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Period of Cultural Protection Policy by the U.S. Military
First Period 1945-1949


 

The U.S. military's extremely prompt measures on Okinawan refugees and cultural protection/promotion policy must be noted during this period. This reflects the U.S. military's policy which was established from the perspective of U.S. Navy officers who had strong academic background.
Captain Hannah, who had profound knowledge of Asian history and culture, was aware that U.S. occupation on Okinawa would free Okinawan people from Japanese Imperialism. He used cultural protection/promotion policy as a strategy to carry out smooth administrative operations.
Establishing Okinawan identity by emphasizing Okinawa's unique cultural characteristics was needed in order to sever Okinawa from the rest of Japan. The measure was sole positive side of U.S. military administration on Okinawa.On the other hand, it may have weakened political/social expression.

 





1. Okinawa Advisory Committee and Nishimui Art Colony

 
On April 5, 1945, Chester W. Nimitz, the Commander in Chief and Fleet Admiral of the United States Navy for the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas, issued proclamation Number 1, which ended all Japanese administrative authority on Okinawa and initiated United States Military Government administration of the Ryukyus. On August 15, the military government proposed to establish an Okinawan Advisory Council in Higaonna, Ishikawa City.
The main objective of the establishment of the council was to open a way for discussion between the United States Military Government and Okinawan society. The council created twelve executive departments. Arts and Monuments was one of them. James Watkins, Lieutenant Commander of the U.S. Navy, and Willard Hannah, Captain of the U.S. Navy, were enthusiastic in protecting and promoting Okinawan culture. Under their supervision, artists were gathered in Higaonna. They also restored a residential house to a museum, organized traditional Ryukyuan dance shows and art exhibitions; and collected cultural assets. Soon Art Section was established under Arts and Monuments Department, and many artists were hired as art technical advisors. Their work included: human resource development, organizing exhibitions, making Christmas cards, painting local landscape and people's daily life based on requests from the U.S. military personnel. In 1946, museums were founded in Ishikawa and Shuri.
In 1948, as military government were relocated to the south, Arts and Monuments Department was abolished, and artists were released from their responsibilities. They moved to Nishimui, Shuri and constructed their studios and residential houses there, which later became Shuri Art Colony.
The artists living in Shuri Art Colony included: Keiichi Yamamoto, Yasutaro Kinjo, Masayoshi Adaniya, Aijun Nadoyama, Kohya Oshiro, Ken Yabu,Seikichi Tamanaha, and Itoku Gushiken. Those artists' work such as family portraits and landscapes were quite popular among U.S. military personnel and sold very well. Those art works were exchanged with cigarettes most of the case and later artists sold cigarettes at the local market to double money.

2. Establishing 'Okiten, Okinawa Art Exhibition'


In 1949, the first annual Okinawa Art Exhibition, which changed its name later to 'Okiten', was held. Okiten was organized as an event celebrating the first anniversary of the foundation of Okinawa Times. Tokue Omura won the Okiten Prize that year. He painted quonset huts which most people lived at that time in his work, but the work did not survive.







 
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