Chijuyaa – the plover. Descendants of Okinawan immigrants in Hawai‘i perform a traditional Ryūkyūan song and dance, evoking memories of the past, and emotions of loneliness and yearning. Sung in Uchinaaguchi, one of the endangered Ryūkyūan languages.

Director - Brandon Ufugusuku Ing

Born and raised in Hawai’i on the island of O’ahu, Brandon is a 4th generation Ryukyuan (Okinawan) on his mother’s side. Also a practitioner of the sanshin and traditional Okinawan music, Brandon spent one year studying at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, and four years teaching English at elementary schools in Okinawa. During this time he continued to study sanshin as well as Uchinaaguchi (the indigenous Okinawan language) on his own time. He has since moved back to Hawaiʻi, and in addition to leading Uchinaaguchi study sessions with Ukwanshin Kabudan, Brandon currently writes songs using Uchinaaguchi, hoping to spread awareness and help revive the language.