Archive for December, 2012

Recent News

En Group to expand brown sugar exports to Hong Kong

December 19, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

En Group, which runs restaurants and a wholesale business based in Asia, is considering increasing its exports of Okinawan brown sugar to Hong Kong more than ten times from about 35 tons to 400 tons. This is the equivalent of almost five percent of the 2012 to 2013 production in Okinawa. They are planning to sell wholesale to sugar companies in Hong Kong, including Taikoo Sugar. In January 2013, Taikoo Sugar will send senior staff to Okinawa to look at sugar...

 

Kijoka Elementary School pupils find red-billed starling

Kijoka Elementary School pupils find red-billed starling

December 18, 2012 Ryota Nakamura of the Ryukyu Shimpo

Three sixth-grade pupils of Kijoka Elementary School in Ogimi Village have filmed a red-billed starling. The school has conducted bird-watching in the area since 1988.

Red-billed starlings are rarely seen in Kijoka. In fact, almost...

Farm shop opens with 250 varieties of hibiscus flowers

Farm shop opens with 250 varieties of hibiscus flowers

December 19, 2012, Ryukyu Shimpo

This December, the Yaka Farm Shop, in Yaka, Kin Town, opened selling more than 250 different varieties of hibiscus from all around the globe. An array of colorful flowers welcome the customers to the shop, which is a joint project run by the owner, Takashi Gushiken,...

Former Ryukyu Shimpo cameraman publishes book to commemorate Koza Riot

Former Ryukyu Shimpo cameraman publishes book to commemorate Koza Riot

December 20, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the Koza Riot, which occurred before dawn on December 20, 1970, 66 year-old former Ryukyu Shimpo cameraman Kazuo Kuniyoshi published a photo book entitled STAND! He has been taking photographs of the U.S. military bases...

Book about U.S. military base issues in Okinawa published

Book about U.S. military base issues in Okinawa published

December 16, 2012 Michiyo Yonamine of the Ryukyu Shimpo

A book called Resistant Islands, which looks at the issue of U.S. military bases from the viewpoint of local residents, was published in the United States this summer. Satoko Norimatsu, the director of the Peace Philosophy Centre,...

OCVB attracts Taiwanese TV drama crew

OCVB attracts Taiwanese TV drama crew

December 14, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 13, the Okinawa Film Office of the Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCVB) reported that they had invited a Taiwanese drama and successfully finished the filming.

From December 4 to 11, a Taiwanese television drama entitled How...

Asiana Airlines to run charter flights between Miyako and Seoul next February

December 11, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 10, at Miyako-jima Municipal Office in Hirara, Seok-Je Kim, the Okinawa branch manager of Asiana Airlines, visited Mayor Toshihiko Shimoji and reported that they will operate charter flights between Miyako and Seoul on February 8 and 10, 2013. The...

Okinawa-no-Maruyaki claims fifth prize at the Japan Local Products Exhibition

Okinawa-no-Maruyaki claims fifth prize at the Japan Local Products Exhibition

December 7, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Japan Local Products Exhibition run by the Central Federation of Commerce and Industry was held in Tokyo between November 23 and 25. Okinawa-no-Maruyaki, a food item produced by Makoto Mochi in Motobu, represented Okinawa, and won the fifth prize. Makoto Higa,...

Donald Keene visits the Cornerstone of Peace in Itoman

Donald Keene visits the Cornerstone of Peace in Itoman

December 14, 2012, Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 13, Donald Keene, the famous 90-year-old scholar of Japanese literature, visited the Cornerstone of Peace in Itoman, offering prayers for the victims of the Battle of Okinawa. Keene participated in the battle as an interpreter for the U.S. military....

Defense Bureau submits revised Environmental Impact Statement on the Futenma relocation

Defense Bureau submits revised Environmental Impact Statement on the Futenma relocation

December 19, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 18, the Okinawa Defense Bureau submitted to the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) the revised version of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) about the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko in Nago. With this, the government...

OPG to set up sexual assault victim assistance center

December 14, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 13, Hiroshi Shimoji, the head of the Environmental and Community Affairs Department, Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG), commented that he would strive to establish a “one-stop support center” to provide support for the victims...