Chinese Customs in Okinawa

Abstract

A number of festivals, manners and customs, and religious practices of Chinese origin are still prevailing in Okinawa. The author has been engaged since 1966 in research into some of those customs and practices which are apparently more or less related to Taoism. An attempt has been made to determine to what degree they are associated with those customs, etc., of China. A large part of the research done before 1974 has already been published, so the remainder, including the result of the research of 1975 is presented here. However, the research concerning religious practices of Chinese origin is not included here because space forbids. The areas covered are a part of each of the following islands of Okinawa : Iheya-shima, Izena-shima, Okinawa-honto, Miyako-jima, Ikema-jima, Irabu-jima, Kohama-jima. Kuro-shima. Taketomi-jima, Yonaguni-jima. Just behind the front gate of every house in Okinawa, there is something like a wall made of stones or block of some kind. This is called "himpun" in many parts of Okinawa-honto. This construction is still commonly found in those areas as in the areas previously researched by the author and even newly built houses usually have one. Though different names are given to this construction in different areas, Okinawa-honto, Miyako, and Yaeyama areas have a similar structure. Though it is commonly said to be built there so that the inside of the house is protected from the eyes of outsiders, some people and Yutas consider it to be a protection against devils. Since, in Fu-chien, China, too, a similar construction is built of wood and regarded as having a talismanic value, the assumption is that it is from China. As it is believed in Miyako and Yaeyama areas that it came from Okinawa-honto, it is suspected that this structure originated in Fu-chien and was introduced to Okinawa-honto first, then diffused to Miyako and Yaeyama. Another thing to be found in Okinawa is Shih-kan-tang, as it is locally called. This is a stone pillar of talismanic value built at the corner of an intersection or where a narrow passage meets a main street. Usually, the Chinese 石敢当 (pronounced Shin-kan-tang) are carved on its face and some have animal faces designed above the characters. In Amoi, I have heard, it is transformed into a stone lion figure. In Okinawa in all three areas, it is built exactly at the same location and with the same intention as in China. However, Miyako and Yaeyama areas (some parts of Miyako excluded) have fewer of them than Okinawa-honto. It is suspected that in these two areas it was combined and fused with the local belief in a god of stone. The first people to take up this custom in Okinawa seem to have been Sanjin-so's (who professionally told fortunes by the sun) , for they are in possession of Chinese books on the construction of Shih-kan-tang. Also, the people in Miyako and Yaeyama areas believe this custom was brought from Okinawa-honto. What is different from China is that Shih-kan-tang is quite rarely, if ever, worshipped here in Okinawa. The third custom found in Okinawa is the writing of the Chinese characters 天官賜福紫微鑾駕 (pronounced Tun-kuan-tzu-fu-tzu-wei-luen-chia) or 紫微鑾駕: (pronounced tzu-wei-luen-chia) on the ridge beam for the ceremony of setting up the framework of a house. These characters serve as a spell to guard against evils and to envite good fortune-ideas closely related to Taoism. In Formosa this custom was widely observed as late as the period of the Japanese Occupation. In Okinawa-honto this started early in the eighteenth century but was followed only by a small portion of the natives living in tile-roofed houses. It seems that Yuta and Sanjinso had something to do with this custom. It is understood that it came to Miyako and Yaeyama areas years later.