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As a matter of fact, many of scenes in our Saki Stories, a.k.a. AGMG and AGVG, use my actual photos as backdrops - and here is one from Ogami Island (residence of Saki and Tomokazu) that has not yet been used showing the "mushroom rocks" on the western shores. Ogami is an islet a few kilometers off Miyako, and being a remote island off another remote island in an island chain has fostered a very unique style of worship around their chief priestess. Unlike in mainland Japan, women priests have a very significant place in the act of praying in the Ryukyu Islands, which often involves them connecting with the gods through their rituals and delivering their messages to their people in a state of trance. What the priestesses do go through in these rituals to speak with the gods are very well kept secrets to outsiders - would they ever involve any undersea shrines or feats in the caves beneath the porous coral reefs? Well, who knows :-)

(Photo by Aster)

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Didrik Svahn

Oh I love how you actually use your own photos of the location IRL as reference for the drawing process. That Saver would later do. Also I agree that this remote island of another remote island is quite interesting. As each level of remoteness pretty much adds to the flavor. Seeing how this is basically four level deep with Japan being the first level of remoteness. Then we have Okinawa, followed by Miyako, and lastly Ogami :D

melangalade

ah yes, the lore expands! :3

lisenke

Saver had already shown us the rituals in undersea caves. although the lack of specific details. And you say Saki is a Ryukyu priestesses, is that means she is Noro, not Miko? Moreover Yonaha(与那覇) is a Ryukyu surname,Himemiya is a surname from Japan, so Aoi, Nazuna, and Yugao are Miko. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noro_(priestess)

savaster

Yes, for example Miyako’s dialect is very different from Okinawa main island (nothing in common) and they are both equally different from standard Japanese. An example - “Welcome” is “Yokoso” (standard Japanese), “Menso-re” (Okinawa) and “Nnmya-chi” (Miyako). I was told Ogami Island also has a dialect of its own but that’s a bit beyond me :-)

savaster

“Noro” is indeed a female priestess but was rather a public official appointed by the late Ryukyu Kingdom - and they are typically found on Okinawa mainland. Saki’s position would be a “Yuta” (but again, this also comes in different names). https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A6%E3%82%BF

Didrik Svahn

Yeah that is what that is so interesting about it. As Okinawa is totally different from the main island of Japan. From what I have seen of it regarding it way of life and culture. But even the smaller islands is different like you say from the main Okinawa island. Which just makes one wanna learn more about the various differences. And how they could affect our girls. Like how Chihaya would be called a mainlander or which swimwear a person from Okinawa would prefer

savaster

Also, it seems like there is a widening generational gap, for example youngsters Aya's age might use a handful of Miyako dialect words but not a whole lot - as opposed to older generations. On the other hand, youths on Okinawa main island seem to have a stronger native language base and control much larger vocabulary probably because there are more speakers. And each island have unique festivals and traditions which tend to be pretty bizarre, like this one https://www.patreon.com/posts/miyako-diaries-5151335

Didrik Svahn

I agree with the reason for why the native language on Okinawa might be stronger is because of more people speaking it. As I think that the reason for it to disappearing for Aya’s generation on Miyako. Is because the young people use internet more and because they grow up with it. They have been exposed to more of the “common Japanese language”. Seeing how the internet bridge the gap that the isolation of the smaller islands always have had. And yes that festival and tradition seem pretty bizarre. But then again most tradition have a tendency to appear bizarre from the outside. Also this might be strange that I say this but I rather like the drawing of Aya covered in “sacred” dirt ^^