Tokyo Confidential
A weekly look at the lesser-seen side of the trains, history and culture of the world's most interesting city
Tokyo Confidential
Shimi - Okinawa's lively spring festival of the dead
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Season 1
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Episode 10
THIS PAST APRIL, FAMILIES ACROSS Okinawa gathered as they do each spring at island cemeteries for a lively graveside party. Family members sat under canopies and on blue tarps, laid out neatly in small courtyards in front of family tombs. Children dashed around the crypts, while the adults laughed and ate elaborate meals prepared for the occasion. Even in famously festive Okinawa, the cheerful sight was striking in a space usually thought of as solemn.