SAITAMA High schools run by the prefecture here that still have dress codes requiring female students to wear skirts as part of their uniforms will soon allow girls to choose slacks instead.
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.