A pork face sold in the market wore a pair of sunglasses

Pig head wearing sunglasses — Pork Face sold at the public market

Walking through the public market in Naha, Okinawa, I was greeted by a rather shocking sight in front of a butcher’s stall: the severed head of a massive pig, proudly on display. Known locally as chiragā, this is hardly unusual in Okinawa, but for an outsider it feels almost surreal. To make matters even stranger, the head was adorned with a pair of sunglasses, giving it the look of a quirky mascot welcoming tourists. Even reduced to just its head, the pig somehow radiated a kind of cheerfulness—proof, perhaps, that pigs are creatures with an odd sort of charm.

Okinawan food culture is distinct from that of mainland Japan. In the Edo period, under Buddhist influence, meat-eating was relatively uncommon in much of Japan. In Okinawa, however, there is a saying that locals eat “everything but the squeal.” Every part of the pig is used: the ears become mimigā (a popular drinking snack), the face becomes chiragā, and the organs are cooked in various ways. It’s a cuisine of total resourcefulness. Chiragā itself is often simmered or dressed with vinegar miso, and you can find it on the menu of many izakayas that cater to curious visitors.

For a first-time traveler, the spectacle is jarring, even grotesque. Yet in Okinawa, the chiragā is more than food—it is a cultural emblem. Perhaps the sunglasses were meant as a joke, but standing there in the market, I couldn’t help feeling as though the pig’s head was grinning at me and saying, “Welcome.” In truth, it was only my own imagination at play, but isn’t that exactly how travel works? We meet a culture halfway, and sometimes a pig in sunglasses becomes its most disarming ambassador.

Kosetsu Market on Google Map

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