The Unsung Heroes Behind Ryukyu’s Glory: The Hidden Ties Between China and Okinawa

“This is a foreign country.” Even for the Japanese people, this thought always comes to mind whenever we come to Okinawa.

The smell of the air, the humidity on your skin—the difference from Honshu is undeniable. A look outside at the different vegetation growing on the mountains only amplifies the feeling that you are not longer in Japan.

And this feeling is not necessarily mistaken. After all, Okinawa was originally an independent country whose name was the Ryukyu Kingdom. For 450 years, this independent nation flourishing through its trade with both Japan and China.

The Fukushū-en Garden you are visiting is a rare Chinese garden in Japan that stands as a relic of the Ryukyu Kingdom. That being said the current garden was built in the Heisei period, without remnants from the time of the kingdom. Moreover, it would have never had been built were it not for the relations between the Ryukyu Kingdom and China.

Envoys from Fuzhou City (pronounced “Fukushū” in Japanese), served as mediators for Ryukyu and China.They were better known as the 36 Clans of the Min People.

They lived near Fukushū-en Garden in Kuninda and supported the economic development of the Ryukyu Kingdom through their techniques in navigation and interpretation. In essence, they are unsung heroes.

Envoys from Fuzhou City (pronounced “Fukushū” in Japanese), served as mediators for Ryukyu and China.They were better known as the 36 Clans of the Min People.

They lived near Fukushū-en Garden in Kuninda and supported the economic development of the Ryukyu Kingdom through their techniques in navigation and interpretation. In essence, they are unsung heroes.

Without its history, Fukushū-en might appear to be a mere Chinese garden. However, once you know its background, you will come to see a whole different side of the garden. After this journey, you will be able to feel the presence of the 36 Clans of the Min People who supported the kingdom.

READ MORE