The Current Flag of Okinawa
I don’t have a
favorite photo of the flag, so I went to my research ...all things Okinawa
Okinawan
flag
There were three
political parties in Ryukyu Kingdom during the era such as Shukyu-tou / 守旧党
which is basically Rykyu to be independent from any outsiders, and Kaishin-tou
/ 開進党 which is basically Ryukyu to become part of Japan,
then at last Tomoe-tou / 巴党 which is basically Ryukyu to be remained
permanently neutrality between Japan and others.
A leader of
Tomoe-tou / 巴党 (Tomoe-parties) was called Kanda-oyakata / 神田親方.
Kanda-oyakata had ordered for two excellent personnels and his son called,
Manjimaru / 卍丸 who was only fifteen years of age at that time, but
his father believed that Manjimaru could move quick and light therefore he
could be helpful for them, to meet ministers of various countries who lived in
Tokyo secretly and persuade them to give us their supports with his envoys
utmost during the conflict between Shukyu-tou / 守旧党 and Kaishin-tou
/ 開進党.
Kanda-oyakata
gave a farewell reception for these three envoys for this important job. He
also gave them a kimono decorated with Tomoe / 巴 (three
comma-shaped heraldic design as this was a symbol of Tomoe-tou / 巴党)
each as a gift of honour.
Kanda-oyakata made
a protocol about National Policy of Ryukyu as follows for his envoys to show
those ministers in Tokyo.
(Protocol about
National Policy of Ryukyu)
Three primary
virtues which is “Bi / 美・Jin / 仁・Ju / 柔”
(beauty / benevolence / gentleness) of protocol about national policy in Ryukyu
has been originally created by Ryukyuan’s life through the action of proving
for one thousand years in it history.
“Bi-toku / 美徳”
(beauty virtue) is said,「身持ち美しや」(to be pronounced “Mimuchi-Churashiya” in Okinawan
dialect) in Ryukyu and our virtue are “to be pure and beauty inner centre” and
also “to be gracefully and beauty in the external form” as an etiquette of a
man and woman of culture.
The idea,
“beauty surpasses goodness” already had dominated inside the nation’s soul in
Ryukyu even before origination of Ryukyu Shintoism. In fact there is no other
thing which is preserved power, loved and appreciated besides “beauty”.
“Jin-toku / 人徳”
(natural virtue) is said, 「仁情深しや」(to be pronounced “Shi-nasake-bukashiya” in Okinawan
dialect), and first of all we were taught to recompense one’s goodness.
Ryukyuan is well known as very caring people in general nation wide. It is
proved that Ryukyuan has been welcomed with friendly mannered by various
nations in it history due to we are the nation who is very caring, dislike an
action of unkindness (heartlessness) towards others and regards it worse than
any other badnesses (crimes).
“Ju-toku / 柔徳”
is said, 「事柔らしや」(to be pronounced “Koto-yawarashi-ya” in both
Japanese and Okinawan), this is roughly opposite to “sturdiness”. It means
gentleness, Shurei / 守礼 and arts.
(note: The
meaning of “Shurei / 守礼” is coming from “Ryukyu is the country which values
propriety” and “Ryukyu is the country which keeps order (discipline) of the international
relations being bound with Shin (China) like parent and child.”)
Ryukyu has been
a small country since the beginning, yet it has kept (maintained) our state as
“Dai-Ryukyu / 大琉球” (big Ryukyu). This is because of the strength
(power) of “Ju-toku / 柔徳” and “Ju-toku / 柔徳” is the only
supreme foreign diplomacy as an individual or a peace and happiness of all
human races in the world.
巴旗 / Tomoe-Hata is a comma-shaped heraldic design
flag.
The Okinawan flat 1954
Ryukyu National
Flag, 巴旗 / Tomoe-Hata, is created by a blue comma, a red
comma and a yellow comma on the rectangular white cloth. It is said that this
flag is symbolised three virtues which is “Bi / 美・Jin / 仁・Ju
/ 柔” (beauty / benevolence / gentleness) of moral
principle and chastity of pride.
The rectangular
shape represents “pure heart with no greed (desire)” including the meaning of
“Nubikanami / ぬびかなみ”, and the white cloth represents “moral principle
of no desire (greed), then the white colour in centre represents “chastity of
pride”.
note: I spent
bit of time to find the meaning of the word, “Nubikanami / ぬびかなみ”
in one but could not find it unfortunately. So I have checked the
Okinawan-English Wordbook and found the following meanings. The meaning of
“Nubi / ぬび” is “elasticity (tolerance). The meaning of “Kanami
/ かなみ” is an important in social intercourse (greeting).
The colours of
“Hachimachi / 冠“ (Okinawan pronunciation. Japanese pronounce this
“Kanmuri” and the meaning is “crown”. There were six different colours for
different ranks. and also the national policy in Rykyu are based on “Bi / 美・Jin
/ 仁・Ju / 柔” (beauty / benevolence / gentleness). It was
because Ryukyuan kept this three primary virtues they did not have a war with
foreign countries.
Indeed Ryukyu
was a pioneer of world peace which was formed (established) with such National
manners and customs that foreign visitors including Napoleon were amazed by.
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