Okinawan

[oh-kuh-nah-wuhn, oh-kuh-nau-uhn]

noun

plural

Okinawans 

1. a person from Okinawa.

2. a Ryukyuan language, spoken primarily in the southern Okinawa islands.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Okinawa, its people, or their languages.

Example Sentences

This time, Stephen Lyman, a Japanese spirits expert and importer, steered me away from Kokusai-dori, the tourist strip, and sent me in search of a young Okinawan bartender named Koji Higa.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

After clambering up three flights of a dark apartment-building stairwell, I entered Higatei, which celebrates all things awamori, an Okinawan rice-based spirit.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The tray that emerged from the kitchen was a highlight reel of Okinawan cuisine, prepared by Fumiaki Takada, a Tokyo chef versed in French, Italian and Japanese cooking.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“But last year we finally decided to open this restaurant. I found someone to teach me Okinawan home cooking and that’s what we serve for breakfast. We are obsessed with Okinawa and its culture and cuisine.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The 22 artifacts, some of which date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, represent a significant piece of Okinawan history.

Read more on Seattle Times