Archive for February, 2013

Recent News

High school students run a department store

High school students run a department store

February 11, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On January 30, at Gushikawa Commercial High School the “Gusho Department Store,” a simulated company set up for business training purposes, held its 19th general meeting for shareholders. The management, including its president, Yuya Komesu, announced financial results that reflect revenue growth, and the manager, Takahiro Nakasone, reported on the details of the business, including initiatives such as the development of new suppliers. Members of the...

 

Postbox drifts to Iriomote from tsunami-hit Miyagi town

Postbox drifts to Iriomote from tsunami-hit Miyagi town

February 9, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 28, 2012, local residents found a postbox that had drifted from Minamisanriku-cho in Miyagi Prefecture to a spot near the mouth of the Yutsun River in Taketomi-cho, in the northeastern area of Iriomote Island. It must have been swept away by the tsunami...

Book helps author meet grandson of working woman in fishing town

Book helps author meet grandson of working woman in fishing town

February 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Hisako Kato, a Hosei University researcher who has studied Itoman uminchu (fishermen) culture, visited Okinawa to meet Hiroyasu Tamashiro, a local who is to open a fishermen’s style restaurant in Itoman. Tamashiro is from Itoman and is the grandson...

More than ten thousand participants in the 2013 Okinawa Marathon

More than ten thousand participants in the 2013 Okinawa Marathon

February 18, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On February 17, the 21st Okinawa Marathon was held. The race started at Okinawa Comprehensive Athletic Park in Okinawa City. A total of 14233 participants competed, including 11612 in the full marathon, and 2621 in the ten kilometer road race. The event marked...

Spoonbill recovers to return to the wild

Spoonbill recovers to return to the wild

February 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On February 14, as its caregivers looked on, the black-faced spoonbill that had been receiving medical treatment in an animal hospital in Naha since the end of last year was safely released back to the wild. Its injuries have healed but the bird was becoming...

Pumpkin production revives

Pumpkin production revives

February 7, 2013 Maki Nagamine of Ryukyu Shimpo

Domestic production of pumpkins has started to revive in Okinawa. Since the 1980s, shipping volume of pumpkins from Okinawa decreased after low price pumpkins were imported in increasing quantities, but according to statistics released by JA Okinawa,...

Brown sugar from Okinawa popular in Shanghai

Brown sugar from Okinawa popular in Shanghai

February 11, 2013 Ryota Kotani, Correspondent of the Ryukyu Shimpo

On January 24 and 25, the Kyushu Okinawa Food Fair was held at the Metro City shopping mall in Shanghai. This event was originally scheduled to be held last October, but was postponed due to the dispute between Japan and China...

Road accidents involving Yambaru kuina hit record high

February 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On February 14, the Ministry of the Environment’s Naha Nature Conservation Office announced that in 2012 there were 49 road accidents involving the endangered Yambaru kuina or Okinawa Rail, the highest number since recording began in 1995. For the first time...

Second-generation Okinawan receives Presidential Citizens Medal

February 14, 2013 Hideki Matsudo of Ryukyu Shimpo reports from Washington D.C.

On February 8, the White House announced that 90 year-old second-generation Okinawan Terry Shima from Hawaii has received the Presidential Citizens Medal.
During World War II, Shima joined the U.S. Army 442nd...

Yomiuri Giants pitcher Miyaguni gives Valentine’s chocolates to female fans

Yomiuri Giants pitcher Miyaguni gives Valentine’s chocolates to female fans

February 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On February 14, at Okinawa Cellular Stadium in Naha, the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, which commenced its second training camp, held a special Valentine’s Day event in the stadium. Two young pitchers, Ryosuke Miyaguni, who is from Okinawa, and Yuki Koyama, gave Valentine’s...

Levels of air pollution in Okinawa exceed national environmental standard

February 8, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Concerned about the effects of air pollution from China, on February 7, the Environmental Preservation Division of the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) released measurements of particles called PM2.5 (that are smaller than 2.5 micrometers) that originate from...