Sabbatical Update - Okinawa!

 

(the Episcopal Church, All Souls', and Nippon Sei Ko Kai's seals, stylized)

I just spent the last few days in Okinawa, Japan. We flew out of Narita airport in Tokyo, which I admit I would have loved to linger in longer. It was full of wonderful shops, often including a cultural theme, not just your typical airport tchotchkes and snacks. There was a whole store for the fabric that is traditionally used to wrap gifts in Japan. I was grabbing a quick catch-up with Alene (important to catch her midday due to the time difference) as we waited to be able to check in.  Landing in Okinawa, I was first struck by the beautiful orchids everywhere in the airport, and when we ventured out, the heat! As we hailed a taxi and rode the approximately one-hour drive (in traffic) from Naha to Chatan. We drove part of the way along the water, and it was wonderful to connect with a part of the ocean so far away from home. We arrived at All Souls’ Parish Rectory just as the sun was setting. I was surprised to see what looked like a bird fly up to the tree outside the rectory, but in fact, Julianna, my friend’s wife, said that they were fruit bats! It was a reminder that I was in another world. That, and the giant cicadas that made a racket, especially at sunrise! But I get ahead of myself. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and had an early night due to the travel day.

(some of the church signage)

The next day was the Fourth of July, but All Souls still held its monthly parish work day in the morning. Of course, it is not a holiday in Japan but since none of the American parishioners showed up we assumed they were celebrating in their own way. I got to tour the parish and helped organize the parish shop for a little while. It is the only place on the island, apart from one Catholic store in Naha, that people can shop for Christmas and other Western Christian festive items. The store has many Christian items and ones specific to the Anglican/Episcopal church, but also some other children’s and baby items and Halloween and Fall decorations, as well as Advent and Christmas supplies. It reminded me that we each adapt to our context. For Okinawa, service members and Japanese Christians, as well as other expats of Christian faith, need a place to buy items that support their faith and festivities. So, All Souls provides that. Each intercultural parish adapts to its context, and that is the case with All Souls. Similarly, while traditionally they worship only in English and provide a bilingual bulletin and sermon translation for their Japanese speakers, they have been weaving in more Japanese service music into their worship to make it more culturally inclusive of its context.

(an image of my amigurumi in front of All Souls!)

After attending to the parish, we went and walked along the sea wall and took in the ocean while drinking a cacao drink from a local business. Following that, we went to a supermarket that also contained a little restaurant. The restaurant served traditional Japanese fare and even had a robot server! All the meals came with green tea and water as a rule. After a quick shop at the store, we rested. Venturing out in the evening, my hosts introduced me to an unusual place- American Village. It is along the waterfront in Chatan and in a complex of buildings not unlike a stylized outdoor mall, there are American themed and local stores and restaurants. Everything is the idea of America, so one part looks almost wild West and another part looks stuccoed and Southwestern. We went to a Tex-Mex restaurant that was fairly hit and miss, but it was great to have the hosts say “gracias” as we left! Before eating, we noticed a huge group of people by the seafront. As we returned to the mall area, we turned around and realized that they were gathered for fireworks! We took in the view and felt like we were having our Fourth of July. 

(El Paso Tex-Mex restaurant)

Sunday morning began with worship at All Souls. Even though I had not packed clericals due to being on sabbatical, my friend leant me a stole and we got to concelebrate the Eucharist. During the peace, I experienced the parish tradition of a peace dance, something they incorporated from the local Okinawan culture. After greeting each other, we all grabbed a fan or two and danced in a gentle rhythmic procession around the church waving our arms in time to the music, with many singing the traditional Okinawan song. It was lovely and a great example of incorporating the local culture into worship in an appropriate fashion. At coffee hour, I met Will, who is a Methodist chaplain. I learned that All Souls is a refuge for progressive Christians of all denominations, especially the base chaplains and teachers, in the Chatan area as it is the only progressive church on the island, or at least in the area. 

(All Soul's doorway - as you exit the church)

(A view of the church - note the Japanese language banner)

After church, we headed to the beach! I learned that several of the beaches in Okinawa have roped entry areas due to the venomous sea snakes in the area. Although the water was very shallow, it was fairly warm. On a very hot day – 86 degrees Fahrenheit – it was great to get in the water and cool off. Later that evening we went to Blue Seal Ice Cream, an Okinawan tradition.

(the sea wall)

On Saturday and Monday mornings, I went for a short run, going to one of the several local parks nearby. Since they have just had their rainy season, everything was lush and I saw many birds, butterflies and even a giant green/beige spider one morning.

(Okinawa World)

Wanting to get in some culture and natural scenery, we headed the next morning to Okinawa World, a sort of Okinawan cultural theme park. We first explored the underground caves, which have stalagmites and stalactites in different formations and cool water pools illuminated with blue and green lights. With it being 88 degrees out, we were glad to escape from the heat. Then we headed to an Eiso drumming show. Pictures were not permitted, but it was quite fun, with several female drummers, unusual in an athletic art that often incorporates more men than women. In addition, a woman played an old fisherman who was fishing for fish and octopus, when he is set upon by a large Shisa costume covering two dancers- the Shisa is the lion-dog figure that protects most of the homes in Okinawa in ceramic form. The fisherman, fearing attack, throws its fish and octopus to the Shisa, who is happy with the seafood meal. Following more drumming, we walked through the area with all the art studios, including indigo dying, glass blowing, ceramics, weaving and more. We also got to eat Okinawan style food at a small restaurant- I tried the taco rice, a very simple dish with rice, meat, Velveeta style cheese, lettuce and tomato. They featured the locally famous “snake liquor,” which has a preserved snake in each bottle, but I tried the passion fruit beer instead.

(American Village)

Following Okinawa world, we went to Costco, which was less crowded by far than the Costco stores I have seen in California or Hawaii. Interestingly, much was familiar from our home Costco, with the exception of many more Asian food options. The food court has the famously inexpensive hot dog and pepperoni pizza, but boasts a bulgogi wrap rather than a chicken bake, and offers milk tea soft serve alongside the vanilla. Soft serve was welcome after a hot day.

(the caves at Okinawa World)

Despite having walked about 19K steps already, my goddaughter convinced me to walk to the konbinis (convenience stores) in the area later that afternoon. We got Nutella for her and some souvenir local ginger sugar for me at Jimmy’s, the “American” store, and then cold drinks for the way back for both of us at the Family Market nearby. We revisited the same market when I headed to the post office on Tuesday morning before packing/preparing to leave. 

(Celebrating with my friend)

I am so grateful for my short but full time in Japan. The time with my friend, her wife and my goddaughter was good for my soul. Tokyo was inspiring, with its energy, a communal feeling even for being a city of many busy individuals just trying to go about their lives. Okinawa was a different world in many ways. An island off of Japan, it receives less support than “mainland” Japan. I saw more people experiencing homelessness in Okinawa, and saw how the Americans (mostly from the base) live with more freedom and buying power since they earn money in dollars, whereas the Japanese residents and citizens have a more challenging life, since yen salaries tend to be lower. 

(the Last Supper image engraved in glass that adorns the front of the church's altar)

Never have I been in a place that remembers wartime losses so intentionally as All Souls and perhaps by extension Okinawa does. In the lobby (perhaps best described as a small library or extended narthex?) area of All Souls, there is a shelf of binders. I think I counted 7 or 8 binders. They are all the names of the Western and Japanese service people and civilians who died during the 80-plus day Battle of Okinawa. It was sobering to leaf through just a few of those names. If my research is correct, more than 150,000 people died, including local civilians, some of whom were forced to commit suicide. It was a truly dark time for Okinawa. During the time from late March, when some maneuvers happened that started the conflict in the area till late June, when the fighting ended during that year during World War II, parishioners and other locals come in and read names in the binders as they are able for about an hour. They mark where they got to so someone else can come and read more names. This vigil to honor the dead culminated this year in a concert for peace. That, alongside the proximity to the base (we could hear “Taps,” “Reveille,” and the American and Japanese National anthems at different times of day), helped me see that Okinawans and the four (or more?) military bases that spread throughout the island, create a very different local culture. They are not an uncomplicated island paradise, but live alongside their history daily. Peace was not easily attained here, especially between the Japanese and Westerner/US population who now live side by side. There are still some subtle tensions due to the discrepancies between each group’s daily life, and many soldiers, sailors, airmen and women and marines experience a lot of depression, homesickness and culture shock residing in such a different culture. That being said, the Japanese/Okinawan locals are grateful for the base additions to the economy. A casual estimate said that the US military brings in more income to the island than the Japanese government does- it certainly seems possible. We visited at least three local restaurants designed to support the US-born population, including a Chicken and Waffles Shop that is blues themed, a Hawaiian eatery and the aforementioned Tex-Mex place. All of these dynamics make for an interesting local scene, with several Japanese and Chinese tourists mixed in. While Okinawa is an island paradise, it is marked by a sad history of war and strives to honor that. I was glad to see that All Souls works hard to help honor the history and work towards being a place of peace and connection between the different groups that make up the island.

(Church signage- needs to be updated with the new rector- sharing space with a mental health clinic)

At Okinawa World, they shared just a bit about local Okinawan culture and language. We learned that the appropriate greeting is “Hai ai!” (Pronounced "Hi eye"). “Hai ai” to all who are reading this and thanks for taking this sabbatical journey with me.