Gathering of World Leaders Rambouillet (PANA) Cologne Summit. (Kyodo) 15 Questions and Answers Rambouillet (PANA) Cologne Summit. (PANA) Basic Information Okinawa's Climate and Ocean Taketomi Island (Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau) Kozamami Beach (OCVB) Okinawa's Population Kokusai Street in Naha (OCVB) Okinawa's Economy Shuri Castle (OCVB) A field of sugar cane (OCVB) Zamami coast (OCVB) History A reproduction of a Ryukyu vessel (OCVB) Shurei no mon gate to Shuri Castle (OCVB) The remains of Nakagusuku Castle (OCVB) Inscriptions of the names of the war dead (OCVB) Signing of an agreement to return Okinawa to Japan (Kyodo) Folk Arts Ryukyu dance (Ryukyu Shimpo) MAX (Rising Production) The Okinawa Actors' School (Kyodo) Handicrafts Bingata dyed fabric (Ryukyu Shimpo) A ceramic utensil made in Okinawa (OCVB) Ryukyu shikki lacquerware (OCVB) Martial Arts Practicing karate (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Festivals The Flower Festival (OCVB) A hari boat race (OCVB) A giant tug-of-war with 10,000 participants (OCVB) Food A meal for court aristocrats (OCVB) A simple noodle dish (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Chanpuru (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Folk Traditions Islands of Song and Dance Kingdom Festa in Ryukyu. (OCVB) A red subtropical flower (OCVB) A purple bougainvillea. (OCVB) A Visit to Okinawan Schools Karate (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Bojutsu (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Dancing to the strains of the sanshin (Takenobu Shimabukuro) A sanshin recital (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Ryukyu dance. (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Ryuka, Ryukyuan Dance, and the Sanshin DA PUMP (Rising Production) Performing on the sanshin (Takenobu Shimabukuro) MAX (Rising Production) Eisa Folk Dancing Dancing the eisa (OCVB) Hari Dragonboat Races A hari dragonboat (OCVB) Test Your Knowledge History Japanese Castle (Himeji Tourist Association, Himeji City) European Castle (Kyodo) Shuri Castle (OCVB) Nature Iriomote wildcat (Kyodo) Japanese crested ibis (Jiji) Giant panda (Kyodo) Environment Volcanic islands (Kyodo) Icebergs (Orion Press) Coral reef islands (OCVB) Industry Sugar cane (Okinawa Prefectural Government) Culture Warding off evil spirits (OCVB) Music Sanshin (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Sports Karate (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Judo (Kodokan) Kendo (Tokyo Metropolitan Government) Festivals Racing boat (Mainichi) Hari (OCVB) Fishing boat (Mainichi) Food Chanpuru (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Getting There Route 1 Q1  Narita Airport (Kyodo) Q2  Shinjuku (Mainichi) Q3  Matterhorn (PANA) Mt. McKinley (PANA) Mt. Fuji (Yamanashi Prefecture) Q4  Seagaia (Miyazaki Seagaia) Bankoku Shinryokan (Okinawa Prefectural Government) Route 2 Airplane (Air Nippon) Q1  Hakata doll (Fukuoka Prefecture Tokyo Office) Q2  Yoshinogari burial mounds (Saga Prefecture Tokyo Information Center) Q3  Mt. Aso (Kumamoto Prefectural Government) Mt. Fuji (Yamanashi Prefecture) Mt. Everest (PANA) Q4  Jomon ceder (Yakushima Island Environmental Culture Foundation) Q5  Vessel (Oshima Kaiun) Route 3 Q1  Osaka Castle (Osaka Castle Museum) Nagoya Castle (Chunichi Shimbun) Shuri Castle, Shurei no mon (OCVB) Q2  Bingata (OCVB) Peruvian ethnic dress (Peruvian Embassy) Korean ethnic dress (PANA) Q3  Heiwa no ishiji (OCVB) Himeuri no to (Kyodo) Q4  Hula dance (Current Events Hawaii's Big Island) Ryukyu dance (Ryukyu Shimpo) Flamenco (Mainichi) Q5  Kendo (Tokyo Metropolitan Government) Karate (Takenobu Shimabukuro) Boxing (Fumio Kuroda) Children (Okinawa Prefectural Government) Unspoiled Nature All photos, excluding the opening images in Explore the Mountains and some coral reef fish in Explore the Sea (OCVB)