Sesoko Masayuki — Meeting the Makers of Okinawa

We asked Sesoko Masayuki, an all-around editor who moved from Tokyo to Okinawa and introduces local producers and spaces, how he came to start one of Okinawa’s most vibrant local events.

Interviewer Hur Taewoo
Interviewee Sesoko Masayuki
Interpreter Park Seonghui

Do you visit Korea often?
I visited eight years ago. One of my books had been translated in Korea, so I held a book concert there.

You live in Okinawa now, but I heard you worked in Tokyo before that.
I’m originally from Kanagawa Prefecture. I’ve always been very interested in writing and language, so I worked as a magazine editor in Tokyo, where publishing jobs are concentrated. I made magazines such as 1‘Camera Biyori’ (カメラ日和) and 2‘Jikyu Jisoku’ (自休自足).

When did you move to Okinawa?
In 2012. I was working in Tokyo, and by my mid-30s I had started thinking about how to work while living a life true to myself. I wanted to build a new life in Okinawa, so I moved. My ancestors’ roots lie in Okinawa, so it wasn’t a place entirely unconnected to me, either.

What was the atmosphere like when you first moved to Okinawa?
Okinawa’s landscape is completely different from Kanagawa or Tokyo. It feels very exotic. It’s generally known as a resort or vacation destination, so many people move from the city to Okinawa with that image in mind. In my case, I was drawn to the distinct sensibility of Okinawa’s scenery and culture, and I began adapting to life there quite naturally.

In Korea, more people are moving from Seoul to the provinces. What about Japan?
I think it’s similar in Japan. People worn out by life in big cities, where competition is fierce and daily life is hectic, move to the countryside. First of all, you gain more breathing room in terms of environment. Some people also leave the city so they can live while doing what they want to do.

1 : A photography magazine themed around ‘everyday life with a camera.’

2 : A lifestyle magazine that promotes a slow life in nature.

You’re involved in a wide range of activities, from creating content to hosting events.
I’ve always worked as a magazine editor, so in Okinawa too I’ve done what I can do as an editor. First I introduced what I liked in print, and then I promoted Okinawa online or planned and presented offline events and pop-ups. I publish articles about Okinawa in various Japanese magazines and media, and through a website called Okinawa Clip, I steadily share Okinawa’s history, culture, and travel information. The media differ, but I think I’m doing an editor’s work for each of them. Along the way, I’ve gradually built a network of local producers, small business owners, and artists. In recent years, I’ve made a point of continuing to hold offline events that introduce Okinawa’s producers and shops.
When I first moved to Okinawa, there weren’t many people there with experience working as editors. So I was able to draw on my know-how and try many different things. That said, I didn’t approach it from the start with a sense that it had to be this way. As an editor, I simply wanted to introduce the things I love. Often, living in Okinawa, things naturally catch my eye, I learn more about them, and then I introduce them. I don’t cling to the image people usually associate with Okinawa. I just try to share the good things in the everyday life around me.
When I report on a place, a space, or a producer, I communicate as much as possible. I look into the background, such as what stories lie within and how they think about life, and then I draw out the parts I find appealing and introduce them. So my style is to start with the person and then tell that person’s story.

I heard you recently started a new project to promote Okinawa.
Shimanoyosooi (島の装い) is about the people who make things on this island. We held the first event four years ago, just as the pandemic was beginning, so there were no tourists at all. Only Okinawans came. But the locals were delighted, saying they hadn’t realized that such wonderful people and things existed right where they lived, and they cheered us on. The response was tremendous. Experiencing that made me work even harder.
In 2024, I gathered Shimanoyosooi’s content and published it as a book with the subtitle ‘A Journey to Meet Makers and Feel Their Hearts.’ When the book came out, the producers signed their own pages, and readers visited their shops and workshops to buy things… All kinds of exchanges took place that way. I think the book created new value.

Do Okinawa’s islands each have their own regional character?
The sea is beautiful everywhere, but the accents and the feel of the people are clearly different. The differences are so subtle they’re hard to put into words, but you’ll know once you go. You can also sense each place’s character more clearly in the work of artists who live and work on each island.

What would you like Korean visitors to experience when they travel to Okinawa?
Okinawa isn’t a wealthy region, so people make things that help in daily life, working within difficult conditions. They might be crafts, artworks, or cosmetics. Each maker puts their own personality into them, and I find that stylish. People think of the sea first when they think of Okinawa, but I hope they’ll visit shops and workshops and experience many of these small objects and works.

Where do you often go in Okinawa?
I go to the beach near my home, watch the sunset, and spend some time there. The kanji in my name carry a nuance like ‘beyond the sea.’ When I first came to Okinawa and things weren’t going well, people around me advised me to go to a place where the water flows well. In southern Okinawa’s main island, there’s a place called Kakinohana Hija (垣花樋川). It’s a clean spring of flowing water, a kind of power spot where you can feel life force. I go there from time to time.

What do you personally love most?
I love the people who make things in Okinawa, and I love photography. Above all, I love conveying things through language like this.

Do you plan to keep living in Okinawa?
In Okinawa, a native is called an Uchinanchu (ウチナンチュ). I may never become a true Uchinanchu, but I’ll keep living here in the hope of getting closer to being one.