What does the red-tiled roof mean? The conservation movement in the historic district of Taketomi Island, Okinawa

Abstract

In recent years throughout Japan, regional culture has been a major focus of national and regional cultural administrations as well as of the activities of residents to improve their local amenities. However, the existing regional cultures are no longer the same as they were before, because they are the products of invention and discovery. The concept of the historic district was created by law; the amended Cultural Properties Protection Law of 1975 acknowledged areas with historical buildings and landscapes as part of cultural property. But the historic district here is different from other cultural properties, as it includes areas where people are currently living. This paper discusses the historic district of Taketomi Island, Okinawa. It is part of the island group composing the administrative Taketomi-cho or the municipality of Taketomi. This particular island is well known as the "Urlandscape of Okinawa," preserving rich folk performing arts and crafts such as dyeing and weaving. Its landscape also contains a special sightseeing attraction; the wooden houses with red-tiled roofs, the stone walls made of coral sand, and the narrow streets covered with white sand fascinate tourists who mainly come from the Japanese mainland. In 1993 more than 120,000 tourists visited this tiny (merely 5.4 km2 in area) island of 273 residents. This paper aims to reveal the process by which the historic district of Taketomi has revived and acquired significance to both residents and the administrative authorities. The discussion by the auther emphasizes what tradition implies, how it is invented, and for whom it is invented. The conservation movement in the historic district in Taketomi is attributed to the late T. Ueseto, who was born and grew up on the island. Many scholars of folkcrafts and folklore from all over the country came to see him as a reliable informant on the island's life and customs.This made the islanders conscious of the cultural importance of their islet. The people discovered the significance of their culture through the eyes of non-natives. In 1972, when Okinawa was reincorporated into Japanese territory after 27 years of US military administration, the Taketomi people were for the first time exposed to external capital aimed at large-scale development for the tourism industry. Against this crisis the people rose up to protect their island homeland. Their activities gradually involved movements to conserve the island's unique and beautiful scenery. The movements put special value on the red-tiled roofs that are peculiar to Okinawan folk dwellings. The red-roofed houses first appeared on Taketomi Island in 1905 just after the era of feudalistic rule came to an end. Since then, these colored tiled roofs have been seen as a symbol of wealth, because they cost a lot to build. In Taketomi, however, only 40% of all buildings were thatched at the end of the 1960s. As the conservation movement progressed, the number of red roofs rapidly increased, and Taketomi became known as the village of the red-tiled roofs, although the red-roofed houses were actually a result of the conservation movement. However, some elements related to the red-roofed houses have been neglected. The relatively young origin of the red-tiled roofs and Taketomi's close relation with other islands which provide the wood to build houses on the island are both unquestioned. The island's landscape is treated as if it were a small universe complete in itself. The red-roofed landscape can also be said to be a symbol of hope for Taketomi islanders, for it is the major source of their movement to protect the island from development projects. "Cooperation" is the most highly respected norm to the islanders. This is often expressed in popular movements because cooperation used to be necessary for the construction of a house. The conservation of the landscape is part of the project for the creation of a furusato, the ancestral home. Finally, this paper examines how the conservation movement is evolving today. Conservation is not always the outcome of the spontaneous will of the people, but is guided by carefully planned manuals on landscaping. The people understand how the housing shown in the manuals fits the environment and in turn reproduce a unique landscape by following the manuals. The historic district in Taketomi, although it is authorized by the state, is an invention. It is neither genuine nor spurious, but was produced as a result of the relationships between academics, administrators, and the people living in the region.