QAB News tv broadcasted a reportage with the title "Swiss enables himself to study "Heshikiya Eisa""
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スイスの男性 ”平敷屋エイサー体験留学”かなえるA long way from Switzerland, 10,000 km!
A man who fulfilled his dream of studying #Eisa in Japan visited the city of Uruma on 10 January to experience Heshikiya Eisa, which has a tradition of more than 100 years.
Emanuel H. (42), a Swiss, is in a good mood playing Paarankuu dressed in a black and white ucchaki. He came to Uruma City to experience "Heshikiya Eisa".
Emanuel, who lives in Basel in northwestern Switzerland, is involved in urban planning and also promotes taiko and eisa in this region. He spent his childhood in Mie Prefecture and became interested in traditional Okinawan culture when he visited Okinawa for the first time in 2006. He was fascinated by "Heshikiya Eisa", which he had seen in a video, and enquired by e-mail whether it was possible to learn the techniques locally. This is how he realised his dream of studying abroad.
Emanuel: "The way you dance and move (in Heshikiya Eisa) feels good, it's good for the body. I want to learn more and more. It's interesting."
On 10 January, under the guidance of Mr Azuma from the Society for the Preservation of Heshikiya Eisa Culture, Emanuel learnt the unique footwork and traditional dance with the Paarankuu, which has been passed down since the Meiji era and has a history of more than 100 years.
Mr Azuma of the Society for the Preservation of Heshikiya Eisa Culture: "Okinawan culture is being taken all over the world, and lovers of this culture come from far and wide at their own expense, don't they? I think this is an amazing thing. I hope I can teach Emanuel something he will be happy with.
Emanuel enthuses about "continuing the eisa I experienced in Okinawa" and plans to experience and learn traditional Okinawan culture such as ryukyu songs, folk songs and sanshin during his stay in Okinawa until 16 January
