Okinawa: A People and Their Gods

Description

Okinawa is a fascinating account of the most unusual religious practices of the Okinawan people. Subject throughout their long history to many foreign influences, the Okinawan people still retain to a remarkable degree a strong reverence for their prehistoric animistic beliefs. nevertheless, in accommodating themselves to the infiltration of Buddhist, Confucian, Shinto, and Christian influences they have been most receptive, with the result that what might seem confusing, illogical, and inconsistent to others, is quite compatible to them. This brief but authoritative account not only correlates present-day practices with their historical development, but also takes notice of current trends and likely future developments in Okinawa. The text is enhanced with sixteen significant photographs and with nine full-page maps to guide sightseers to Okinawa's most culturally significant places.