beauty

Since ancient times,
Okinawan clothing and culture have maintained a distinctiveness,
standing apart from Japanese style.
The attire characteristic of the Ryukyus is called Ryusou.
It developed over many centuries,
incorporating influences from Japanese kimono and Hanfu,
the traditional style of the Han Chinese on mainland China.

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Difference

Start

During the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the royal family and samurai women adorned two-piece formalwear consisting of a dujin and kakan. The upper garment or dujin is long with a wide cross-collar and roomy sleeves. It is loose-fitting and airy. The kakan is akin to a pleated skirt.
Commoners did not wear a broad sash. They would fasten a thin band around the waist of the garment as they put it on, then pinch some of the fabric upward so that it hung loosely over the waistband. This style allowed air to circulate better, providing greater comfort even in a hot region like Okinawa.

Difference

Ucchkii is a garment that people wore when going out. It slips easily over the dujin and kakan. Ucchkii is not tied with a broad sash as in the Japanese-style of dress, but worn loosely. Because there is no sash interrupting the beauty of the fabric pattern, the design of the entire outer garment is enhanced. One particular characteristic of Ryusou is the many garments arrayed with broad patterns.

Other ingenious features of Ryusou design create garments that are comfortable to wear in this subtropical climate. The design and fabric fully embody the wisdom and experience of the people of Southeast Asia.

hairdo

Uchinaa Karaji
Uchinaa Karaji is unique way in which women have styled their hair in the Ryukyus. Long hair is gathered at the top of the head. As the bottom of the hair bundle is twisted with one hand, the other hand forms a bun, pressing it down firmly to keep it in place. A large ornamental hairpin, which is called a jifaa in the Okinawan language and kanzashi in Japanese, is pushed through the bun from back to front. The angle at which the hair is bundled, the position in which it is set whether the bun tilts toward the left or right, the shape on the back of the head, and the way these and other delicate elements are balanced create different hairstyles according to social status and signifying whether a woman is from the upper-class, a commoner, or prostitute.