Japanology Plus S10 · EP12
Amami Oshima: Shaped by Adversity
6.4 · 2014 · Documentary,Talk · ~28m
Life in Amami Oshima was once so tough that the islanders devised a way to make a poisonous plant edible. Harsh circumstances nurtured their resilience and resourcefulness on a subtropical island that was ruled by different outside forces as the centuries passed. Folk music became a medium for private communication, and in secret they produced silk fabric with a distinctive black beauty. In the second of two episodes, Peter Barakan gets to the heart of Amami Oshima's unique culture.
