City of Concrete | Okinawa, Japan

Visiting Okinawa, I was struck by how much it didn't feel like I was in Japan. Not only are the vast majority of buildings made of concrete, but they are designed in a unique Okinawan way.

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[LifeWhereImFrom]

Stay tuned for more videos on Okinawa. It's going to be a real traffic jam!

[YODAddyLIVE]

Growing up in Okinawa is something I cherish the most in my life. There were hard times sure but I learned to play climbing and jumping from one roof top to the others in my grandmothers neighborhood. Everyone knew me and would yell at me to be careful but no one ever stopped me and if I fell they would be there to get me up, check to make sure nothing was broken and tell me to be more careful. I love and miss all of the great people of Okinawa. Cherish every trip back.

[reiarisugawa]

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico but currently live in Okinawa, and I'm still always amazed by how similar both places are. I'm assuming it's the similar climate and the presence of the USA.

[Discotechque]

White absorbs the least amount of heat, that's why. White tends to reflect more light than any color in the spectrum, contrary to black, which absorbs almost all light.

[frankyofl]

Its so interesting that so many of the materials and details they use are so similar to what we use to build in the dominican republic. From the iron gates to the barred windows and the use of coral stone. And yeah, we also build mostly with concrete if you want to survive the hurricane season. Wood is mostly used by low income families.

[MrScellaneous]

I am a former U.S. service member who has now lived in Okinawa for almost 5 years. My favorite thing about the cities is how truly “walkable” it is out here - in comparison to the States, where you have 4, 6, 8 lane highways cutting through small towns (I get it is a small island here, but still). You would be amazed how much living in a scenic or unsightly area affects your mental health.

[RidanDeba]

As a Taiwanese, many of these characteristics of Okinawa mentioned in the video are surprisingly similar to Taiwan, especially Yilan or Keelung in the northeast of Taiwan.
However, the distance between Okinawa and Taiwan is indeed much closer than the distance between Okinawa and the main island of Japan.

[HeyHax]

Damn this is such a throwback. Living in Okinawa was such a surreal experience. I knew a lot of guys that didn't enjoy it. Especially during typhoon season, but I enjoyed it. As it was a contrast of mainland Japan, and felt different

[marshalniel]

So, IMHO, as a person from south east asia (Indonesia) i will feel immediately at home in Okinawa since it has window bars, iron gate, water tank and concrete jungle 😂

* No typhoon in here though, just a LOT earthquake

[jasonscottstone]

Thank you for your insight into Okinawan building practices and its history. Looking forward to the other upcoming videos about the island!

[BigJMC]

I love Okinawa. To me it has vibes you would get from travelling to places like Indonesia.

[yakota]

Visited Okinawa last week for the first time in 13 years. It was good to be back home and with my family for a little and to see all the differences between mainland Japan and Okianwa that I never noticed when I was a kid. This video was very nostalgic and great!

[annaksmith]

Wow, when I hear “concrete jungle” I always think of NYC, but Okinawa definitely earns its nickname! Thanks for sharing Greg, always love the dedication and thought you put into your videos. Love from NY!

[NC-ijrb]

I love how the buildersand owners just had fun with the designs. It's creative

[bigbanktai]

One of my favorite channels now and forever

[__aceofspades]

I love the rapid fire approach to this video, as you were able to address so many different topics in just 20 minutes.

[capriciousnature]

Watched this on Nebula, but came here to share some insights since we can't comment on there:
1) Concrete became the standard for local architecture because during WWII, Japanese authorities started replacing wooden structures due to the American fire bombing of the cities. After MacArthur took power and the US began building, they used skills and equipment from the Americans to rebuild.
2) Window Bars: 1910-1990s, protests, riots, and public unrest were common, and many people began using the bars on ground floors to protect from damage. Especially student riots and political riots, as they would smash windows with iron bars, bats, or bamboo poles. Upper floors had fewer break-ins, but were often damaged from typhoons and flying debris. This was common in Taiwan, which was possessed by Japan until 1945, and many of their laborers were slave labor from local Taiwanese populations. They brought the higher level window bars with them in the 1920s, and they've become standard from the Philippines to northern Japan.
3) White coloring on roofs and tiles are used to reflect heat, and are often mixed with limestone powder to help preserve the terracotta paneling/tiles. They also sometimes mix them with white tar, too help prevent leakage.
4) Balconies: SUPER POPULAR, but mostly used after the sun goes down. This is where most families and groups come together to do BBQs, since often it's illegal to do on the road, there are few sidewalks, and window balconies would let smoke inside. If you go to a tall hill during any celebratory period, you'll see hundreds or thousands of small fires, fireworks or mini-camps scattered about the roofs. It's really fun, and you can get some awesome pictures!
5) Brutalism: Brutalist homes are the mainstay in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea in recent years. Reduced upkeep, typhoon resistant, sleek exteriors. Most people are very, very proud of their new Brutalist Style homes, and if you have a chance, you should chat with them about why they like it so much. They love talking about it.
6) Support Pillars: Those are actually there for a few different reasons! A) They put a tarp over the top for daytime gatherings. B) they hang plants from the side extensions. C) They were also meant often for expanding floors. D) ODDLY, Japan & Taiwan used to be OBSESSED with pigeon races. They would use those pillars to support the cages, and sometimes use them for chicken cages as well.

Hope this helps! I'm an American with a bizarre background including a grandfather who helped build Taipei 101, and I'm living in Taiwan for 5 years now.
Keep up the cool work, and I'll see you on Nebula~

[seizethedayandlive]

Very interesting; thanks! I'll be driving around for about 10 days in January; looking forward to exploring the rural areas of the main island...

[Justcetriyaart]

This style of building from the iron gates to the Hannah blocks, . Is pretty common in any place that tends to have high humidity and are usual to tropical islands.I see this a lot in my parents home country of Haiti and in other travel blogs from Mexico. To jamaica and a lot of them are coming here in florida.

Even extension pilliars common in haiti

[juanperaza]

This feels so much like the Caribbean! I am from the Mexican Caribbean and the vibe is almost exactly the same.