GALLERY — OKINAWA, MAY & JUNE 2008
Visit to Shuri Castle
The Shuri Castle was the center of the ancient Ryūkyū Kingdom which ruled Okinawa until 1879. The Okinawan distictive culture, language and customs are rapidly being assimilated. For those of us who practice traditional Okinawan karate, visiting the Shuri Castle has a historical symbolic importance.
Therefore, through our practice of the Okinawan martial arts, we are preserving and promoting some of the Ryūkyū cultural heritage around the world. From this small kingdom, a unique martial arts originated hundreds of years agao and became the most popular martial arts in the world today: Karate Dō.
In 2000, the Unesco's World Heritage List added all the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryūkyū, which included the Shuri Castle site.
See UNESCO'S official award: Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of The Kingdom of Ryūkyū
Below: The Shuri Castle main court.
Standing from left to right, Jūmonji Yousuke, Jimmy Mora and Preston Flammang.
Below: The Throne Chamber inside Shuri Castle.
Below: Some of the outer sections of the Shuri Castle: gardens, walkways, water well, etc.
Below: An overview of the entire Shuri Castle complex.
Departure from Okinawa
By June 7th, all the visitors from overseas and from mainland Japan had already gone home. Among them: Mr. Daniel Kogan, Mr. Vincent Liew, Mr. Preston Flammang, Mr. Furuno Masayuki and others.
On my last night in Okinawa, Onaga Kaichō had another late training until 2:30 AM. Some of my peers came to train together and say goodbye. Among them were: Arakaki Shunichi, Tokuyoshi Yasunobu, Jonathon Hallberg and Jūmonji Yousuke. At the end of class, we had another goodbye toast.
One of the happy moments of the trip was when my student Mr. Preston Flammang received his Sho Dan (1st degree Black Belt) on Onaga Sensei's 70th birthday: June 2nd, 2008. Congratulations Preston San!!!
On June 8th, my last day in Okinawa, my teacher had a surprise gift for me: a little training from 1 PM to 6:30 PM. And yes, it was very hot and humid in the Dōjō...
Below: A quiet moment with my teacher before I boarded the plane back to Tokyo.
Also, my friend Jonathon Hallberg came to the airport to say goodbye.
