BEGIN -- Shimanchu nu Takara（島人ぬ宝）

Well, it's been a day. It was a day which had an all-morning and all-afternoon session of major jackhammering and drilling due to the ongoing balcony renovation project, all hot water cut off due to pipe replacement for far longer than scheduled due to a gas (?!) leak, and the annual condo owners' meeting tonight whose "guest of honour", the independent auditor went completely AWOL. Well, the drilling and jackhammering has stopped for today, the hot water has finally returned and somehow the meeting went on fairly cheerfully. Glad I just live here.

Still, under the circumstances, I want to go with something pleasant and relaxing. So I remembered that on a recent episode of "Uta Kon"（うたコン）, a singer performed a cover of "Shimanchu nu Takara" (Treasure of the Islanders), the 23rd single by the Okinawan band BEGIN released in May 2002.

I never got to Okinawa but wouldn't mind a vacation over to the peaceful islands with plenty of long-lived centenarians. If I did make it over, "Shimanchu nu Takara" would be the theme song for my journey to places like Naha, Churaumi Aquarium and Shuri-jo Castle.

According to a July 2017 article in the Yaeyama Mainichi Newspaper（八重山毎日新聞）in the city of Ishigaki in Okinawa (via J-Wiki), "Shimanchu nu Takara" was born when vocalist Eisho Higa（比嘉栄昇）had asked a former classmate who was now a teacher at Ishigaku Junior High School for his students to come up with their thoughts about the island. From there, Higa was able to distill those thoughts into the lyrics for the song.

"Shimanchu nu Takara" got as high as No. 47 on Oricon and won the Kenkichi Yamamoto Prize for its lyrics. Later on in the year, BEGIN was able to make their first of two appearances on the Kohaku Utagassen to perform the song. It is also a track on the band's July 2002 album "Begin no Shimauta ~ Omototakeo 2"（ビギンの島唄 〜オモトタケオ2〜...Traditional Okinawan Folk by Begin ~ Omototakeo 2）.

Now, if you'll excuse me...I will take that hot shower now.