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Okinawan Studies: Home

Guide to Okinawa/Ryukyu-related resources

Welcome / Mensōre / めんそーれ / Aloha

Image of Shuri Castle in Okinawa

(Shuri Castle / 首里城正殿)

 

The Okinawan Studies Library Guide (LibGuide) has been developed to support your research on Okinawa / Ryukyus (沖縄・琉球) at the UHM Library. Sources with the "UHM Only" notation means that you need to log into the UHM Library system with your UHM username and password to use the source. We hope that you will find the information on a wide range of resources on Okinawa/Ryukyu helpful.

To use the Okinawa Special Collection, at least 2-weeks notice is needed. Please make an appointment with the Okinawan Studies Librarian by email.

閉架資料の利用・閲覧をご希望の方は、ご利用希望日の2週間前までに沖縄研究司書に面会の予約をいれてくださるようお願い申し上げます。

Quick Links

OneSearch Mānoa 
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Japan Studies LibGuides
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Okinawan Studies LibGuide
Okinawa Special Collection
 
UHM Center for Japan Studies (CJS)
Center for Japanese Studies at UH logo
 
UHM Center for Okinawan Studies (COS)
Center for Okinawan Studies
 
COS Newsletter (Spring 2018, Vol. 1) (PDF)
COS Newsletter (Summer 2018, Vol. 2) (PDF)

Library Guides (LibGuides) to Japanese & Okinawan research

Japan Studies Collection
Resource guide to start your research on Japan

Japan Studies E-Resources
List of e-resources relevant to Japan studies and useful information for successful ILL/DD

DVD title index of the Uchinanchu Worldwide TV series
See each episode title of the 206 Uchinanchu Worldwide TV programs

What's New

Newest Additions to the Sakamaki Hawley Collection Digitized and Accessible Worldwide

Two rare Japanese scrolls dating back to 1819 titled 鯨魚鑬笑録 [Geigyo ranshōroku] (“A simple overview of whaling”) were gifted to the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Library back in 2020 by Deborah Rudolph in memory of her late husband, John Harvard Hawley. These scrolls are the latest additions to the Sakamaki Hawley Collection, the collection named for John Hawley's father, Frank Hawley. The scrolls were recently digitized by the UHM Library's digitization lab using state-of-the-art equipment and made accessible worldwide.  

The scrolls can be viewed online and the direct links to the story map and viewer are below:
StoryMap -- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/57a53951c30645ab87402ad3a8c367fb
Mirador Viewer -- https://libweb.hawaii.edu/exhibits/?manifest=https://libweb.hawaii.edu/manifests/geigyo_ranshoroku.json

Mirador viewer tips:
Upper right corner is a visual navigation, so you know where you are along the scrolls. You can also click on it to jump to areas.
Right to Left navigation between scrolls (i.e., < > bottom center menu)
In the upper left, the "hamburger" menu leads to:
"I" for descriptive metadata
"C" for rights, licensing, attribution, UH Library logo
"Dialog" bubble for Annotations (a work-in-progress). Opening the sidebar to the Annotations, activates the functionality and links between the annotations and the polygon overlays on the scrolls. 

The scrolls have been featured in the UH News as well as on a Hawaii News Now segment and you can read more about the scrolls here:
UH News announcement, 7/3/2023: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2023/07/03/rare-scrolls-accessible-worldwide/
Hawaii News Now, 7/5/2023: https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/07/05/uh-manoa-digitizes-rare-200-year-old-japanese-scrolls-worldwide-access/

 


Important Announcement

As of December 20, 2018, Kindai Okinawa shinbun shūsei DVD-ban (『近代沖縄新聞集成DVD版; UH  Mānoa Library Call Number DVD ROM 1119) is unavailable. The Library is trying to find a way to make the resources available. The Library will announce when the CD-ROMs become available for use.


2023 Spring Semester Library Hours
  • Monday-Thursday: 8 am - 10 pm
  • Friday: 8 am - 6 pm
  • Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm
  • Sunday: Noon - 10 pm

(EXCEPT FOR HOLIDAYS: PLEASE CHECK FOR SPECIAL HOURS / CLOSURES BY CLICKING ON LINK BELOW.)

Hamilton Library Hours: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/library/about/visiting-the-library/hours/

Hawai'i State Holidays http://dhrd.hawaii.gov/state-observed-holidays/

For more information about the support that the Library offers, visit our Remote Resources page or our UH Mānoa Library FAQs page.

Updated: 4/14/2023


Photocopier and Scanner

As of April 4, 2019, Hamilton Library has 2 book scanners on the first floor for the public to use. As of April 4, 2019, there is a color photocopier near the book scanners. However, the color photocopier will be removed on July 1, 2019. 

As of end of May, 2019,  new pay black and white photocopier became available.  It was installed in the alcove between the Sunny Alcove.  Copying is $0.10 per page, and black & white only.

The latest information on copying and printing, please read a blog post at: https://guides.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/okinawa/blog/Printing-and-Copying-in-Hamilton-Library-Updates


 

FAQs

Where is your collection located?

The general materials are integrated into the East (Japanese language) and Asia (English & other western languages) Collections of Hamilton Library on the 3rd and 4th floors.  Hamilton Library's floor plans are available here. Asia Reference Desk is located on the 4th floor. Please use the Hawaii Voyager Online Catalog to identify the resources you need.  Okinawa Collection is not separate from other collections (such as Chinese, Korean, etc.), and Okinawa related resources are arranged with other Asian countries' materials. Okinawa Special Collection only is shelved in a closed room, and its resources are available by appointment only (with at least 2 weeks in advance notice).
 
When are you open?

General collection is open during the Library hours.  Special collections are open by appointment.
 
I heard you have special collections.  What are they?  How can I access?

The Okinawa Collection holds the following special collections housed in the Asia Special Collections room.  All the items are not circulating.  The Okinawa Collection staff retrieves materials prior to your visit.  Please read the access policy to make an appointment in advance. Please make an appointment with Okinawa Studies Librarian before you visit to Hawai'i. 
  • Hawaii Karate Museum Collection / 布哇空手博物館コレクション: over 200 materials on Karate and martial arts collected by the Hawaii Karate Museum
  • Sakamaki/Hawley Collection / サカマキ・宝玲コレクション: over 2,000 items on Ryukyu and Okinawa collected by Shunzo Sakamaki and Frank Hawley. Please note: Most items were digitized and available for viewing at the University of the Ryukyus Library. As of December 2017, the digitized items and the items with color paintings were not available for showing. Please consult Okinawa Collection Librarian for more details. 
 

Subject Librarian

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Lynette Teruya
Contact:
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Hamilton Library / Asia Collection
2550 McCarthy Mall
Honolulu, HI 96822
Subjects: Okinawa

Asia Collection

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Reading Room:

Open

Contact Us:

Reference Hours: M-F: 10am - 2pm

Email: asiaref@hawaii.edu 

Phone: (808) 956-8116

Ask Us

https://manoa.hawaii.edu/library/help/ask-us/