Okinawa Scenes

Okinawa is a very small island (about 60 miles long, and mostly less than 5 miles wide)  especially considering the huge population it supports.  It was then surprising to discover that a significant portion of the island was very rural and a large percentage of the population lived in small villages.  This may no longer be the case.  On several occasions we went on road trips around the island.  Here are some of my pictures from those trips.
The main north south road on Okinawa was Highway 1 which joined Naha to the northern most point on the island.Initially the road was paved, but within a few miles north of Kadena it became a narrow dirt road.
USAF had a Recreation Center at Okuma on the far north end of the island.  Here military personnel could rent cottages and take advantage of the facilities, which included dive boats, water skiing, tennis courts, and a beach.  Of course the weekend I and friends scheduled a weekend at Okuma it was rainy and cold the entire time.  The picture on the left is of Okuma on that weekend.
The picture on the right was taken during the Dragon Boat races near the town of Itoman, south of Naha AB.  This was the entertainment stage for the festival, and I think a singer was performing.  I don't know why I don't have any pictures of the races.  Here is a link to more information on the Dragon Boat Races.
     
Near Itoman is what we Americans called Suicide Cliff.  I'm sure the Japanese and Ryukyuans have another name, but it is the location where so many Japanese soldiers, including their commanders, committed suicide rather than surrender to the conquering American forces.

My understanding is that these monuments which had been constructed above the cliffs, memorialize individuals who perished and military organizations that were decimated by the battle or by the subsequent mass suicide.  I never had an Ryukyuan or a Japanese explain the dedication of these monuments, so their true dedication could be significantly different than I perceived.
This statue, I believe, is of three students who also committed suicide on these cliffs, but again I never got an authentic explanation.  It's amazing when you're young how much information you never pursue, because you believe there will always be time for that another day.
To the right is young 2nd Lieutenant John Stevenson, USAF Meteorologist, visiting the memorials at Suicide Cliff.
Below are a number of scenes from along Highway 1, north of Kadena AFB.  Okinawa has a very picturesque and rough shoreline.  You can see the volcanic source of the islands in the rocks that make up much of the coast.  The coral reefs that ring the island also provide some of the best scuba diving in the world.  One more thing I never investigated during my stay on the island.

The pictures below were taken on the southern region of Okinawa, in the vicinity of Itoman and the Suicide Cliffs.