Explore Okinawa through manga (graphic novels)! Learn about the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Okinawan ethnology, environmental issues, ancient customs, Uchinaguchi (one of five Ryukyuan languages), the Battle of Okinawa, the U.S. military base issue, Awamori (alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to Okinawa), common Okinawan ghost stories, and above all else, the daily lives of Okinawans. Our collection features not only manga artists from Okinawa but other artists who were so fascinated with Okinawa that they relocated there to write their works.
In addition to our manga collection, we also hold Okinawan picture books, or ehon (絵本). The books contain beautiful illustrations and tell stories on Okinawa in easy to read Japanese. Ehon are a great resource to become familiar with Okinawa while practicing Japanese!
Note: The following collection of graphic novels and picture books includes materials focusing on gender, religion, mental health, women and girls on U.S. military bases, diaspora, leprosy, Shimakutuba (an indigenous language of the Ryukyu Islands), etc. Those interested in DEI issues are encouraged to browse them.
琉球怪談ゴーヤー
太田 基之, 小原 猛
沖縄のお姬様のハジチの伝說 | Okinawan princess : da legend of hajichi tattoo
Tonouchi, Lee A.; Kina, Laura; Sakoda, Kent; Sakihara, Masashi
てっぽうをもったキジムナー
With brilliant artistry, this picture book depicts the Pacific War-era story of an Okinawan girl who is helped by a kijimuna during a fire.
Daruma-chan and Darum-don go to meet Mr. Ishimine in Okinawa. But when Daruma-chan and Mr. Ishimine encounter trouble in the woods, Daruma-don receives a little help from a kijimuna to save the day!
Kijimuna and Shisa | キジムナーとシーサー
This bilingual picture books tells the story of a kijimuna, or forest spirit, and shisa, or guardian lions, going for a swim in the ocean.
対馬丸 : さようなら沖縄
This picture book depicts the torpedoing of the Tshushima Maru on August 22, 1945 and the evacuation of 1661 Okinawans to Kyushu.
Only 157 survived.
オジィの海 : 沖縄・平和の絵本
In this picture book, a grandfather tells his grandson about the Battle of Okinawa and asks him not to forget.