Treasures of the Island People: Tradition and Modernity in Yaeyaman Pop Music.

This article examines the phenomenon of Yaeyaman musicians, who play many of the issues of Yaeyaman identity in the context of the Okinawa prefecture, the Japanese nation, and the rest of the world. It recounts the incident that led to the popularity of Yaeyaman musicians in Okinawa and Japan, discusses the emergence of the so-called third golden age of post-war Okinawan folk music, and explores the factors contributing to the popularity of the musicians.