Archive for June, 2012

Recent News

Remains from the Battle of Okinawa found in Nishihara

Remains from the Battle of Okinawa found in Nishihara

June 16, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On June 15, in the Kochi area of Nishihara, seven sets of remains that seem to have been soldiers and young civilian personnel of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Battle of Okinawa were found. Among those, there are skulls and teeth with three sets of remains. Yoshikiyo Takaesu, a representative of Gamafuya, the volunteer group dedicated to the recovery of remains of the Battle of Okinawa, said, “If we can carefully collect these remains, we should...

 

BURGER KING to opens its first outlet in August in Okiei Street, Naha

BURGER KING to opens its first outlet in August in Okiei Street, Naha

June 14, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

In early August, the U.S. fast food hamburger chain from Miami, BURGER KING (BK) will open its first Okinawan outlet in Makishi, Naha. It will be open every day from 7:00am to 11:00pm. The store will have 83 seats, including 14 seats in a smoking area. While it is...

Japan Times reporter writes about the current state of affairs for the Okinawan dialect

Japan Times reporter writes about the current state of affairs for the Okinawan dialect

June 11, 2012 Sadao Tome, Correspondent of the Ryukyu Shimpo

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion from U.S. rule to Japanese sovereignty, Japan Times reporter Ayako Mie visited the prefecture for four days at the beginning of May, reporting about the current...

Ikeda Shokuhin produces smoked shima-dofu using unsold tofu

Ikeda Shokuhin produces smoked <em>shima-dofu</em> using unsold tofu

June 10, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

Tofu production and distribution company Ikeda Shokuhin has been working to commercialize a new product of Okinawan tofu, also known as shima-dofu. They not only started selling smoked shima-dofu in April, but also tried to make scones and cookies...

Japanese government accepts a U.S. report on the crash in Morocco as a declaration of a clean bill of health and declares Osprey aircraft safe

June 9, 2012 Sakae Toiyama of Ryukyu Shimpo

The U.S. Government has concluded that no mechanical problems were found to be involved in the MV-22 Osprey vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft crash in Morocco in April. Receiving the report from the United States government, a senior...

Criticism is growing in the United States regarding the safety of the Osprey

Criticism is growing in the United States regarding the safety of the Osprey

June 13, 2012 Hideki Matsudo of Ryukyu Shimpo reports from Washington D.C.

The lobby seeking to stop the procurement plan of the MV-22 Osprey vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft is becoming stronger in the United States. On May 17, Congressman Mike Quigley from Illinois put forward...

Shimauta live performance at the World Travel Fair 2012

<em>Shimauta</em> live performance at the World Travel Fair 2012

June 4, 2012 Ryota Kotani, Correspondent of the Ryukyu Shimpo

From May 10 to 13, the World Travel Fair 2012 was held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center in the Jingan district of Shanghai. Various countries and regions from around the world participated in the fair, running booths advertising...

Cyurabana creates and sells Okinawan tea in China

Cyurabana creates and sells Okinawan tea in China

June 6, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

Cyurabana, a company based in Okinawa City that plans and markets products made using Okinawan natural materials, has started selling raffiane tea made with no additives, using only the benifuki variety of Okinawan tea leaves, at a cafe in China’s Sichuan...

Hirayama catches a big bluefin tuna two years in a row

Hirayama catches a big bluefin tuna two years in a row

June 8, 2012 Yoko Morinaga, correspondent of Ryukyu Shimpo

On June 2, Hiroyuki Hirayama, a hobby fisherman from Nagoya, Aichi, pulled in a bluefin tuna 2.53 meters (8 feet 4 inches) long and weighing 287.5 kilograms (634 pounds) when fishing off Kumejima Island. It was his second such catch...

Ryukyuan dishes without pork appeals to Muslim tourists

Ryukyuan dishes without pork appeals to Muslim tourists

June 8, 2012 Sadaharu Shimabukuro of Ryukyu Shimpo

In order to attract foreign tourists from Islamic countries, collaborating with six hotels and restaurants in Okinawa, the Okinawa Tourist Service (OTS) drew up a project involving Ryukyuan dishes with Halal foods that Muslims are able to...

Kimura completes four-year circumnavigation of the world

Kimura completes four-year circumnavigation of the world

June 10, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

A yacht named Fang, with four people including 65 year-old skipper Takeo Kimura on board, completed a four-year voyage around the world. Kimura, who currently lives in Kanagawa, left Kushiro Port in Hokkaido on June 4, 2008. On June 9, 2012, he brought the yacht...