Wonder Okinawa
"Bankoku Shinryo"...this is the inscription on the "Bridge Between Nations" bell that once hung in the Seiden of Shuri Castle. It means, "bridges among all the nations of the world".
Okinawa's forebears, who were people of enterprising spirit and courtesy from a land that honored courtesy, opened pathways across the Asian seas to trade with Ming Dynasty China, Korea and other Southeast Asian countries to form, in the course of this trade, deep and heartfelt relations with these nations.
The people of our remote oceanic islands have since followed a unique historical path, creating a rich and diverse traditional culture strongly flavored by Okinawa's subtropical climate and natural environment.
We are the inheritors of this culture, which was formed and shaped by our ancestors. As such, we are appointed to nurture it and pass it on in turn to our descendants. Recording a broad range of Okinawa's cultural assets in fields such as history, nature, arts and crafts, and performing arts, in digital form creates a cultural asset that is magnificent in its own right. This digital archive not only makes Okinawa's culture readily available to future generations, but it also will transmit the Okinawa's message to vast numbers of people both in Japan and abroad.
With this prospect in mind, I take great delight in sending forth ?Wonder Okinawa? which organizes the best of Okinawa?s cultural wealth in a digital archives with 32 segments.

It is my sincere wish that as it deepens peoples understanding of Okinawa, Wonder Okinawa will become a new bridge between the nations, a bridge to richer relationships in the future, for the people of Okinawa, of Japan and of all the world
For more information , take a look at
>> http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/index_en.jsp

Okinawa Prefecture Culture Promotion Division
Okinawa Prefecture, where a distinctive culture has been created since ancient times.
The Okinawa Culture Promotion Division endeavors to promote this legacy, development and cultural exchange.
For more information , take a look at
>>http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/bunshin/english/index.html



Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum
Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum systematically preserves, collects, and conducts broad research on the nature, history, culture and art of Okinawa, and exhibits the results to people in the prefecture, the nation, and the world in an effort to deepen understanding and promote the development of Okinawan culture.
For more information , take a look at
>>http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/bunshin/english/index.html