountsofPortuguese,
historicalevents are legendary,and the
and possiblyotherEuropeanstrains.
The Okinawansweremainlyruralpeople, originsof the people and theirland are
and the chiefoccupationwas agriculture, closelyconnectedwiththeirreligioustradifollowedby fishing. Severaldozenvillages tionsinasmuchas the religionis a system
and townsand a fewcitieshad grownup. of ancestor worship, which tended to
The prewarpopulationsofthelargerplaces preservesuch information.
Accordingto legend,the people and the
were said to be as follows:Naha, 65,000;
Toguchi, 20,000; Shuri, 17,000; Nago, land originatedlong ago fromchaos when
Teda-Ko,droppedfromheaven
13,000;Haenna, 8,000; Itoman,6,700;and thesun-god,
Yonabaru,5,000. Untilrecenttimescom- Man and Woman,who gave originto the
the Ryukyuswere firstmale, Shireku (Shineko,Shinireku),
municationsthroughout

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OKINAWA AND ITS PEOPLE

and thefirstfemale,Amamiko(Amanikye),
who created the land and the people.
Accordingto an alternatemyth,the first
people arrivedin a stormfromthe islands
of the South Seas. At what date the
firstpeople cane is not known,but some
villages claim that they have occupied
their presentsites for 3,000 years. The
residenceof the firstpeople is variously
describedas at Kadaka-shima,Kori-jima,
or Nago. Kadaka-shima.seems to have
had officialsupportforits claimsbecause
the formerkings of Okinawa visited the
island for worship and prayer each
February. It is a small island located in
the entranceto NakagusukuWan offthe
east coast. (This has been renamed
Buckner Bay in memoryof Lieutenant
General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.,
CommandingGeneralof the U. S. Tenth
Army,who lost his life fronm
artilleryfire
south of Naha on June 18, 1945, in the
last days of the campaign.)
Modern ideas regardingoriginsare less
romantic. Geologically,the island shows
volcanicand corallineorigins;racially,the
people are consideredto be a mixtureof
Ainu(Caucasoid),Mongoloid,and Malayan
strains; culturally,they exhibit Chinese
and Japanese influencesengraftedon an
older,possiblyindigenous,
culture.
Accordingto legend,the Okinawansin
turngave riseto theMoro peoplesinhabiting Mindanao in the PhilippineIslands
when a sailing vessel was wreckedin a
storm. Being unable to build a new ship,
they were forcedto remain. In support
of this storytheypoint to similaritiesin
the languagesand in the religiouscustom
of prayingto ancestorsrepresented
on the
name plates in the familyshrine.
In 1945 fourancientcastleswerefound,
located at Shuri, Nakagusuku, Yontan,
and on Katchin Hanto rnearHaebaru and
built on strategically
located,ruggedhilltops whichcommandedwide views. The
construction
was of hewnlstonefittedinto

235

thick, massive walls filled with rubble.

They were said to be about 500 yearsold
but, even so, to be the successorsto an
older series of prehistoriccastles which
have disappeared. They are survivors
of the feudaldays. Shuri Castle was the
last dominantcastle, the ancestralhome
of the last Okinawan kings, and, more
recently,an administrativeand governmentalcenter.
Since the dawn of recordedhistorythe
Okinawans, although nominally independent,wereinfluenced
bybothChinaand
Japan and at times paid allegiance and
tributeto both. At one time Okinawan
sailingvessels carriedon widespreadcommercewith the Asiatic mainlandand the
islands of the Westernand Southwestern
Pacific. The islandwas firstbroughtunder
a singlerulein 1187 by one Shuntem-O,a
king with Japanese ancestry. Thereafter
a successionof kingsruled for 700 years.
DuringpartofthistimeChina,particularly
under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644),
exertedthedominantinfluence. Buddhism
was introduced
fromChinainthefourteenth
century,and the Okinaweseprinceswere
educated in China or by Chinese tutors..
When Japan adopted the closed-door
policyin 1638,Okinawancommerce,
which
was important,
was stifledand an agricultural economywas forcedon the island.
CommodorePerry visited Naha on his,
way to and fromJapan in 1853-54and he
urged on the American Congress that
coalingand observation
postsbe established
there. In 1875 Japanesetroopsoccupied.
the island, and tributeto China ceased..
The king was reducedto viceregalrank,
sent to Tokyo, and Okinawa was incorporatedinto the JapaneseEmpire. Since
then effortsto Japanize the island have
been intensified.
Anatomy. The Okinawans are small,
dark, well-proportioned,
Oriental people.
The skin is usually dark brown. This
deep pigmentation
is no doubt due partly

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236

THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

to the tropical sun. A few yellowish larger than the pancreas; in Okinawans
persons are seen and rarely one who is the normal pancreas is about one-third
very light-skinned.I saw a fair-skinnedlargerthan the spleen,and it is nearlyas
child on northernOkinawa and another large as that of Americans. The colon is
on an adjacent island, Haenza Shima. relativelygreatly elongated, so that it
Both children otherwiseresembled the has several extra coils. In the hepatic
exhibitsan S-shaped
usual natives. I was toldthatsuchpeople flexureit frequently
were not rare; theyare attributedby the curve,the transversecolon lies very low,
natives to European ratherthan to Ainu and the sigmoid region forms a long,
is made
loop. The suggestion
mixture. The hair is straightand black, pedunculated
and both sexes have on the averagemuch that this elongated colon representsan
less body hair thanAmericans. The body adaptation to the prolongeduse of a
vegetariandiet, whichhas
lengthof adults in a small serieswas 60.5 predominantly
inchesformenand 55.8 inchesforwomen. a bulky residue, analogous to that of
Children are correspondinglysmall at herbivores.On dissection,the excellent
becomesconspicuous
the differentages. Young women are musculardevelopment
sometimesplump,but obesityis not found because of the small amount of adipose
at any age in either sex; these people tissue,bothsubcutaneousand deep.
Taken as individuals,Okinawans are
therefore
appearquitemuscular. The body
fromthe Japanese;conis slenderto stocky;thelegsare moderately indistinguishable
short, and an appearance of bowlegs sideredas a group,however,theOkinawans
sometimesseen is usuallybecause of wide are darker,shorter,stockier,and hairier.
Pathology.Okinawa appears to have
placement of the femoralheads rather
than bowing. The carriageis erect,and been, on the whole, a fairly healthful
thebearing,especiallyinwomen,is graceful. place. In comparisonwith the United
Heavy labor in the fields is regularly States the infectiousdiseases were more
by the women,and theyhabit- importantand the degenerativediseases
performed
ually carryburdenson theirheads. The were considerablyless common,so much
feet are broad across the toes; the great so in fact that the reasonsthereformerit
toe standsapartand is trainedforgrasping. furtherinvestigationin the hope that
The facialfeaturesare Mongoloid,with etiologicalfactorsmay be disclosed.
A few infectiousdiseases were less
slight to moderate developmentof the
medial epicanthicfoldsand a moderately commonthanin theUnitedStates. These
diseases(notably
broad face. The appearance varies be- includedthestreptococcic
tween two extremes:Some have a flat scarletfever)and theirrelative,rheumatic
or a concave broad face, a large mouth, fever. Mumps was said to be rare, and
and a broad nose with sunken bridge, most of the populationseemed to escape
associatedwitha stockybody; othershave whoopingcough.
On the otherhand, intestinalhelminth
a narrower
face,witha straight,thinnose,
infcctionswere very common, though
and a slendererbody.
The internal anatomy shows several they seemed to cause little trouble. In
fromAmericansancd the bodies examined44.7 percentshowed
points of difference
34.7percenthad hookEuropeans. The organsare small in pro- Ascarislumnbricoides,
Necator
americanus),and a
portion to body size, with two striking worms(chiefly
with Trichuris
infected
were
few
of
them
exceptions:the spleen is smallerand th(
Enterobius
Strongyvermicularis,
pancreas largerthan would be expected trichiura,
Tubercuand
loides
stercoralis,
tapeworms.
In Americansthe normalspleenis slight]y

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OKINAWA AND ITS PEOPLE

237

losis, the dysenteries,the diarrheas,and systemsuch as diabetesmellitusand hyperand nodular enlargementsof

pneumoniawere commonand constituted thyroidism,
and mammaryglands
thechiefseriousmedicalproblems. Filarial theprostate,thyroid,
infection,as revealedby the presenceof appeared to be relativelyless common
in the blood, had a high in- than in the United States. The causes
microfilaria
werenot obvious,but dietaryand
cidence,but its sequel,elephantiasis,curi- therefor
ously,was uncommon,
indicatinga benign hereditaryfactors and a placid, lowthefactthattheorganism tension but physicallyvigorous life, as
infection
despitle
is said to be WVuchereria
bancrofti.About well as the equable climate, may be
a thousand lepers, collected from the important.
The sickweretreatedbyhomemedication
Ryukyus,wereundertreatment
in a leproand
bydoctorswhowereinprivatepractice.
sariumlocatedon Yagachi Shima,a small
Most
of them were native Okinawans,
island off Okinawa. This disease was
of
sons
well-to-dofamileswho had been
stated to be decreasing. Malaria was
not a big problem;a few cases formerly educated in Japanese medical schools.
occurredannually,chieflyin the northern They were,on the whole,well trainedto
part of the island,where,however,after recognizeand treat the diseases encounthe invasionwithits disruptionand over- tered. Most of them did only minor
crowdingan epidemicensued among the surgeryexceptthat theytreatedfractures
natives. An outbreak of encephalitis, and drained infections;major surgery
believed to be Japanese B encephalitis, was generallyreferredto a few doctors
also occurred;thiswas said by the native who specialized in this work. Several
physiciansto be an almost annual event. examples of group practice had sprung
It was the onlydiseasefoundwhichis not up about small hospitals, which were
presentin the UnitedStates,althoughits foundin thelargercities. Licensednative
who had been trained by
near relativesare entrenchedhere. The practitioners,
islandappearsto be heavilycontaminated servingtime in a hospital,were also in
was attendedusually
by a virulentformof-tetanusbacteria,as practice. Childbirth
indicatedby the historyof numerouscases by relatives,less commonlyby midwives,
in thepast following
childbirth
and trauma and by physiciansonly aftertroublewas
and by thelargenumberofcases in natives encountered.Infantmortalitywas fairly
whichfollowedwar injuries. Dengue or a high. The oldest inhabitantswere said
dengue-likedisease was said to cause to be about a hundredyears of age, and
epidemicsat intervals of a few years. manylivedpast seventy.
The people possessed a great lore of
Measles and conjunctivitisappeared in
herbsand medicines;mostoftheirremedies
epidemicsalmostannually.
Yaws, schistosomiasis,leishmaniasis, werecatharticsor so-calledblood purifiers
tsutsugamushi,typhus, cholera, plague, and strengtheners.Pharmacies, located
anthrax,smallpox,rabies,and some other in the largertowns,had a fairassortment
diseases did not occur, accordingto the of some of the moderndrugs.
local physicians.
The Home. The homes,each a compact
The degenerative and retrogressiveunit enclosed by a wall or hedge, were
diseases appeared to be relativelyrare. located eitheron the farmsor clustered
Arteriosclerosis,lithiasis (cholelithiasis togetherto formvillages and towns or,
and renallithiasis,but not bladderstone), more rarely,cities. Whethersingleor in
hypertension,
mnalignant
tumors,heartdis- groups,theyusually occupiedland which
ease ofall types,disordersof theendocrine was not of the best quality for farming

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238

THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

rocksor steepness. rectangularbuilding of better quality

because of outcropping
The homesiteswere frequentlycut back extendingnearlyacross the back of the
into a slope to give protectionagainst compound. This was the house. At its
typhoonsby embankments.The homes left end stood a small, partly sunken,
of hand-surfaced,
wereconnectedwiththefarmsby footpaths thatchedpit constructed
or by narrowdirt or cobblestoneroads fittedcoral blocks. This structurewas a
just wide enough to permit passage of combinationpigsty and latrine, whose
carts.
importantfunctionwas the conservation
small two-wheeled
the homewere of human and animal excretafor use as
The buildingscomprising
small, and the plan of theirarrangement fertilizer.A well fromwhich water was
was fairlyuniform.They were enclosed drawnwith rope and bucketwas located
space by a in any part of the compound;nearbywas
in a level square or rectangular
dense hedge of giant grasses,shrubs,and a small outdoor pool. Part of the
trees which grew directlyfromthe level compoundwas paved with coral blocks
the in the homesof the affluent.A fewsmall
ground,or froma dirt wall, or fromn
at the edges of the area if it fruit trees or floweringshrubs, usually
embankment
was cut back into a slope. Wealthy hibiscus, along the wall completed the
people had a stonewall of fittedrubbleor typicalarrangement.The positionof the
hand-hewncoral blocks. The hedge or housewas constant,but thatofthestorage
was someserved building,stable,or pigsty-toilet
wall, regardlessof its composition,
An
reversed.
upright,cylindrical
to keep out pryingeyes and to lessenthe times
forceof typhoons. The home compound stone or concretecistern,about 30 inches
stood
had one entrancelocated in the center in diameterand 6 feettall sometimes
rain
house
and
stable,
collecting
a
front. This was not guarded by gate between
the
In
towns
from
the
roof
of
each.
or
water
hedge
but by a shortsegmentof wall
severalfeet longerthan the widthof the the storagebarn in the rightfrontcorner
replacedby a building
entranceand set a fewfeetinteriorto it. was notuncommonly
ceremonial
occasions or for
for
to
look
used
directly
Thus it was impossible
housing
guests.
on
the
intothehomeor to enter compound
The housewas usuallybuiltofwoodwith
a straightline. It was necessaryto turn
flexibleframeand thin board
a
mortised,
of
the
end
the
around
left
or
to the right
and out. The roof was
inside
function
paneling
whose
shortinnerguardingwall,
although red tile
thatch,
grass
usually
wall.
was the same as that of the main
A brick or
not
uncommon.
roofs
were
that
as
its
purpose
gives
original
Legend
the roof
on
head
or
lion
tiger
concrete
of
the
home
out
evil
since,
ofkeeping spirits
evil
the
spirits.
home
against
guarded
to
unable
were
negotiate
supposedly,they
were
barn
and
storage
The
stable,
pigsty,
faced
house
The
always
nearly
turns.
the
to a
attached
on
thatched
bamboo
in
usually
take
open
being
to
advantage,
south
front,of thecoolingbreezewhichprevailed rough timber frame. Most thatched
from that directionin the hot summer buildingshad heavy uprightcornerpillars
monthsand to admit the low-anglerays of hewncoralsecurelyfixedin the ground,
of the sun whilekeepingout theprevailing between which were walls composed of
breezeduringthe wintermonths. rubble.
northern
At worst,all the buildingswere made
couldbe seen
arrangement
The following
from the entrance of the typical rural entirelyof thatchor withmud and rubble
compound:a small stable to the left, sides and thatchroof. At best,theywere
storage barn to the right,and a larger, all built of hewn coral or wood with red

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OKINAWA AND ITS PEOPLE

tile or even molded concretetile roofs. and was used mainlytor eating. All the
Rarely,the house, or stable, or both had main rooms except the kitchencould be
convertedinto a single, large room by
two stories.
panels. This
The open frontand rightside of the slidingback thedisappearing
house could be closed by slidingwooden was done duringthe day and for cerewereout of sight. monials. At nightthesepanels wereused
panels,whichordinarily
A second set of panels, constructedof to subdividethe space intosleepingrooms,
latticedwood coveredby rice paper, was and the familyslept on thickstrawmats
sometimesplaced about 2 feetinteriorto laid on the wooden floor. The sleeping
the outerset. Additionalprotectionfrom gear was storedin a built-inclosetduring
sun and rain was given by wide, over- the day.
consistedof the shrine,a
The furniture
hangingeaves, whichweresupportedby a
small straightchairs,
several
low
table,
row of roundpoles, cut fromthe trunkof
of the furniture
Most
small
and
trays.
small eucalyptustreesin such a way that
a
finish
was
suitable to the
lacquered,
the spreadingrootsat the buttprovideda
the
wall
On
climate.
were usually
damp
wide,securebase. Eucalyptuswood,being
of
framed
found
or all of the
pictures
used
any
whenever
resistantto termites,was
following:
Emperor
Hirohito,
membersof
house.
in
framework
of
the
the
possible
The kitchenwas in the leftend of the thefamily,ThomasEdison,Napoleon,and
house. It had a dirtfloorand was equipped AbrahamLincoln. The large houses had
exclusivelyfor the
withmud,tile,or stonehearths,cupboards, a special seat re-served
pottery jars for storage, and various rarevisitsof royalty.
utensils, mostly of home manufacture. There were no modernplumbingand
There was usually no chimney,so the sewage systems. Houses were well venwalls and roofwere blackenedwith soot. tilated,beingpartlyopen,but uncomfortThe smokewas conductedunderthe roof ably cool during three winter months
throughthe garretover all parts of the because of lack of heating facilities.
house. This smoking,whichgave a char- Artificial
lightingwas not needed because
acteristicodor to the houses,was thought of the habitsof the people.
to preservethewoodfromtermites. Dried
The Family. A familywas begunby a
straw,twigs,and sugar-canestalks were marriage ceremony,which was usually
used forfuel.
in bybothfamilies
secularand participated
Small homes had one living room; concerned. It lasted from one to three
largeroneshad twoor threein a rowacross days. The groom was usually about
the front,in addition to several small twenty-five
years old and the brideabout
roomsacross the rear used for storageof twenty; the extremeswere eighteen to
food,weavingmaterials,and unusedfurni- thirty-two
and sixteento twenty-five
years,
ture. The main living room was called respectively.The averageage at marriage,
the shrineroom because recessedinto its formerly
youngerfor both sexes, has inrear wall was the familyshrine. If the creased, owing to more years spent in
house was fortunateenough to have a schooland in compulsory
militarytraining.
secondroom,it was placed to the rightof The marriagewas formerlyarrangedby
the shrinerooin. This was knownas the the two families,sometimesthrougha
porch room because it was open on two middleman,but in recentyears therehas
sides, frontand right. If the house was been an increasingtendencyfor young
favoredwitha thirdroom,itwas interposed people to choose their own marriage
betweenthe shrineroomand the kitchen partners-so-calledlove marriages. Mar-

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240

THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

i ne marriedcoupie soon naci a series

riage enforced because of pregnancy
was said to be rare. The custom of of children. The average number was
betrothal by presentationof the tisaji, said to be fiveor six; the extremeswere
wovenfromcottonin the formof a towel none to twenty,and familieswith ten
by the girl for the boy, was abandoned childrenwere common. The babies were
borntwoyearsapart,themother
about 30 years ago when cheap machine- generally
made Japanese cotton cloth made local nursinga child until the next one came
cotton raising and weaving obDsolete. along, which was sometimesas long as
Acceptanceof this giftindicatedthat the threeyears. Sterilitywas blamed on the
male realizedthatalone he was incomplete, woman,and it was the main cause for
a defectwhichthe girlby makingthe gift divorceon the island. Childlesscouples
adopteda child. A man rarely
sometimes
indicatedshe could remedy.
The newly marriedcouple lived with had a secondwifeor concubine,and any
the groom'sparentsif he was a firstson; suchwerekept secretand apart fromthe
otherwisesome otherhome was arranged. [amilyhome.
The women did all the work in the
The completetypicalfamilyconsistedof
the oldest son compoundand muchof that in the fields.
the paternalgrandparents,
and his family,and any unmarriedsisters They cooked, cleaned, wove cloth, and
made clothes;collected,dried,and stored
fromall generations.
Okinawan culturewas patriarchaland Food; milled the grain; fed the animals;
patrilinear. The oldestmalein thefamily, and planted and harvested the sweet
ruled with the potatoes and other produce, carrying
usually the grandfather,
power of a dictator. At his death the burdenson theirheads in baskets which
rule descendedto the oldestson, provided they had woven. The men supervised
he was twentyyears old; otherwiseit fell and helped in the fields,did the skilled
untilher son reached work in connectionwith building,conto the grandmother
andfished. Many
and irrigation,
his majority. Propertywas inheritedin struction,
the same way as power. The oldest son farmerswere engaged in part-timework
but he could awayfromhome.
inheritednearlyeverything,
The men controlledthe financesand
share withhis brothersif he wishedor if
the fatherrequired. This failureto divide keptthemoney,buttherewas oneexception
the propertyexplains how such large to this custom. At Itoman, a fishing
homesteadshave beenbuiltup in a country villagewherea fewPortugueseare believed
where earningpower and resourcesare to have settledcenturiesago, it was said
so low; they representthe accumulated the womenkept a separatepurse. Here'
wealth and productiveenergy of many it was even possible for an unmarried
daughterto earn and retainmoneyto be
generations.
Formerlythe backs of the hands of used as a dowry,which sometimestook
brides were extensivelytattooed with the formof a new fishingboat for the
blue-blackpigments. This was a formof bridegroom.
Diet. The main articles of diet were
brandingto announceto all thatshe had a
sweet
potatoes,rice,and varioustypesof
husband. According to rumor, it was
includingsoybeans. These were
beans,
directed mainly against foreignerswho
by greenvegetablesofmany
supplemented
This
mi0ht wish to molest the wife.
and
millet
barley,meat, fish,and
kinds,
customwas abandonedabout 30 yearsago
radishes,carrots,
tomatoes,
fruit.
Squash,
over
in
women
and in 1945 was seen only
asparagus,
onions,
chard,
cabbage,
eggplant,
yearsofage.
fifty

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OKINAWA AND ITS PEOPLE

241

Dietary fats were chieflylard rendered

and othervegetableswere foundin some
gardensbut by no means on everyfarm, at home and soybean oil importedfrom
notverysuccessful,
They wereeaten eitherraw or cooked,as Manchuria. Attempts,
were many types of green leafy plants, were made to make beef tallow more
Taro, tapioca, and sago were produced usableby mixingit withsoybeanand other
for home consumption.Sago was made oils. Small amountsof oil were obtained
fromthe ubiquitouscycad,Cycas revoluta, from various types of nuts and seeds,
whichwas used forfood in severalforms including cycads, again without great
after treatmentto reduce its inherent success. Olives were not grown on the
primary toxic factor. Fruits were not island,and coconuts,whichareso important
used in large amounts; the commonest elsewherein theislandsofthePacific,were
varieties were a small sour orange, a veryrare.
The diet appears to have been oversmallbanana,papayas,and a fewpeaches,
Black or brownsugarmade fromthe cane balanced by carbohydratesand to have
grownon nearlyeveryfarmwas eaten as had an excessivelybulkyresidue. Superit was not ficially,it seems that it must have been
such or made into confections;
used to sweetea food as is theJapanese deficientin proteins. However,when it
custom. The nativesconsideredit profit- is judged by fertility,
longevity,incidence
of disordersof metabolism,and evidence
able to sell sugarand buy rice.
The chiefsourceofproteinswas soybeans. of deficiencydiseases, it stands up very
Most families slaughteredone or twc well. Priorto thewar it protectedagainst
hogs annually,usuallyat the New Year. most infectiousdiseases except dysentery
The porknoteatenfreshwas preserved
with and pneumonia. It certainly was not
salt, refrigeration
not being available; conducive to a rapid rate of growthor
goats were also raised and used formeat ultimatelarge stature,criteriacommonly
by most families; chickens and ducks used in judging diets in Americauntil
added a little variety. Fish was eaten recently. Some cases of war edema were
several times a month in most homes. seen but onlyaftera longperiodof inadeBeef and horsemeat wererarelyavailable quate foodintakeconsequentto thedisrupto the average family. Milk fromgoats tion of normal living conditionsby the
or cows was used onlyby thosewho were war. The natives preferred
theirfood to
ill and by babies whose mothershad ours,but thisis grosslyunfairto us because
insufficient
milk. Cheese was repellent theywerejudgingmainlyby ourK rations.
to the Okinawans.
[To be concluded]

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