Nobuyoshi Kinjo, an architect born in Okinawa, passed away at the young age of 50 in 1984 leaving behind a legacy of important modernist architectural works that stand prominently against the blue skies of Okinawa, including but not limited to the Naha Civic Hall and Naha Tower. May of this year marks the 50th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japanese administration, and to commemorate the occasion, a revised edition of Kinjo’s book “Dialogue with Okinawa and its Original Spaces” (1983) will be published with a new cover. Alongside photographs of his architectural pieces, the book also contains essays by Kinjo himself where he discusses his thought process of sincerely coming face to face with the nature and fundamental beliefs of Okinawa through his architectural work. The Naha Civic Hall, which symbolizes the return of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty, has been closed since 2016 due to safety concerns, but it has been and continues to remain a unique piece of architecture that represents the cultural history of Okinawa and profoundly influences the psyche of the Okinawan people.

“Dialogue with Okinawa and its Original Spaces”
Nobuyoshi Kinjo (1934-1984)
Publisher: Yumiko Kinjo
Photographs: Genko Mizushima, Nobuyoshi Kinjo
Cover: Hideyuki Saito