5. Okinawan Brotherhood

Ichariba chôdê is an Okinawan dialect of Ikiaeba kyodai.

It means "once we meet, we are brothers and sisters."

"Chôdê" means "brotherhood."

The people of Okinawa follow this spirit and are very friendly to strangers.

The following episode is a good example of this saying.

A traveler in Okinawa asked, "How do I get to Kadena?"

Then, a local man answered, "I'm going the same way.

Come with me."

They took the same bus.

In the bus, the man took out a book of tickets.

"Use this," he said, and gave a ticket to the traveler.

What a kind man!

Such acts of kindness are sometimes seen in Okinawa.

Why are they so friendly?

The people of Okinawa believe that all humans are equal, so they have a strong feeling of brotherhood.

The merchants of the Ryukyu Kingdom also had such a feeling.

When they traded with other countries, they tried to be very polite and kept their promises.

They were trusted and became rich from trade.

They also followed the spirit of Ichariba chôdê.

This spirit lives on.

Politeness, trust and the spirit of Ichariba chôdê are important even today.