Introduction :: Kariyushi-Kai was created in 1984 to perpetuate community identity among Americans of Okinawan ancestry by promoting and preserving classical Okinawan music and dance. We implement our mission by sponsoring a resident music ensemble, by conducting an annual series of master classes and workshops, by staging concerts featuring music and dance ensembles and soloists, and by appearing at Japanese-American community celebrations throughout Northern California. Okinawa was an independent island kingdom until the late XIX Century, when it officially became part of Japan. Prior to that time a unique set of sophisticated indigenous art forms developed in Okinawa that continue to be performed there today. Kariyushi-Kai is the only professional non-profit Okinawan-American arts organization operating in Northern California. For the past fifteen years our artistic programs have actively perpetuated the performance of traditional Okinawan music and dance forms as a valuable component of the San Francisco Bay Area's cultural life.