Wonderful Okinawa

Hi everyone!

Last week, I went to Okinawa to participate a seminar focused on sustainable development of tourism which is organized by JICA and Kunigami Tourism Association. Honestly speaking, my expectation of Okinawa was not very well. Yet, once I arrived in Okinawa, I really impressed the nature of Okinawa, especially BLUE SEA. I’ve never seen blue sea before. This was my first impression. Okinawan people are very kind and calm. My friend from Tokyo said that Okinawan people and life are very peaceful. Perhaps, they do not rush because they have such a beautiful nature. Yet, I thought, Okinawan people are very hardworking.

Since the orientation of seminar was the tourism, we visited many beautiful gardens, eco-parks, and tour bases, especially several beaches. Coordinators of the seminar were working very hard in order to support us to learn many things.

Here, especially, I would like to talk about one important thing which I really impressed. During the visiting from one place to another place, a guider who is local man of Okinawa sang a folk song. After song, he explained us meaning of the song. As he explained, the song was about the hardworking of Okinawan people. I think, this song might teach us how deep and broad is the meaning of a word “ganbaru”. As I understood, the word “ganbaru” has a respectful and complex meaning. There was a sentence in the song. It is

“if you could not do something, it means you did not try hard (did not ganbarimasu)”.

I can be understood that if someone has failed or could not succeed, it means that person did not try hard enough. If he or she has tried as much as the song said, that person would not fail. THIS IS TRUE. Yet, I’ve never thought the meaning of this word seriously like this. I often do say this word. But, I realized that when I said “ganbarimasu”, this broad and deep meaning were not attached with it seriously.

I think, “ganbaru” can not be simply translated into English “try hard”. Maybe,

“ganbaru” = “try hard” + “try all my best”

including time, capacity, motivation and development. Perhaps, this is my recent discovery of one of the characteristics of Japanese culture.


Purevdorj Oyunaa