Ikigai, the philosophy and social structure of the Ryukyuan Matriarchy of Okinawa
I came across an Okinawan matriarchy this morning that I learned about years ago from some Japanese friends. It does not come up in the usual lists of matriarchies, but is a rich source of inspiration. They are known for their wit and sense of humor, and a philosophy, Ikigai, (pronounced as ee-kee-guy) means "a reason for being." It represents the intersection of your passion, mission, vocation, and profession. Discovering your ikigai is widely celebrated as a path to fulfillment, longevity, and a joyful daily existence. Here is a graph of the concept of Ikigai:
Wikipedia Creative Commons, Eugenio Hanson
Older Okinawan women are traditionally well regarded as spiritual authorities because they exemplify this concept of purposeful living. Indigenous Okinawans follow a religion called Ryukyuan where women hold the highest spiritual authority. Rather than strict political dominance, this system prioritizes deep respect for women, spiritual leadership, and strong, female-led community networks, while men represent interaction with outside domains and administration of the community.
The older women maintain social support networks of friends they started in childhood. They are lifelong, social support and financial groups, called moais, that provide this strong sense of community and may have something to do with longevity. This unique matrifocal lifestyle is associated with the famous longevity Blue Zones. Their friend groups differ from most matriarchies because they are not made of members of her birth family, sisters, mothers or clans. I thought they were interesting because as people think about modifying their current situations to be more matriarchal, and don't have access to their mother's relatives for social support, this alternative 'made family' option is highly successful, too.
Okinawan women also have maternal kinship groups called weka based on their lineage. Marriages are matrilocal where the man joins the woman's family, and inheritance follows the daughters.
It's also interesting because their beliefs may give some hint of how other Indigenous matriarchal religions regard women and women's power. Men's authority or power in a patriarchy is brute force. Women's power in Okinawan gender dynamics is based on the belief called "Onarigami" that sisters and women possess inherent spiritual power (Suji) that protects and guides their brothers. (This is very similar to African Hunter Gatherer beliefs).
Historically, and even in many households today, a sister is viewed as a spiritual protector for her brother throughout his life, including after death.
As Marija Gimbutas described in Old Europe and other feminist archaeologists described in the Mideast and elsewhere, Ryukyuan women are in charge of the Hearth. Hinukan (the kitchen fire deity), is the chief spiritual guardian of the family.
Like many matriarchal societies worldwide, the Ryukyu matriarchy of Okinawa features a governance system where power is shared between men and women. Men are elected by the women to administrate community-wide, and interface with the outside, while spiritual and religious power was strictly managed by priestesses who conducted state and village rituals. These are traditional female shamans or psychics who act as intermediaries between the living and the spiritual realm, providing counsel and healing to the community. This cultural elevation of women extends deeply into Okinawan daily life and social structures. Elder women are referred to affectionately as Obaas. They are considered to hold a spiritual presence, and are deeply respected as the heads of their families and the core of the community.
