“Muiani Yuraiki”
Japanese Text:
Sakiyama, Tami. “Muiani Yuraiki.” Muiani Yuraiki [The Origin of Muiani]. Tokyo: Sunagoya Press, 1999.
1. Introduction
“Muiani yuraiki” was first published in the book Muiani Yuraiki, which also includes “Okinawa inagun gwanu panasu.” In an essay, Sakiyama explained that before she wrote “Muiani yuraiki” she considered the meaning of writing in shimakotoba, meaning Okinawan language, not only for Okinawans but also for herself. That is when Sakiyama decided to mix the Japanese language and Okinawan language to help readers feel and visualize the language in her stories.
Sakiyama had a setback in 1994 when writing about remote islands as a theme. During this time, Sakiyama struggled with ideas about language, and this is how “Muiani Yuraiki” was written. The protagonist, Watashi, is struggling with memory, too. When she meets Anna, a ninety-year-old woman, she communicates with her, but the younger women do not understand what they are talking about, and the woman in her fifties is surprised. Even Watashi herself does not know why she could understand Anna. As the story continues, Watashi slowly regains her memory and her Okinawan identity.
“Muiani Yuraiki” is unique for having only female characters. Interestingly, most of the characters are not called by their names even once. Watashi, the narrator and protagonist, gives the character’s nicknames based on appearances. Watashi forgets her child Muiani, but clearly remembers the pain of something being pulled out of her and of the voice of the baby crying, which clearly shows that Watashi did in fact gave birth to Muiani. Watashi also recalls the picture of the baby and even remembers that she took the photo, but she does not remember that the baby is hers. After hearing a voice whispering “Muiani,” Watashi receives a sudden phone call from an old woman who tries to remind her about her promise. Watashi feels a strange sense of comfort from the voice, and decides to start her journey of discovering the mystery of her own past.
2. Character List
Watashi 私 (Narrator)
Watashi means “I” in the Japanese language and is the personal pronoun most often used by women. Watashi, a woman in her mid-thirties, lives alone in an apartment. She likes reading novels. Somehow, Watashi has forgotten about her past: she has a child that she does not remember and has trouble remembering different scenes that happened in the past and also the promise she made five years ago about meeting some other women.
Woman in her fifties 五十女
She is the speaker on the phone talking to Watashi. She plays an important role throughout the story, and reminds Watashi about the promise she made. She disguised her voice by pretending to be the older woman speaking in Okinawan language.
Woman in sunglasses サングラスの女
A woman younger than Watashi. She is described as the “woman in sunglasses” because she is wearing sunglasses even though it is dark. She picks up Watashi at the nearest bus stop on orders from the woman in her fifties. She drives Watashi to the Kohagura house to meet the women waiting.
Anna 阿ン母
Anna is a 90-year-old woman waiting for Watashi at the Kohagura house. She is on her deathbed. Anna is deeply respected and is a fluent speaker of the Okinawan language. Sakiyama Tami has mentioned that where she grew up, “Anna” means “mother,” and “Obā” means “grandmother.”
Woman in Black 黒ずくめの女
The Woman in Black is about twenty-seven-years-old and was taken away from the Kohagura house right after she was born. Watashi has to meet all of the women that are waiting for her. The Woman in Black appears near the end of the story, and has a strong way of speaking.
Muiani ムイアニ
Muiani is a five-year-old child that Watashi does not remember giving birth to because she has problems with memory loss. Muiani does not appear in the story, but her name is mentioned many times. Muiani is the reason Watashi left the Kohagura house and also the reason she had to come back.
3. Plot Summary
Section 1 (8-10)
Watashi is trying to go to sleep in her apartment at night when suddenly she hears an unfamiliar voice saying “Muiani” not only once but a couple of times. She’s not sure if it’s a man, woman, a child, or an older person. She knows that she is alone and on the third floor, so she wonders where the voice is coming from. The voice sounds calm, and Watashi cannot ignore it. The voice has been bothering her for months.
Section 2 (10-20)
At 11:57 p.m., three minutes before midnight, the phone suddenly rings. Watashi closes the book she was reading, Mario Vargas Llosa’s The Green House, right after the phone rings. A woman speaking Okinawan language mixed with standard Japanese says she knows a lot about Watashi. The voice is unfamiliar to Watashi, but the woman insists that Watashi made a promise. Watashi does not remember any promise, but she does not deny making one because the woman’s voice is so confident. Watashi is told to bring a picture and almost hangs up but then asks what picture to bring. The woman tells Watashi that the picture is in her desk drawer and hangs up. Watashi is surprised to find an envelope in her desk drawer.
Section 3 (20-7)
Watashi changes her clothes and gets ready to leave. She thinks about the voice she heard and the brown envelope. She also remembers a strange feeling of pain and some voices that sound like a baby, but she is confused and thinks it is a dream. She knows that she has to figure out what this is all about. Unsure, she opens the envelope and finds a colored picture of a baby. Looking at the picture, she realizes that she is the one who took it. But she wonders why. Was she babysitting someone’s child? Or maybe she kidnapped a child? In other words, she remembers the picture but not how the baby arrived.
Section 4 (27-8)
Watashi has already changed and is ready to leave her apartment. Holding the envelope and very confused, she goes down to the bus stop, near a four-story building, flower shop, convenience store, and a sports shop. The bus stop is only four to five minutes away.
Section 5 (28-42)
Watashi arrives at the bus stop, but no one is in sight. A car arrives driven by a different person from the phone call. She gets in the car with a young woman wearing sunglasses. They talk about the woman who Watashi was talking to on the phone and also about an older woman waiting for them at the Kohagura house. Talking to the woman in sunglasses, Watashi now knows that the promise took place five years ago and that the woman in sunglasses has been impatiently waiting for this day. They arrive at the house and a woman in her fifties takes them to an older woman called Anna. Watashi apologizes that she forgot about everything. The day of the promise is over, but they need Watashi to be there, so they brought her to the house. The woman in her fifties and a woman in black sit on a sofa across from Watashi.
Section 6 (43-54)
Watashi’s memory is not fully restored, and she feels guilty and scared. The three women stare at Watashi. The woman in black tells Watashi not to be scared, and that if she just admits what she has done, everything will be settled. Still, Watashi is not sure what they are talking about. The woman in her fifties asks Watashi if she brought the picture, and Watashi confirms that she did. Curious, Watashi asks about the baby in the picture and their relationship. The woman in black wasn’t expecting Watashi to be this bad, so she now believes that she suffers from memory loss. The woman in her fifties apologizes to Watashi for asking a detective to investigate her. The woman in her fifties talks about her life and she somehow connected that to teaching Watashi about men. The other women slowly realize that Watashi honestly does not recall the past, even though she gave birth to a child five years ago and has not met the child since. From now, she has to take care of the child because it is her responsibility, but Watashi cannot comprehend the situation. The child she gave birth to is the grandchild of the Kohagura house, and that is why Anna wants her here. This child is important for the Kohagura house. Still, Watashi is very confused because she is told to raise the child. All the women try to convince Watashi to raise her own child, accept her responsibility, and face the fact that she is the mother.
Section 7 (54-68)
The woman in black’s history is explained by herself and the woman in her fifties. The woman in black is not close to Anna, and this was their first meeting. Twenty-seven years ago, the previous wife took her away from the house. To the fifty-year-old woman, she was the child of her husband and ex-wife, and to Anna, she was a stolen child. These three women were in a difficult relationship. So it is very difficult for Anna to show love, even though the woman is a member of the family. Even though the woman in black was not living with the family, Anna took care of her in a financial way and also went to go see the man that she was talking about. Meanwhile, all the stories of the women interest Watashi, but she cannot suddenly approve everything. The woman in black starts talking about her past, too. Watashi listens to the woman in black’s story, and it occurs to her that the man she’s talking about may not be from this world (in other words, a ghost) because the woman in black is talking as if the man she was talking about is there in the living room with them.
After her story, the fifty-year-old woman says that everyone is talking about Anna’s last requests, so that means that Watashi’s child is Anna’s grandchild, and that is why Watashi is also related to the family. The fifty-year-old woman shows Watashi a letter that she wrote five years ago, explaining that the baby was one hundred days old when it was left by the baby’s pillow. Watashi wrote that she could not stay with them anymore, and that if the baby is really needed, she has no choice but to leave her here. The letter also states that in five years, just before the baby starts school, Watashi will be back to pick her up. She asks the family to raise her, as she is the grandchild of Anna. Finally, the letter says that as the mother of the child, she does not permit anything other than taking care of the child. The letter is dated February 30.
Section 8 (68-78)
Watashi now understands almost all that has happened and is happening. But all the responsibility still giving her doubts, and at the same time, all the mysteries that she has encountered are overwhelming. Finally, it is time to meet her child, Muiani. Slowly the white curtains are blown by the wind. Watashi does not know who spoke, but she hears the word, “Muiani.” She steps outside into the garden, a bright light flashes, and Watashi feels like she is in a dark tunnel.
4. Setting
Although the year is not stated, a letter that the protagonist wrote exactly five years ago states that it is February 30. The impossible date suggests the surrealistic nature of Watashi’s experience. Since the story takes place five years after the letter was written and since the story was published in 1995, the action most likely takes place in the early 1990s. Similarly, the location is not stated, but there are some hints. For example, Watashi lives four to five minutes away from an east coast bus stop, and also there is a small food shop mostly serving students (28). This shows that there is also a school near where she lived. Kohagura is in the southern part of Okinawa near the main city of Naha, so perhaps the Kohagura house is located in Kohagura. But also a “Kohagura house” is an old traditional house structure which can be seen throughout Okinawa, especially in the northern part or isolated islands. Because of these two meanings, it is unclear where the Kohagura house is located.
5. Point of View
“Muiani Yuraiki” is narrated in first person and follows the protagonist, Watashi. The narration is complicated because Watashi herself doesn’t know about her past and does not even remember that she gave birth. Readers are likely to have the same feeling as the protagonist at first because they do not know who anyone is and why Watashi was brought there. Slowly, the protagonist starts to remember her past and the meaning of why she is brought to the Kohagura house. She suffers from memory loss, and that is the reason why she has forgotten so much. In this way, the story is a sort of mystery for the reader.
6. Symbolism
Age differences of characters
One reason the characters don’t have names is to emphasize their looks and age, and also simply to make the story unique and mysterious. The Okinawan languages are heading towards extinction, especially since older Okinawan language speakers are passing away without teaching the younger generations. Okinawan languages do not have their own script, so the languages must be spoken in order to pass them down to the younger generations.
In “Muiani Yuraiki,” each character represents a certain generation and is connected to their level of Okinawan language ability. For example, Anna, the ninety-year-old woman, communicates only in Okinawan language and not everyone can understand her. The fifty-year-old woman can imitate how Anna speaks, which shows she understands and can speak the Okinawan language—even though she mainly speaks Japanese. This shows that the two generations can communicate using the Okinawan language.
Watashi can vaguely understand what Anna is talking about, but she can’t speak the language at all. This shows that the thirty-year-old generation is somewhat capable of communicating in the language but not as fluently as the older generations. Presumably, the woman in sunglasses and the woman in black do not understand Anna, as they never react to her. This shows that the younger generations have little or no knowledge of the Okinawan language.
Lastly, Muiani, the new born child, has no knowledge of the Okinawa language since the most fluent speaker, Anna, is about to die, and the woman in her fifties speaks Japanese and not in the Okinawan language. However, since the child is still young, she offers some hope that the language can still be preserved.
Umbilical cord, letter, and book
These items were returned to Watashi when she promises to take care of her child. These three items represent birth: the umbilical cord connects the baby to the mother, and the letter and book were both created by Watashi. In other words, she gave birth to them. Now, Watashi has to take care of the child, so these items are given back. Even though Watashi does not remember a thing about her own child, there was a scene that clearly expresses her giving birth:
My body falls down, all of my limbs are flying everywhere as I feel something suddenly rising. My body stiffens and something in me is strongly forced to separate itself. Suddenly, pain suddenly rushes through my whole body as my body rises. I think my body is being torn apart and as I fall unconscious, I hear a strange voice crying out. I forgot what it sounds like, but I’m disturbed that I chose not to remember this voice. (22, translation by Rabby Morales)
This paragraph shows that Watashi clearly gave birth, even though she forgot about the child. The umbilical cord, letter, and book are objective evidence of the child’s existence.
7. Themes
Okinawan attitudes towards Okinawan languages
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s “UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Language in Danger” site, six different Ryukyuan languages are heading towards extinction. One of the main reasons is that the speakers of the languages are older and gradually decreasing. There are few young people that have been taught by the elderly and who can speak the language. Another reason is that Ryukyuan languages originally did not have a script for reading or writing, so they have not been fully preserved. The best way to preserve the languages is by recording the voices of the living language speakers. During World War II, the Okinawan locals were forced to speak Japanese, and if they spoke the Okinawan language, they were accused of spying. As punishment, they could get tortured or even killed. As a result, Okinawan locals were scared to speak the Okinawan language. Even after reversion in 1972, Okinawa was reunited with Japan, so the Okinawa language was not spoken. Currently, the Okinawan languages are not being taught in schools. The main reason for this is that there are few teachers who are native speakers of Ryukyuan languages.
In “Muiani Yuraiki,” the ninety-year-old woman is the most fluent speaker. The first time she appears, she is in her bed. The woman in her fifties pulls Watashi to the ninety-year-old woman to talk, but Watashi does not understand. Anna represents the older generation of Okinawan language speakers. She has failed to pass the language on to the younger generations, so her death represents the extinction of the language.
The woman in her fifties can speak the Okinawan language to some extent but not fluently. While talking to Watashi on the phone, she mimics the older woman by using the Okinawan language (10). This shows that this generation has a strong and direct connection to the language. However, when Okinawa was reunited to Japan in 1972, Japanese became even more important, so the Okinawan language was not used as much as by the older generation.
The younger generation does not interact with the Okinawan language as much as their parents. However, Watashi listens to Anna on her death bed and to the woman in her fifties because she understands somewhat. Watashi lived at the Kohagura house, which had an environment that included the Okinawan languages, so during that period, Watashi subconsciously absorbed a partial understanding of the language because Anna and the woman in her fifties were living there, too. But Watashi left the Kohagura house and lives by herself, so in her current environment, there aren’t any Okinawan language speakers around, and most likely, her co-workers are all speaking in Japanese.
The woman in sunglasses and the woman in black are the youngest women, and they do not have any idea what Anna is talking about. They have no interaction at all with the Okinawan language, which is why they do not have any knowledge about the language. Ideally, this generation would start learning the Okinawan language before all the speakers passed away. However, there is no indication that they have the motivation to do so. Muiani, who represents future generations does not appear in the story but is mentioned many times. She currently has no knowledge of the Okinawan language because most of the fluent speakers are dying.
To summarize, Sakiyama’s story shows that younger generations do not understand the Okinawan language even though older people are still using it. It is getting more difficult for the younger generation because they have fewer interactions with the Okinawan language. Sakiyama herself had many encounters with different Okinawan languages, and she seems to hope that the different languages will be taught to the younger generations.
8. Criticism
Shinjō Ikuo argues that Sakiyama Tami’s “Muiani Yuraiki” is a mysterious story that is easy to read but complicated to follow. The title that sounds like a chant or a spell, and “Muiani,” the key word of the story, create a mysterious feeling for the readers. The story focuses on auditory expressions and has only few visual descriptions. Although the story is written in such a unique and experimental style, Shinjō points out that the way Sakiyama mixes the Japanese language with the Okinawan language makes it easy to follow, even though the language is difficult.
Shinjō also mentions in a lecture, that Sakiyama uses the Okinawan languages so that the words seem to be someone else speaking, or even like a foreign language that cannot be controlled. Her techniques make the story unique. She used similar techniques in her earlier writing, but in her latest stories, she uses a completely new style.
In the same lecture, O Sejong argues that Sakiyama mixes onomatopoeia, Okinawan language, and Japanese in what he calls “Tami-go” (Tami’s language). The onomatopoeia draws readers into the story, and the mixed languages do not confuse readers but let them visualize how the story evolves. She also effectively uses foreshadowing to give hints about upcoming scenes.
To summarize, Sakiyama’s uses of the Okinawan language, Japanese, and onomatopoeia are all very unique. Her experimental way of writing helps readers not only understand but also to feel the story. This is not seen in other Okinawan literature writers.
9. Writing Style
Sakiyama Tami is well known for her unique and experimental ways of writing, and depending on the story and theme, her writing style changes. Shinjō Ikuo and Sminkey Takuma both mention that Sakiyama has a very unique perspective and has an experimental way of expressing it. Her use of the Okinawan language is different from other authors. Sakiyama grew up in an area where many people from many countries lived, so she was used to hearing many different languages. The Okinawan language has several dialects and in Sakiyama’s stories there are mixtures of the different dialects. Even though the Okinawan language does not have a script and is heading to extinction, Sakiyama somehow spells out the language the way it sounds and make it easier for the readers to read and have a hint of how the Okinawan language sounds. These techniques of writing capture the readers’ attention and gives them a new experience of reading Okinawan literature.
Sakiyama’s style of writing connects to her identity, and lets all her readers understand her struggle with language. As an Okinawan who grew up on a remote island with many foreigners, she had many languages surrounding her, and she somehow found a style and technique to mix it all and express herself in a unique way.
10. Discussion Questions
1. Why was it hard for the protagonist to live at the Kohagura house? Why did she leave?
2. Why did the woman call at night instead of during the day?
3. What if the protagonist had not lost her memory? How would it affect the story?
4. What is the role of the woman in sunglasses and of the woman in her fifties?
5. Does the protagonist really love her child? If she does, why did she leave the child at the Kohagura house?
6. Why don’t the characters have names?
7. Whose voice whispers to the protagonist at the beginning of the story?
8. Why did Sakiyama use the date February 30, even though it does not exist?
9. Why are all the characters women?
10. What is the significance of Watashi’s losing her memory?
11. Why do the woman in sunglasses and the woman in black both represent the same generation and have the same amount of knowledge about the Okinawa language? How are their roles in the story different?
12. Why doesn’t Sakiyama mention any specific location?
13. What is the “origin” of Muiani that is referred to in the title?
14. Why did Sakiyama give the protagonist the same age as herself? (When the book was published, Sakiyama was also in her mid-thirties.)
15. Why did Sakiyama have three patterns for the baby’s voice?
16. Why doesn’t Muiani actually appear at the end of the story?
11. Works Cited
Gushiken, Shin. “Sakiyama Tami kenkyū.” Okinawa International University Graduate
School Graduation Thesis. 2005.
Llosa, Mario Vargas. The Green House. Spain: Seix Barral, 1966.
Llosa, Mario Vargas. Midori no ie. Trans. Kimura Eiichi. Tokyo: Shinchō Press, 1995.
Sakiyama, Tami. “Japanese society of literature.” 10 November. 2018. Address.
---. Kurikaeshi gaeshi [Over and Over]. Tokyo: Sunagoya Press, 1994.
---. “Muiani Yuraiki.” Muiani Yuraiki [The Origin of Muiani]. Tokyo: Sunagoya Press,
1999.
---. “Okinawan inagun gwanu panasu.” Muiani Yuraiki [The Origin of Muiani]. Tokyo: Sunagoya Press, 1999. 84-176.
---. “Shimagomoru” [Island Confinement]. Tokyo: Sunagoya Press, 1994. 180-250.
---. “Suijō ōkan” [Round-trip over the Ocean]. Kurikaeshigaeshi [Over and Over]. Tokyo:
Sunagoya Press, 1994. 142-78.
Shinjō Ikuo, “Japanese society of literature.” 10 November. 2018. Address.
---. Okinawa bungaku to iu hedate. Tokyo: Impact Press, 2003.
Sminkey, Takuma. Reading Okinawa. <http://takumasminkey.com/readingokinawa/index.html>. Updated.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), “UNESCO
Atlas of the World’s Language in Danger”.
<http://unesco.org/culture/en/endageredlanguages/atlas>. Updated.
O Sejong. “Japanese society of literature.” 10 November 2018. Address.
Original Report by Rabby Morales. Edited and revised by Kasumi Sminkey.