ABSTRACT
The eisa is a form of dance performed in Okinawa during the summer bon festival, when the spirits of the deceased are believed to return temporarily to the world of the living. This chapter focuses on Osaka, where eisa was first introduced to Japan. Its beginning and unique development have been conditioned by the historically constituted relationship between Okinawans and Japanese and the discriminatory practices against Okinawans in Japan. The chapter describes the experiences of Okinawans in Osaka and their shared memory of history, which served as a backdrop to the introduction of eisa. Young Okinawans gathered and established the Gajimaru no Kai in 1975. The group's name was adopted because the banyan trees grow all over Okinawa, and all members were familiar with them from childhood. The annual Eisa Festival has been the Gajimaru no Kai's most engaging activity since its establishment.
