Under the general theme "Sea and Island Life—Seeking Prosperity, Beauty, and Peace", the permanent exhibitions at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum seek to show how the people of Okinawa have lived — and continue to live — sustained by their islands and embraced by the sea.

The permanent exhibits take you on a tour of Okinawa's past and present, from the blossoming culture of the Ryukyu Kingdom during the era of trade relations with To (China) and Yamato (Japan), to the dizzying changes experienced in the pre- and post-war eras, and on into the present.

The Museum’s permanent exhibitions include both general exhibitions and five sub-exhibitions focused on specialized disciplinary fields and subject areas. All together, these exhibits offer a robust introduction to Okinawa’s distinctive nature, history, and culture. These exhibits are designed to be viewed through two complementary lenses: the Oceanic view and the Island view.

Since long ago, the islands of Okinawa Prefecture have been held in the sea’s embrace. This embrace, while intimate and close, simultaneously had far-reaching consequences. Bounded by the sea around it, Okinawa had the separation and autonomy to develop its own unique history and culture. Though Okinawa was constrained by the sea, it is also the sea that can be credited for Okinawa’s unique sense of expansiveness. The sea surrounding Okinawa and the Kuroshio current that runs northwards alongside the Ryukyu archipelago served as a vital highway to the wider world. Through this pathway, Ryukyuans were historically able to build close relations with other political entities in Asia and the wider Pacific region. These relationships provided a wealth of diverse cultural influences to the Ryukyuan people.

The islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago formed an important chain linkage in the Pacific region. Over the course of time, each island in the chain developed its own distinctive cultures and lifeways in response to its specific natural and social environment. Each island culture makes its unique contribution to the greater whole of Okinawa Prefecture's collective natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

Permanent Exhibitions