Meet The Ryukyu Living In Japan's The Extreme South | The Mark Of Empire (Full Episode)

[Music] I'm Peter Lee a Singaporean scholar of puranakan descent Chinese with a dash of Malay I'm off on a New Journey searching for Untold histories this is so beautiful it shows all the people that came through here you could not use fake money and you had to be nice to your servants to explore how four distinct kingdoms Rose and fell on the Japanese Isles and the Korean peninsula creating unique cultures and identities [Music] look at this that still resonate today everything is based on really old designs so fast and present all mixed up together [Music] foreign [Music] Japan's southernmost island chain the real Q archipelago on the island of Okinawa in the capital naha [Music] this is my first time here and it's clean and well ordered like the Japan I know but there are some differences like these beautiful palm trees I feel like I'm in Hawaii this is kokusai Dori or International Street U.S bases stationed here there's a palpable American vibe and there's a local Fusion snack I just have to try it this is really exciting it's got so many things on the menu is Spam magic word I love it I'll have that please foreign look at this it's like an onigiri reimagined as a sandwich with rice egg and spam it is so good a fantastic combination 100 approved the American influence on the island of Okinawa dates back to after World War II but there are also reminders of an older heritage this really reminds me of a Chinese Guardian lion but you see it everywhere from shop fronts signs to souvenirs these protectors called shisa a mix between a lion and dog were first introduced from China over 500 years ago to ward off bad spirits [Music] a local artist who goes by Tensai or genius mitsuo is going to show me how they are crafted [Music] laughs foreign thank you 0 the material it's soft very wet very malleable sort of getting to look like a olegged mythical Beast okay okay so you must have the right attitude to make a good shisa next is the tail which uses a piece of tile that's a link to the past [Music] foreign [Laughter] and then it's gonna have nostrils just like mine this is a mini me say yeah it looks like quite a happy slightly sleepy shisa that's really me [Music] I've grown up with the image of Guardian Lions but they're so much more serious here they're just fun and approachable this is my kind of Guardian deity [Music] Okinawa is a friendly tourist destination today but the remote island on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean was once a place of outcasts Castaways and Warlords I'm interested to find out how Society here evolved about a thousand years ago the people here turned from hunting fishing and Gathering to farming and built simple walls to protect their villages soon local rulers called Aji came to prominence and enclosed their households in larger stone walls but before long they were brought to heal by powerful overlords who built even larger fortifications as a testament to their Supremacy [Music] and this is the grandest of them all nakajin Castle was built in the 13th century the stronghold of the powerful hokkazan Kingdom [Music] I'm getting special access to a storage Vault with evidence of how people here lived at the time my guide is resident archaeologist yasushi tamashiro foreign [Music] so this is 600 years old a beautiful Celadon and it still has the gloss the interesting thing is you find very similar trade goods from China in Southeast Asia and we even have shards in Singapore like this um [Music] yeah that's a lot of sake yeah even more fascinating is where the alcohol came from this would have been a really big jar from the iuti period oh yeah wow this is heavily potted there's some weight here clearly this wasn't a show peace [Music] I see it's surprising how over 600 years ago this island imported luxury Ceramics like Celadon from China and rice wine from ayutthia isolated island enjoyed trade with Nations as far away as China and Thailand from as early as the 14th century Okinawa was split into three kingdoms hokuzan to the north nanzan to the South and chuzan in the middle where it said an ambitious Prince called Hashi teams up with Northern Aji Lords to overthrow hokkazan in 1416. in 1429 he conquers the South uniting the island for the first time as king Shaw Hashi first ruler of the ryuku Kingdom [Music] over the next decades its territory expands taking control of the islands North of Okinawa [Music] the First Nation to recognize and support the New Kingdom was China I'm on kume island 90 kilometers west of Okinawa see how their powerful Western neighbor became a crucial Patron and trading partner the rise of ryukyu coincided with a time when China was at war with the Mongols and it turned out ryuki was rich in two resources that they sorely needed one was sulfur for making gunpowder and the other was horses ryuku's indigenous horses only grow to about 120 centimeters tall and Trace back 15 centuries to Mongolian breeds they were once used by Farmers to carry heavy loads and was set to number in the tens of thousands but with less need for them these days fewer than 200 remain on the islands it feels sort of naturally oily smooth do they like being brushed um [Music] runs a local horse farm working to protect these animals they are also keeping alive the use of a traditional Bridle called a muge foreign they're giving off really good vibes seems an ideal time for a ride so the trick is basically to douse them with tender loving care brush them talk to them and they'll be your friend in Forever [Music] [Applause] and finally it's time to put our new Bond to the test [Music] this feels wonderful she's very gentle what a wonderful experience [Music] and as Island horses there's nothing more natural than finishing off with a quick dip here goes [Music] this is like a horse ride and Spa and a swim all at once This Is The Life [Music] I'm Peter Lee and I'm in Japan's Southern Edge exploring the shallow reefs around the ryukyu archipelago's kume island for evidence of how in the 15th century the ryuku kingdom grew into a trading power so clear and beautiful here archaeologists akihiro sunagawa is an expert in these Waters that Harbor traces of the ryukyu Kingdom's early dealings with China down in the remains of a sunken treasure ship [Music] The Vessel may be long gone but we're looking for pieces of its cargo [Music] thank you [Music] so tell me what you found what about this is [Music] a Saladin place and it's all crackled are there lots of them is foreign [Music] this is such an incredible find here I am surrounded in Paradise it's like a holiday Resort and at the same time there's so much history just below the surface 100 years ago ship sail through exactly these Waters it would have looked just like this and here I am now [Music] search of uq's exchanges with China is just the tip of the iceberg because it was the first journey of a massive trading Network it began with a week's Crossing from ryukyu to fujian in southern China made aboard some 30 trading junks that were a gift from the Chinese measuring some 40 meters long and 30 meters tall They carried as many as 300 men or more and was some of the most formidable ships of the time foreign Southwest down to Vietnam Thailand Malaysia and Indonesia where they would stock up on local spices wood and elephant tusks to exchange back in the north for Chinese porcelain fabrics and medicines or Japanese lacquer fans and weapons ready to carry back down south sell for a massive profit [Music] none of this would have been possible without the ryoku Kingdom's relationship with the Chinese which was about more than material exchanges China at that time was a superpower that produced some of the world's most coveted Goods and enjoyed leverage to match to trade with it meant sending tribute in the form of expensive gifts a privilege regularly withdrawn from those that displeased it but the reward was immense wealth and one of China's most Favored Nations was a tiny ryukyu Kingdom by bending its knee to China as its vassal State the ryuku kingdom Grew From A Backwater Island into a trading Powerhouse of about a hundred thousand people that regularly saw the world's luxury items pass through its Shores but some of the most sought after goods were also made here this is the over 500 year old art of bingata the unique way of dyeing Fabrics that I've heard about for many years [Music] is [Music] the ryukyu Kingdom's frequent exchanges With Faraway lands in the 15th century he gave rise to these amazing designs and its unique method which veteran bingata maker of 50 years sachiko yafuso will watch me try soft with a stenciled design the brown areas have been blocked out so the first step is to apply Color to these bits in between the brown foreign I'm applied with this really neat brush very short hairs so place it vertically and just use a circular motion and because there's already this paste resists I don't have to be too careful which makes it much less stressful [Music] I became too enthusiastic and painted over areas I shouldn't have and Sensei has fixed the problem by painting over the correct color luckily it's similar so it should be fine it wasn't just the motifs and techniques that were imported from various locations but also some of the pigments which are used in a way I've never seen before graduations I can really see this beautification process it really makes it outstanding sort of alive this is only achievable as a kind of painting technique I think this is unique to bingata and the final result is exquisite there's a bit of Japan there's a bit of India Java everything coming together to something so uniquely real cute the art of bingata in spired by Foreign Fabrics traded across the region was perfected at the hands of the ryukyu people [Music] and was so fine that it was also shipped to China as a tribute good textiles were a major commodity as they were highly transportable and in much demand and ryukyu was very much part of this global trade being got a cloth is a perfect example of how various materials and methods traveled along shipping lanes and inspired local Artisans to come up with something utterly unique that now represents the Region's identity [Music] just across naha town is another unique example of a lesser-known ryuku tradition Hiroki shimabukuro is a young Cafe owner who is rediscovering a special beverage called bukobukuti is [Music] made to welcome Chinese emissaries who were VIPs of the state uses an unusual combination of rice broth infused with Jasmine tea mmm it's very fragrant you have a similar thing for the Japanese matcha green tea ceremony but this is three times larger and the Whisk as well it's huge wow yeah it's really popping up while the scented foam is set aside to dry out and stiffen there's time to prepare a nice cup of brown rice tea and after that comes a true test of skill so just hide the foam like this so this against your finger okay can I make a nice round shape okay this I'd like to imagine I've created a beautiful Cloud wow it looks so good the name bukubuku derives from the words fomi and lucky here goes foreign it's a really nice flavor and then the foam yeah it's quite sensory and sensuous [Music] this is what tea drinking should be I have a laugh and feel blessed [Music] boosted by their special relationship with China the ryuku kingdom flourished into the 16th century and the base of the ruling show family was here at shuri Castle [Music] sadly the palace complex burned down in 2019. the fifth major fire in its history [Music] rebuilding is underway but other areas of the former grounds still stand I've got access to the Royal mausoleum built by a legendary King to cover up a terrible truth that his father was a usurper to the ryuku throne in 1477 King shoshin ascended the throne when he was just a boy his father was not originally of the Royal bloodline but actually a former state treasurer tamaudin or Royal Mausoleum was built in 1501 to conceal this fight while King shoshin presented an unbroken line of succession it was the start of what historians call the second Shore Dynasty that would take the ryukyu kingdom to new heights to Be an Effective ruler the new king first needed to consolidate his power by bringing okinawa's all religion under his command [Music] I'm in Japan's Southern ryukyu Islands tracing the rise of a once independent Kingdom making a pilgrimage to sepha utaki okinawa's most spiritual site where one of the Island's first forests was created by a goddess [Music] utaki denotes a sacred place where prayers are made such as a Grove mountain or cave and this was where King shoshin sought to legitimize his authority over the island and its people so people would purify themselves before going further 86 year old kazuo yabiku comes from a family of local priestesses called noro who once walked this holy path that was reserved for women before long we've arrived at the second stop [Music] the same name as SRI Castle so they were linked by these common names [Music] King shoshin used names to link this site to his base at shuri Castle draw on the Spiritual Authority of this our third and final stop called the sangui architectural it's quite dynamic [Music] today foreign had the crucial role of communing with the Gods to ensure peace and prosperity you know this triangle that there is sort of a reference to the womb in really old cultures nature is associated with the mother figure the maternal the feminine so the space really makes sense [Music] to centralize his hold over the people's hearts and Minds shoshin appointed female officials to oversee religious rights across his lands and at shuri Castle raised his own sister to the new position of high priestess cementing his family as the ultimate rulers of the ryukyu Kingdom War breaks out to okinawa's West between the Miyako and yayama Islands shoshin sends three thousand soldiers to stop the fighting bringing them both under his rule thereafter he enacts a new law forcing all local RG Lords to move to shuri Castle where he adopts an unusual system of denoting Court hierarchy with differently colored headwear King shawshin's decisive policies saw him rule for 50 years an era celebrated as the ryukyu Kingdom's golden age I'm visiting the Okinawa Museum to see a Priceless record the king had made [Music] wow curator Kyoko sakihara is showing me a 300 year old copy of a collection of songs first compiled 500 years ago called the omoro Sochi yeah it looks very much like Chinese Imperial seals as well so this is commissioned by the Royal Family is [Music] foreign [Music] spiritual kind of chanting and singing it shows that these kinds of songs had deep spiritual importance and obviously National importance as well the verses offer us a rare glimpse of Life at the time Jenny [Music] foreign language related to Japanese so Okinawa pronounced in the local language would be uchina hi these songs compiled from across its lands helped to bind the Old ryukyu Kingdom together and music Still unites these islands in the modern day [Music] this is the sound of the sunshine dubbed the soul of Okinawa that first grew popular here 500 years ago Machida is a Craftsman of this banjo-like instrument foreign [Music] it's a very very dense wood hard to carve termites didn't like this wood so it lasted a long time but this is the first time I've heard it being used for an instrument with the neck done it's time to cover what they call the head oh wow snakeskin python oh my goodness wow it's really thick it's like rubber oh yes why python skin is foreign [Music] over a wooden frame to make something like a drum wow so here it is both sides stretched so it's quite a very very taut sound um yeah as we speak I can feel it vibrate it's like a living instrument [Music] sanchin means means and its sound made a deep impression [Music] wow I love it it's traditionally played with a piece of oxhorn hey I see foreign [Music] plucking it a certain way you don't strum it like a guitar so it's um very crisp kind of hard sound actually but it echoes so that softens it back again [Music] that was terrible although originally popular among ryukyu's Elite the sunshine is today a people's instrument said to be found in every home and brought out for festivities of all occasions [Music] okay [Music] [Applause] thank you [Applause] while overseas trade brought unimaginable prosperity to the islands storm clouds were on the horizon as new visitors made their way to these Waters the 16th century was a time of great change when Europeans started to venture ever further across the world's oceans the first to arrive in Asia were the Portuguese who are granted a foothold in China in 1557. this was bad news for the ryukyu kingdom whose wealth and standing were founded on their privileged access to Chinese Goods here and Traders drained the islands of their financial life before long the weakened Kingdom found itself the target of another threat from the north in 1590 Japan's new conqueror toyotomi hideyoshi orders ryoku to supply enough grain for him to invade China but with trading ties to both Nations King Shawnee doesn't respond for two years as a result in 1609 a hundred ships and three thousand soldiers attacked the island nation in the name of Japan's new Tokugawa Shogun foreign [Music] 's Capital City looking for a lesson in self-defense Okinawa is known among martial arts aficionados as the birthplace of karate but today I'm going to learn more about its lesser known cousin that still made a big contribution to World culture enjoys a dedicated following among locals of all ages while karate famously uses the bare fist this martial art uses a stunning array of weapons including the iconic nunchuck with a surprising origin story as a horse pit foreign foreign so this is not how I see it on a film yeah so it's a very versatile weapon hi to trace the roots of kobudo Master Masahiro kinjo has amassed a large collection of all tools and the next lethal Implement is a horseshoe foreign so this is really surprising that these knuckle dusters were actually upcycled from horseshoes but there's one item here that's surprisingly familiar to me wow this is exactly like the handle for a Stone Mill and we call it a Batu bowl back home you would turn it like this and to think it becomes this really cool killer weapon so exciting it seems like if you can use all these anything can be a weapon I am now to master my weapon of choice Spotify [Music] so you're right yeah kobudo is set to incorporate influences from China and Southeast Asia like karate there's speculation it caught on because of a weapons ban enforced by the Invaders the beautiful thing about it is that it makes so much sense it's really ergonomically designed I just love handling it and to think that I have something like this in my kitchen so Intruders beware hey [Music] the invasion in 1609 gave Japan access to ryuku's Chinese Goods but there was an unexpected problem the fact had to be kept top secret or China might abandon their trade with viewq altogether in the early 17th century in an unexpected move any expression of Japanese culture was outlawed ironically giving room for Chinese influence to spread a period that's encapsulated by the shisebo Confucius Temple this Temple was a gift from the Ching Emperor to the local Chinese families who had facilitated trade for centuries it's dedicated to the sage Confucius and was built 350 years ago which was also about the time that Confucianism became dominant what's fascinating is how they adopted a wide range of Chinese Cultural influences to forge a separate national identity from their Invaders true shift away from Japan and towards China is responsible for much of the Chinese influences seen today including the Beloved shisa [Music] the ryukyu kingdom continues to operate semi-independently for another 250 years until 1879 when in ailing China emboldens Japan to send 600 of their soldiers into shuri Castle King shotai is forced to abdicate ending the ryukyu kingdoms 450-year rule [Music] for the last 150 years the ryukyu islands have been a part of the Japanese Nation leading to a decline in some of its traditional culture but a new generation is looking to change that I think these tattoos on your hands look Sensational can you tell me about them these are tourism status my first up came acrossey just look in a Pinterest you know Pinterest yes I didn't know how did it so I asked my father and oh my yogurt grandmother and she has it [Music] is an artist of mixed ryukyu and Japanese descent who is rediscovering the tradition of hajiti tattoos that were banned by the Japanese as barbaric and nearly lost [Music] animals this is my holiday account foreign they're drawn from nature and they have these wonderful geometric shapes what sort of people would get hajiji um [Music] foreign although tattoos are becoming more popular globally Still Remains largely Taboo in Japan where it was once linked to criminality but these age-old motifs are slowly reappearing just another sign of how traditional ryoku identity still lives on almost 150 years after the Kingdom's downfall a thousand years ago the inhabitants of the uq islands found themselves in the middle of a thriving trade Corridor which they used to amass unprecedented wealth and prestige while the diplomacy they used to forge ties near anfar also helped them survive on the edge of two of the Region's most dominant Powers The Balancing Act of shaping their identity in the face of new influences and Changing Times is an unending dance continued by their modern descendants today from its far-flung ocean setting the Islanders of the ryukyu Kingdom used openness and shrewdness to build a colorful history integrating the best that trade had to offer with deeply held practices create a distinct culture that's finding renewed expression in modern times [Music] [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: CNA Insider

Views: 81,996

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Id: ryYn202IdHk

Length: 46min 45sec (2805 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 12 2022