Higa publishes conversation book written in Shimakutuba and English

Higa publishes conversation book written in Shimakutuba and English

On February 3 in Kitanakagusuku Village, Naohide Higa presented his books to the director of the education board of the village, Takenori Morita (right).


February 6, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

An 83-year-old former English teacher from Adaniya, Kitanakagusuku Village, Naohide Higa has self-published a daily conversation book FRIENDSHIP written in English and Shimakutuba, the endangered Okinawan language. On February 3, Higa visited the education board of the village, presenting them with 40 books. Higa also plans to present books to Nakagusuku Village and Nishihara Town.

Higa said, “I wanted to give back what I have received from society.”
As an advisor representative for the main chapter of Karate Goju Ryu Shobukan, he had many opportunities to receive questions about the Okinawan language when he went abroad. Because he could not find a conversation book in English and the Okinawan language, he started planning the project ten years ago. Higa completed the project after four years of writing.

Higa wrote the book both in Shimakutuba and English. He describes daily conversations such as self-introductions and giving directions, also the names of vegetables and fruit, which appear in Okinawan dishes. The book consists of around 100 pages with many example sentences. Higa mostly used the language of Adaniya. He said, “The Adaniya dialect is understood everywhere.” The selling price of the book is 1,300 yen. Higa will present 200 yen of the price to the affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

For further details, call Higa at 098 (935) 2367.

(English translation by T&CT and Megumi Chibana)

Go to Japanese


　


Previous Article:
Next Article:

[Similar Articles]