On Sept. 14, 1975, the sky above Osaka was cloudless. In the city’s Taisho Ward — home to many people from Okinawa Prefecture — the first-ever Eisa dance festival was held by a group of young Okinawans who had moved to the Kansai region through postwar mass-employment programs.
Eisa, a traditional dance in Okinawa, is performed in the prefecture during Bon summer festivals held to honor ancestors. But this Osaka-based Eisa festival had a different purpose: It was for young workers from Okinawa Prefecture to resist discrimination and reclaim pride in their roots.
At the time, Okinawan culture was looked down on within the Japanese mainland. The festival organizer was unable to rent tents, and only a small crowd showed up to watch.
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