Miyakojima City Museum 46th Special Exhibition: Warazan and San - Miyako's Knotted Cord Culture

About this event

The 46th Special Exhibition 'Warazan and San - Miyako's Knotted Cord Culture', held at Miyakojima City Museum, focuses on 'warazan' and 'san' that were once widely used in Miyako. Warazan is a uniquely Okinawan tool made by tying plant leaves and fibers to record numbers and perform calculations, and in Miyako, it was also closely tied to the poll tax. San is made by knotting plant leaves and stems, used as talismans against evil, prayers for a bountiful harvest, or declarations of intent, and is also called 'mata', 'miimata', or 'mitsumata'. In this special exhibition, valuable warazan collected in Miyako during the Meiji period and returning home for the first time in about 140 years from the National Museum of Ethnology will be exhibited in Miyako for the very first time. Additionally, warazan made for religious rituals in Miyako and housed in the museum will also be displayed. Interactive elements are also prepared so that both children and adults can touch the materials and see how warazan were used, creating an exhibition where visitors can connect with Miyako's history, daily life, and culture of prayer. Curatorial explanations will also be provided, offering an opportunity to understand the exhibition more deeply.

Venue

Miyakojima City Museum

1166-287 Taira Higashinakasonesoe, Miyakojima, Okinawa 906-0011