After watching Harukana Receive!, a sports-themed anime about a young girl who learns about beach volleyball, I have wanted to visit Okinawa, Japan. The anime features different places in Okinawa, including Gushikawa Beach where the protagonist and her friends would play beach volleyball.
Japan’s southernmost prefecture, Okinawa is an archipelagic place with own history as an independent kingdom and a distinctly subtropical climate. It is also known as the birthplace of karate.
During the recently concluded Nihongo Fiesta, I was able to watch a karate performance called Bu no Mai. A creative dance based on the motif of karate, it emphasizes defense without any weapon and is unique to Okinawa, a place that places great importance on peace.
The karate performance was part of the Ryukyu Buyo, an event organized by The Japan Foundation, Manila to promote the Okinawan dance to the Filipino people.
Originating in the Ryukyu Kingdom period, Ryukyu Buyo was mainly performed on a stage to welcome envoys from China. The dancers would wear vivid costumes decorated with Okinawa’s unique dyed fabric called Bingata, and their graceful dancing to the melody of Sanshin (three-stringed lute), Fue (flute), Taiko (drum), and other instruments.
For the JFM event, six graduates of Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, the only university in the world dedicated to the inheritance and development of Okinawa’s traditional and new arts., performed the Okinawan traditional dances.
The six graduates formed a special group for the performances in Manila – namely dancers, Kiyoko Higa-san, Satoru Arakaki-san, and Sachiko Isa-san, and musicians Hiroya Yokome-san, Hiromichi Yokome-san, and Miho Toyozato-san.
The group performed Yotsutake, often presented to welcome guests from abroad during the Ryukyu Kingdom period. The dancers would clink four pieces of bamboo (like castanets) in their hands to purify the place and express happiness upon meeting their guests.
For their next performance, one of the dancers performed Agechikuten, a classical dance performed by men. It is a celebratory dance that joyfully praises the blessings of nature and depicts scenes such as the twin-leaved pine trees growing so beautifully enough to embrace rocks and celebrate blessings from heaven, such as rain and dew. The dancer holds fans in both hands and dances valiantly.
The third performance, the Higasa Odori, is a dance that gracefully expresses the beauty of a woman in love. Holding a parasol in her hand, the dancer wore a kimono in a way that was unique to Okinawa.
To put the spotlight on the Okinawan vocals, the musicians sang “Kotobuki no Mai,” a song of celebration, and “Kurushima Kuduchi,” which expresses the brightness and resilience of the Okinawan people. The latter song depicts the beautiful scenery of Kurushima Island and the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa.
Rukyu Buyo was part of the Nihongo Fiesta, which aims to foster deeper connections between Japan and the Philippines. It provides a fertile ground for the flourishing community of Nihongo speakers and enthusiasts, welcoming individuals from all walks of life, from eager language learners to seasoned professionals, to take part in an immersive arts and cultural experience unlike any other.
One of the highlights of the Nihongo Fiesta 2024, the 51st Nihongo Speech Contest, where nine finalists from all over the Philippines showcased their talents and skills in communicating their thoughts in Japanese.
This year’s Grand Champion was Jacob Fuentebella (Bulacan), a UP Diliman graduate who is currently working as a Korean Account Associate, he talked about his language learning journey from Korean to Japanese, in his speech People-to-People Connections Through Foreign Language Studies.
Erina Sotoya (Cebu) won second place with her piece Irreplaceable Person, where she shared her memories with her father and how those shaped her deep appreciation for present connections.
Third placer Anferee Tizon (Taguig), a 4th year BA Communications student at Adamson University, reflected on his personal journey on friendships and how the lessons he learned shaped his current perspective and attitude towards people, similar to how his taste for coffee has changed with his speech Not All Coffee Tastes Bitter.
A Special Jury Award was given to Niño Raphael Mesajon (Davao), a Grade 12 student from Philippine Nikkeijin Kai International School, for his speech Truth Beyond First Sight, which talked about how his perspective changed during a visit to a Lumad community, leading him to question the true meaning of living a good life.
The contestants were judged according to the following criteria: Content (originality, organization, and impact), Delivery (voice and manner), and Language (appropriateness and correctness).
The recipient of the Grand Champion Award will join the Study Tour hosted by the Japan Overseas Enterprises Association, with airfare sponsored by the Japanese Association, Manila, Inc. and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc.
