This photo taken around 1925 shows women in Naha selling fruit and vegetables. The large umbrellas to protect against the tropical sun was one characteristic of such markets of the time. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Recently discovered images of prewar life in Naha not only depict ordinary folk walking the streets barefoot but also offer other tantalizing glimpses of the city before much of it was razed by U.S. fire-bombing on Oct. 10, 1944.
In total, 165 photos were found in the archives of the Osaka headquarters of The Asahi Shimbun.
The rare images also capture distinctive architecture in the Okinawan prefectural capital from the Taisho Era (1912-1926) and early Showa Era (1926-1989) as Naha was in the process of transforming into a modern city along with increased bustle among the local population.
Okinawan women had to toil just as hard as their husbands to sustain their families, for at least as far back as when their island was an independent kingdom, pictures taken in prewar years show.
In addition to fulfilling domestic responsibilities, they needed to pour their blood, sweat and tears into helping their families earn a living.
That was even more so after the Meiji government (1868-1912) ended rule of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879) and made it into the prefecture of Okinawa in 1879, as life was difficult for islanders at the time.
Working to bolster the family’s livelihood was not a new concept. In Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa and the commercial center since the days of the kingdom, a saying goes that “a wife is not considered a full-fledged adult unless she can feed her husband,” according to Harumi Miyagi, a researcher of the history of Okinawan women.