NUCHI-GAFŪ du SHIDI-GAFŪ: Die Weisheit von Okinawa und die Kunst der Gewaltlosigkeit

NUCHI-GAFŪ and SHIDI-GAFŪ: The Wisdom of Okinawa and The Art of Non-Violence
Installation, Performative Interventions & Lectures
Riko Sugama, Toyomitsu Higa, Victor Kinjo, Thaís Omine, Hiroya Maeda, Nanyō Unten, Akihito Yagi, Ayaka Nakazato, Takumi Hosokawa, Rita Sugama, Aki Maeda

Shaped by the aftermath of World War II, decades of U.S. occupation, and cultural oppression, the people of Okinawa have developed nonviolent forms of resistance over the past decades through dance, song, storytelling, food, and prayer. All of these strategies reject violence and have instead taken shape through diplomacy, cultural expression, and exchange. Despite ongoing oppression, communities in Okinawa have continued to cultivate their long-standing traditions, including artistic practices rooted in the former Ryūkyū Kingdom, to which the island once belonged. Drawing on these historical developments and ongoing Okinawan practices, Berlin-based Okinawan artist and community organizer Riko Sugama, together with guests, presentsNUCHI-GAFŪ du SHIDI-GAFŪ: The Wisdom of Okinawa and the Art of Nonviolence. Together, they break away from the conventional arrangement of stage and audience, creating a gathering in a circle that invites participants to engage collectively with the history of Okinawa. Through storytelling in the form of dance, visual art, music, and dialogue, they trace the experiences of people from Okinawa, including the diaspora in Brazil. Sugama and her collaborators’ approach is based on the principle ofnuchi-gafū du shidi-gafū(命果報どぅ孵果報), which reflects a deeply rooted belief in the inherent blessing and value of existence itself. 

Photography and Guest Lecture: Toyomitsu Higa  
Cultural Mediation and Facilitation: Victor Kinjo, Thaís Omine  
Calligraphy: Nanyō Unten  
Lacquer Art: Hiroya Maeda, Aki Maeda  
Okinawan Karate: Akihito Yagi  
Ryūkyū Dance: Ayaka Nakazato, Rita Sugama  
Ryūkyū Music: Takumi Hosokawa, Riko Sugama  
Director: Makoto Inoue  
Language Coordination (JP–EN): Yoko Gross  
Project Production: Micaela Trigo 

Building on their participation inBwa Kayiman, the international Okinawan community has organized an additional program featuring film screenings, lectures, workshops, performances, exhibitions, and celebrations at SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA and SAVVY Contemporary. The program will take place from July 31 to August 9, 2026.

Commissioned and produced by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), co-produced by Micaela Trigo Production.  

Riko Sugama and her team would like to thank their crowdfunding supporters via READYFOR for their support.

Part ofBwa Kayiman: Crossing the Mangrove.

Location: Bessie Head Foyer
In English, Okinawan, and Japanese, with consecutive interpretation into English

Dates
Installation
Sat., Aug. 1, 2026, 12:00–11:00 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 2, 2026, 12:00–23:00

Performative Interventions & Lectures
Sun., Aug. 2, 2026, 4:30 p.m.