Did you know ...

• the Bridge of Nations Bell which hung in Shuri Castle on Okinawa is so named for the inscription upon it, alluding to the central role of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in the region's maritime trade?
• in 1996, the Kinjo family sued Lori Padilla for ¥62 million (US$580,000) blood money after a car Padilla was driving killed three of their family members in Okinawa?
• during the era of Ryukyu Kingdom the noodle soup Okinawa soba could only be eaten by royalty until Okinawa's annexation by Japan in the late 19th century?
• a cave in Okinawa is called the Cave of the Negroes because three apparently African American US Marines were killed by villagers and their bodies dumped in the cave?
• Okinawan folk singer Rinshō Kadekaru was gravely wounded during World War II, and reported dead, only to survive and enjoy a lengthy career, living until 1999?

More interesting facts on Okinawa

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