Now, we have arrived at the house of the deputy landlord. During the Ryukyu Kingdom Era, the deputy landlord was the person in charge of the administration of their respective villages. Nowadays, they would be referred to as the village mayor. Have you noticed the extremely conspicuous treasure placed in front of this house? Between the front gate and the gate to the main house, there is what appears to be a partitioning screen. In the middle is a door, a door that isn’t meant to be opened. To get into the residence, you have to instead walk around this partition.
This mysterious partition is referred to as a Himpun. It acts as both a barrier from seeing inside the residence and a charm against evil spirits.
Have you heard the word “Majimun” before? Majimun is the general term in Okinawa for demons, and there is a superstition that if they turn at a forked road, they will die. Majimun are only able to proceed straight forward, so all you need to do to keep them out is obstruct the forward path. That is where the idea for the Himpun came about.
The Himpun were made using various materials, like layers of stone, roof tiles, or hedges. Sometimes there are lines of Chinese Banyan trees or Gajumaru which are known as “Gajumaru himpun” which can be found in cemeteries or around town.
Most of the homes in Okinawa Village have himpun that are made of stone, however, this himpun is made with red tiles lining the top of the wall, giving it an air of luxury. At a glance, they will tell you that this home is an aristocratic home and that a demon would be no match for this wall. Not only was the house protected from demons, but also against those trying to pry into the family's secrets.
