Editing Okinawa Prefecture (section)

===Religion===
{{main|Ryukyuan religion}}
Okinawan people have inherited a traditional religious belief system known as [[Ryukyuan religion|Ryukyuan Shinto]], which is similar to but distinct from modern [[Shinto|Japanese Shinto]]. This indigenous belief system is animistic in nature, characterized by ancestor worship and a deep respect for the relationships between the living, the dead, and the gods or spirits of the natural world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sitereports.nabunken.go.jp/15945|title=陶磁器から古の神事（祭祀・儀式）を考える|last=Okinawa Prefectural reserve cultural assets center|date=2006|website=Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan|access-date=September 2, 2016|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728031104/https://sitereports.nabunken.go.jp/en/15945|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Shamanism|Shamanic]] practitioners, known as '''''[[Yuta (shaman)|Yuta]]''''', continue to play an active role in Okinawan society. They perform ritual prayers, divination, spiritual consultations, and even communicate with the spirits of the deceased. For many people, ''yuta'' serve as important spiritual guides who offer advice and solutions to both supernatural and everyday life problems.<ref>{{Cite web |title=なぜ沖縄にはシャーマンが多く存在するのか？ユタとノロについて {{!}} 舞の道 観音舞 |url=https://mainomichi.com/mblog/okinawa-sherman/#:~:text=%E6%B2%96%E7%B8%84%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%80%8C%E3%83%A6%E3%82%BF%E3%80%8D,%E3%81%A8%E8%80%83%E3%81%88%E3%82%89%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=舞の道 観音舞 |language=ja}}</ref>

Throughout Okinawa, there are sacred sites known as ''[[Utaki|'''utaki''']]'', where rituals and ceremonies are performed. Ryukyuan beliefs preserve many elements of ancient Japanese spirituality—such as those from the [[Jōmon period|Jōmon]] and [[Yayoi period|Yayoi periods]]—which have largely disappeared on the Japanese mainland. As such, they are considered important resources in [[comparative mythology]] and religious studies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=OKINAWA 41 |date=2019-06-26 |title=沖縄古来の琉球神道について - OKINAWA41 |url=https://www.okinawa41.go.jp/reports/22572 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=www.okinawa41.go.jp |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=琉球神話との比較とは何？ わかりやすく解説 Weblio辞書 |url=https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E7%90%89%E7%90%83%E7%A5%9E%E8%A9%B1%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AE%E6%AF%94%E8%BC%83 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=www.weblio.jp}}</ref>