When I met her old boss and his wife I found out that they were actually both from Okinawa, which is a kind of Japanese sub culture (They consider themselves a different in some ways to the 'mainlanders' similar to the Catalans and the Spanish.
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I don't ever think of my fellow Japanese from Okinawa, kind of _sub culture_ and Iam not the cleansed new gen, educated to be a good world citizen but born in the after WW II..
They may look a bit different from the main landers of Japan but so is the Kyushu people as well. But the Okinawans are a bit lay back and me thinking due to their semi-tropical weather!
But then the Okinawa genre do get privileadged treatment from the J~Guvnmnt in the form of a _very large economic package_Okinawa stimulus of US $ 3.5 billion for their allowing to having the US bases there. And that sum is just the beginning of preludes of good things coming the Okinawa's way...
So your assertion of Okinawa people being sub culture of Japan is wide off the mark. Okinawa is not a sub-culture but part of Japan's history and very main culture..Besides, Okinawa islands are way too pretty and the people are always very happy !