Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tions, the Ryukyu Glass Village (
琉球ガラス村
; Ryūkyū garasu mura), north of Cape Kyan,
and Himeyuri Park, north of the Peace Park.
The Ryukyu Glass Village is the largest glass blowing and glass crafting factory in Ok-
inawa. Here visitors can observe the production process involved in making glassware, cups,
bowls and other decorative items. The brilliant use of red, blue, green, and other colors in the
glassware is quite lovely. Other traditional handicrafts of Okinawa, such as ceramics and pot-
tery, are also on display and available for sale at the shop within the factory.
Eternal flame fountain at the Peace Park.
Eisa Drum Dance
(
エイサー
)
Obon (
お盆
) or simply Bon (
盆
) is the Japanese ceremony to honor the spirits of deceased ancestors.
It is the equivalent of the Chinese Fesival of the Hungry Ghosts (
盂蘭盆
), which is primarily a religious
affair. In Japan, this Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people
return to and clean up ancestral grave sites. It has been celebrated for centuries and tradiionally
ends with a dance, known as Bon-Odori (
盆踊り
) or Bon Dance. The style of dance varies regionally
throughout Japan. In Okinawa it is known as Eisa. The Obon Fesival lasts for three days, but its start-
ing date also varies widely. The tradiional lunar calendar places it on the 15th day of the 7th month.
It usually falls in July or August. It is danced by a dozen or more young men and women to the accom-
paniment of singing, chaning and drumming. Music is performed on the
sanshin
(
三線
), a snakeskin-
covered, three-stringed small banjo-type instrument, as well as up to three types of drums:
ōdaiko
(
大太鼓
), a large barrel drum;
shimedaiko
(
締太鼓
), a medium-sized drum; and
paaranku
(
パーラン
ク
), a small hand drum. Depending on how much
awamori
is consumed, fesivities can go on all day
and all night.
