Introducing our mascot character
name：Kasamaru!
Personality: Cheerful. He can get along with anyone. (Ichariba Chode)
Characteristic: Appears about every 5 years. (Tegee)
Date of Birth: June 18 (Immigration Day)
Age: Secret
Weight: 500 sata andagi (probably)
Special skill: Climbing up on the roof and daydreaming. I think I can dance lots of different dances from around the world.
Hobbies: Yuntaku (hanging out) with Uchinanchu
Dwelling place: Where the world's Uchinanchu gather
Haisai! My name is Kasamaru!
I heard there will be a World Uchinanchu Festival in 2022.
My job is to help all you Uchinanchu to learn about the Uchinanchu Festival and to welcome you to Okinawa.
To that end, I will be doing a lot of PR in various places and studying Uchinanchu. If we meet, let's be friends!
For over 100 years, before and after WW2, there were a great many people who left Okinawa searching for work who then called their family and friends from Okinawa to join them in their new home.
Due to all that emigration, today 420,000 Uchinanchu now live in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and all over the world. In particular, there are many Uchinanchu people in Hawaii, Brazil, Peru, the United States, Canada, and the Philippines, some of the first countries people went to.
However even when they move to far away foreign countries, Uchinanchu people do not forget their customs, culture and compassion.
Playing and listening to Okinawan music, enjoying island songs, the sanshin, drums, and Ryukyuan dance.
Look! They have Eisa, karate, sata andagi, Okinawa soba, and champuru! That's great.
I must learn more about all these overseas Okinawans and do my best to become a first-class Uchinanchu. I have to impress my seniors!