Ameku-gu Shrine in Naha, Okinawa

Ameku-gu Shrine in Naha, Okinawa, has a mysterious layout. ⛩️

A stone monument stands in a parking lot, separated from the main hall—a scar left by the Battle of Okinawa. The shrine was once destroyed by war, and post-war redevelopment forced it to move, leaving only the monument behind to mark its original entrance. 🌸

But what about the tea regions? 🤔
While Uji in Kyoto escaped major air raids, the tea gardens suffered as workers were sent to the front lines and resources vanished.

In Yame, Fukuoka, many tea trees were uprooted by government order to make way for food crops. 

Tea was deemed a "luxury," not a necessity for survival. Once lost, it took decades for these tea trees to return. 😢🍵

Just as Flamenco was suppressed during the Spanish Civil War, countless cultures worldwide have been halted or lost due to conflict.

Though the tea fields didn't always burn like Okinawa, the culture itself was forced to stop.

Through the lens of "Tea," I want to find and share these hidden legacies, encouraging us to remember and reflect on what war truly takes away. 😌✨