When I was 16, a journey to Okinawa to purchase a limited-edition CD by the singer Cocco from Okinawa marked my first solo trip. Landing at Naha Airport, I was struck by the intense blue of the sky, so close and vivid, and the breathtaking beauty of Okinawa’s sea. This experience sparked a deep longing in me for Okinawa, a condition colloquially known as “Okinawa disease.” I began working part-time jobs, saving up for frequent trips back to the island. During one of these visits, as I watched a video of Cocco singing by the Okinawan sea, tears streamed down my face, though I couldn’t understand why at the time.
Later, I learned that such inexplicable tears could be memories from a past life. An Okinawan spiritual healer, known as a Yuta, told me that my involvement in Ryukyu dance was a promise from a previous life. It seemed like an invisible guidance led me to warm-hearted people in Okinawa and steered me towards the path of Ryukyu dance. It was a path I chose and a life I was destined to live.