Welcome to the "Century of Emigration"

What do you feel when you hear the word "emigration?" What is common to emigration is a "goodbye" to the land, family, and friends you grew up to fondly love and a "hello" to the foreign land, culture, and people. The history of people who lived overseas for long years, their lives filled with both exuberant joy and unspeakable sorrow at times, can be called emigration in itself.

How would you link Okinawa and emigration? This site introduces one of the few prefectures in Japan well known for its emigration. The way emigration flourished is clearly evident and undeniable, as you can still spot a location named "Okinawa" on a Bolivian map, and in the Philippines a place is named after an Okinawan, Kozo Oshiro. But these are just a few examples - in the one hundred year history of Okinawan emigration, the tumultuous times and the great dramas of love are simply countless. It is our sincere wish that you experience the century of Okinawan emigration by browsing the site and feel the human drama created by it.