News On Japan

Tracing the Achievements of Kaoru Omine in Reviving Okinawan Culture

NAHA, May 10 (News On Japan) - An exhibition highlighting the achievements of Kaoru Omine, who dedicated himself to reviving Okinawan culture in the postwar period, is being held at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum.

Omine, a native of Ogimi Village, gathered cultural assets such as dragon pillars and temple bells from the ruins of Shuri Castle and other war-damaged sites following the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. He later served as the first director of the Higashi Onna Museum, established in what is now Ishikawa, Uruma City.

Among the items on display is a transom once housed at Engakuji Temple, the royal family’s family temple, which had also been exhibited at the Higashi Onna Museum. Near the lower jaw of the dragon carving, a bullet hole from the war remains visible. The central flaming jewel motif from the piece was used as a valuable reference during the reconstruction of Shuri Castle.

Also exhibited are detailed ledger books of Omine's collected artifacts, along with intricately carved Buddhist altar decorations made by renowned Ryukyuan sculptor Sokei Tana and a variety of ceramics.

Takuro Irei from the Okinawa Prefectural Museum commented, "These materials could easily have been lost to war-related chaos or the elements, but they were preserved thanks to efforts to gather them into a museum collection. That, I believe, is one of Omine’s great accomplishments."

Omine’s collection efforts were supported by U.S. Army Major Hannah, and the Higashi Onna Museum, which attracted many visitors, became the foundation for today’s Okinawa Prefectural Museum.

Kaoru Omine was born in the village of Ōgimi, a remote and mountainous area in northern Okinawa known for its traditional lifestyle and longevity. Growing up in this rural setting, Omine was deeply immersed in Okinawan customs, folklore, and spiritual practices from an early age. The rhythms of village life, local craftsmanship, and the region’s distinct cultural expressions likely shaped his appreciation for Ryukyuan heritage.

Although detailed records of his early education are limited, it is believed that Omine developed a strong interest in history and artifacts even before the war. This interest, combined with a deep-rooted sense of cultural pride, would later form the foundation of his life's work. Living through a period of increasing militarization in the 1930s and witnessing the rising tensions leading up to World War II, Omine experienced firsthand the fragility of cultural identity under occupation and conflict.

After the war, rather than returning to a quiet village life, Omine responded to the widespread devastation of Okinawan historical sites by committing himself to their recovery and preservation. His early life in Ōgimi, surrounded by traditional values and natural beauty, was instrumental in nurturing the cultural sensitivity and perseverance that would define his legacy as a guardian of Okinawa’s past.

The exhibition showcasing Omine’s collection and his postwar contributions to cultural preservation will run at the Prefectural Museum and Art Museum through May 11th.

Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A palm tree collapsed near the venue of the Cannes International Film Festival in France on May 17th, seriously injuring a Japanese film industry professional in his 30s.

Two foreign tourists were rescued by helicopter on May 13th after becoming stranded due to the cold on Mt. Yotei in Kutchan, Hokkaido’s Shiribeshi region, where snow still remains at higher elevations.

Spring has brought a wave of newborn animals to North Safari Sapporo, a privately run zoo in Minami Ward, Sapporo City, even as the facility remains under pressure to remove illegal structures and relocate its animals.

Southern Kyushu has entered the rainy season, marking the first time in 49 years that it has done so earlier than Okinawa. It is also the earliest rainy season start for any region in Japan since the Meteorological Agency began keeping records. Authorities are warning of heavy rainfall not only in Kyushu but across other parts of the country as well.

A road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture is expected to take five to seven years to fully restore, local officials said on Friday, following the recovery of a truck cab that had remained lodged in the sewer system since the January accident.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Four elementary school boys were injured in a hit-and-run incident in Misato, Saitama Prefecture, after two Chinese nationals—later arrested—had spent about two hours drinking at a Chinese restaurant prior to the crash.

A senior member of the Kudo-kai crime syndicate, designated as a particularly dangerous group, was arrested on Friday in Kitakyushu for allegedly operating an illegal dice gambling den known as 'Tabusai,' which reportedly generated over one million yen in a single night.

A soft drink vending machine caught fire late Saturday night in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, with no clear cause found in the surrounding area.

A sightseeing boat carrying 25 people caught fire off the coast of Ogijima Island in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture on the evening of May 16th. All passengers and crew were safely rescued by a nearby fishing boat, and no injuries were reported.

A road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture is expected to take five to seven years to fully restore, local officials said on Friday, following the recovery of a truck cab that had remained lodged in the sewer system since the January accident.

Eighty years have passed since the end of World War II, yet the memories of its fiercest battles continue to echo in the heart of Okinawa. The district of Omoromachi in central Naha, now a lively urban hub filled with people, was once the site of one of the bloodiest clashes of the Battle of Okinawa—the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill.

A car crashed into a residential fence in Kyoto City after first hitting a utility pole and veering erratically for several hundred meters, according to local police. The incident occurred in a quiet residential area, where a witness who heard a strange noise captured the scene on video as the vehicle approached and came to a halt after plowing into the home’s boundary fence.

A woman in her 20s and two other individuals were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of defrauding a visually impaired man by luring him through a dating app and charging him excessive fees at a bar.