Chibana neighborhood houses age-old craft

By 18th Wing Public Affairs, photos courtesy of Senior Airman Amanda Grabiec

The society and customs of Okinawa, like those of its Asian neighbors, have survived thousands of years, including more recent years of industrialization and modernization. In the Chibana district of Okinawa, traditional pottery making is alive and well. 

            Although the island has changed over the years from an agrarian and trading culture to a modern business and tourism frontier, Okinawans still maintain many ancestral traditions.

            Photographers from Kadena Air Base recently spent time exploring some of these cultural traditions, showing the unique ties to the past here which have endured for hundreds of years.

            Senior Airman Amanda Grabiec explored the art of pottery making, and the famous potter at the heart of it, in Chibana. She compiled this photo essay.