Traditional Okinawan Court Dress: a Blend
Shuri castle is staffed by men dressed as if they were traditional Ryukyu courtiers, while outside the castle grounds, women dressed as court attendants try to get tourists to by photographic sessions in 19th century clothing. Meanwhile, in fancy hotels and resturants, you'll see displays of Okinawan kimonos. All of this brings one to realize that Okinawa has, and is proud of, their own distinctive traditional dress, separate from that of Japan and China. To the untrained style eye (e.g. me), the style looks to be a cross between Chinese and Japanese, though there are hints of Korean thrown in. In fact, the idea to have tourists pay to dress up as ancien regime courtiers is one I first saw in Seoul.
