Makiko Nagao

Ryukyu Kingdom: Made in Okinawa

A Ryūkyū man dressed in a traditional bashōfu (芭蕉布 / banana plant cloth) kimono lies on the beach looking out to the sea. As he lies there, we witness the passage of time on the islands. At first there is peace and time seems to move slowly. Only the music and the occasional movements of the man indicate the passage of time. Finally a man carrying water passes by, followed by other people representative of times past: market vendors, peasants, the red-cheeked god dancing at a matsuri (festival). But as the film progresses, the islands prove to be the meeting place of many cultures.